On October 6, 2025, the buzz around the Jaguars was skeptical. People were not sure what to make of them—were they good, or were they the same old Jacksonville? That Monday night, the Jaguars faced the Chiefs in a nationally televised game. Viewers saw a team that overcame the lackluster performances that previously plagued them in big games, and the Jaguars made enough plays to defeat a Chiefs team viewed as a benchmark. The 31-28 win sparked belief that the Jaguars had turned a corner in the Trevor Lawrence era, with Liam Coen being the new head coach. However, in the two weeks following that victory, their performances have cast doubt on that notion.
One thing that has changed over the last two weeks is the Jaguars' defense. They entered the game against the Chiefs as one of the teams known for forcing turnovers against their opponents. In the Chiefs' game, the Jaguars forced two turnovers in their win. But in their last two games, both losses, they have not forced one turnover. It seems like when the Jaguars force turnovers, they give their offense more chances to score points. They could also score points themselves, like linebacker Devin Lloyd did versus the Chiefs in that Monday Night Football game. But overall, it seems like they are becoming a defense known for being turnover-dependent and not a solid defense that can get stops consistently.
In addition to the defense having some issues, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense are having some issues as well. Now, not all the issues they have are with Lawrence though, as wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr is having drop issues in his sophomore season. But in certain situations with Lawrence, he is not getting rid of the football as fast as he needs to and not going to the open guy in other situations. But the overall thing here is the balance between passing and running the football. Lawrence is 9-13 over the last two seasons when throwing the ball more than 30 times in a game. If this is the case, it means the Jaguars are not running the football enough. Now, some of these games did require Lawrence to pass the ball because they were behind later in the game. But ultimately, the Jaguars need to figure out how to correct this issue, as it has cost them games. Balance needs to be key in the offense and that means involving Travis Etienne and the running game more.
The season is not over for the Jaguars, but players need to play better and the scheme and gameplan need to have some changes. Or else we could be heading down the path of the Jaguars of old once again and Jacksonville fans defintely do not want to see that.