No NFL team has separated itself from the pack quite like the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Thursday night’s 33-10 rout of the Ravens pushed Jacksonville’s season scoring margin to 229-121, giving the Jaguars a league-best point differential of +108. That number stands 50 points clear of the next closest team, the 49ers, who sit at +58.
The Jaguars are only 6-2, so they do not own the NFL’s best record. The Bills, 49ers and Vikings are all 6-1, and the 49ers are favored to beat the Raiders and move to 7-1. The Bills and Vikings meet on Monday night, which means the winner will also reach 7-1.
Still, at this stage of the season, point differential tells a cleaner story than the standings do. With just half a season in the books, a few bounces in a few tight games can warp a team’s record. Point differential is harder to fake, and over the long haul it has usually pointed to the teams that are truly best - the ones that can bury opponents when they get the chance.
That’s been Jacksonville’s calling card. Both of the Jaguars’ losses came in one-possession games that were tied in the fourth quarter.
Their wins, though, have come with real force. The 35-point win over the Colts was the biggest blowout in the NFL this season.
The 29-point win over the Patriots ranked fourth. The 24-point win over the Browns was seventh.
And Thursday’s 23-point win over Baltimore checked in as the 11th-biggest blowout of the year.
No one else has come close to that kind of separation. The Jaguars have four victories by more than 21 points; every other team in the league has one or fewer.
Jacksonville now holds a 3.5-game lead in the AFC South, and six of its nine remaining games are against teams with losing records. That sets the Jaguars up to keep rolling through the division, with a path that could put them in position for the No. 1 seed in the AFC and, if the trend continues, more playoff blowouts to match what they’ve already done in the regular season.
In Other News...
Jaguars Trade Deadline Debate Comes Down To One Defensive Gamble
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Jaguars are weighing whether to make a defensive move that would change the look of their roster for the stretch run. The conversation has centered on a few notable names, including Moro Ojomo, Budda Baker, Jessie Bates and Christian Barmore, each bringing a different mix of upside, fit and financial complication. For Jacksonville, the appeal is obvious: help on defense is hard to find, and the market rarely offers clean solutions.
The challenge is deciding how aggressive to be when the price could include both draft capital and a contract commitment that reaches beyond this season. Baker and Bates would bring proven back-end stability, while Barmore and Ojomo offer a different kind of front-seven boost, but each path comes with tradeoffs the Jaguars have to weigh carefully. For now, it remains a debate rather than a decision, and the deadline will determine whether Jacksonville takes the gamble or stays put. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Brian Thomas Jr. Decision That Could Frustrate Fans
The trade deadline is creeping closer, and Brian Thomas Jr. has become one of the more interesting names on the Jaguars roster. Jacksonville had previously resisted the idea of moving the receiver, but his reduced role in the offense has changed the conversation enough that the team is now reportedly willing to listen if another club calls with an offer.
For a Jaguars team trying to balance present needs with long-term flexibility, the decision lands with general manager James Gladstone. Thomas still offers field-stretching ability, but his usage has dipped this season and his production has followed, leaving Jacksonville to weigh whether keeping him in place is worth more than turning him into future draft capital. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Trade Deadline Plan May Hinge On One Surprising Name
The trade deadline is starting to loom over Jacksonville, and the Jaguars suddenly find themselves in an unusual spot. Reports around the league have them expected to explore a move involving wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., even as the team has publicly pushed back on the idea that he is available. With the deadline approaching, the possibility of the Jaguars operating as both buyers and sellers has added another layer to an already fluid situation.
Thomas name is the one drawing the most attention because it would signal a real shift in how Jacksonville is viewing its roster. Sources suggest he has slipped down the depth chart, which could make him part of a larger effort to reshape the team and address other needs. For a Jaguars team trying to balance present-tense competitiveness with longer-term roster management, what happens here could say plenty about how aggressive they plan to be before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]