Jaguars are on fire
By: Jake Rajala
The Jacksonville Jaguars are red hot after Week 5. They are sitting pretty at 4-1. Let it be known that their recent victories have come against the once-undefeated San Francisco 49ers and the reigning AFC Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. With that said, a fascinating question surrounds the Jaguars: are the Jags legit Super Bowl contenders?
It wasn’t long ago that the Jaguars were known as “sacksonville” due to having prolific pass rushers and an elite defense. They even carried Blake Bortles at QB.
It’s impossible to hate the Jags and their direction.
I really believe that the Jags have the makeup to win the Super Bowl. Trevor Lawrence is the leader of the Jags. He only has 5 TDs to 4 ints, but he is clutch and makes plays in key moments. We all witnessed Lawrence’s moment against the Chiefs when he dropped the ball on the goal-line and then picked it up and then ran to the corner of the end-zone.
The Jags defense is on another level. The Jags defense is ranked 8th in PPG allowed. Their former first overall pick, Travon Walker, had 10.5 sacks last season. Well, he sat out of the Kansas City Chiefs game via a wrist injury. Their defense has also forced more turnovers than any other defense.
The Jags also sit in arguably one of the worst NFL divisions (AFC South). The Colts are 4-1, but the Texans are 2-3 and the Titans are 1-4. I really believe they are more well-rounded than the Colts.
I don’t believe the Jags are ready to beat a team like the Buffalo Bills or Detroit Lions, but they should be able to get 11-12 wins. They have the running game with Travis Etienne to shine on the road in the playoffs. I expect the Colts to win their division, to the Jags should be a wildcard team.
The Jags have very impressive, young players on both sides of the ball. Their offense has done enough to win, yet they still haven’t utilized their Top-5 pick in the 2025 draft, Travis Hunter, enough. Hunter has made a few plays on offense and defense, but I’d like to see him be a Pro Bowl-caliber player at WR or CB.
Honestly, I’d prefer to see him at 100% on offense and not 80%. He can learn more and grow more chemistry soon with T-Lawrence than slowly become closer to Lawrence over a couple of seasons.
The secret to the Jags is none other than Travis Etienne. The former Clemson RB can do it all. He reminds me of Matt Forte. He is fifth in rushing yards with 394 yds. Etienne needs more targets in my opinion via screens and option routes out of the backfield.
The Jags are young, talented across the board, and they have grown their fanbase in places like Europe. They play many games across the sea. The Jags play the Los Angeles Rams in London on October 19th.
There aren’t clear Super Bowl favorites in the AFC, besides the Bills. I would say the Denver Broncos are on the verge of being a Super Bowl contender. I just want to wait and see if Bo Nix can turn it around and be consistent until at least mid-season.
The Jags aren’t a dynasty, despite their youth and talent. They still need to actually win a Super Bowl. They should be able to reach the AFC Championship if they continue to play like they are. Hopefully, they can have more upset wins and be a fine underdog story.
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