The Jaguars didn’t just beat the Patriots in Week 3. They kept stacking up milestones while doing it, and the national rankings are starting to reflect that.
Jacksonville’s 35-6 rout of New England gave the team a fresh burst of momentum heading into Week 4, but the bigger picture is even more eye-catching. Per Jaguars PR, Liam Coen became the fastest coach in franchise history to reach 15 wins, and the first NFL coach to win 15 of his first 20 games since Matt LeFleur in 2019.
The win also pushed Jacksonville’s home streak into rare air. The Jaguars have now won six straight at home, the third-best run in franchise history, and they’ve scored at least 34 points in every one of those games. Only the 2012 Broncos and 1960 Chargers have longer home stretches with that kind of scoring pace.
The defense has been just as relentless. Jacksonville hasn’t allowed an individual rusher to hit 75 yards in 20 straight games, tying for the NFL’s fourth-longest such streak over the last 50 seasons. The Jaguars have also picked off a pass in nine straight games and forced a takeaway in eight straight.
So where does all of that land them nationally? Pretty high.
Pro Football Talk moved Jacksonville up to No. 5 from No. 7, with Mike Florio writing, “Get used to the possibility of seeing a lot of teal in L.A. during Super Bowl week.”
Sports Illustrated also slotted the Jaguars at No. 5, jumping them from 11th. Conor Orr pointed to the balance on both sides of the ball, noting they’re fourth in EPA per play on offense and fourth in EPA per play allowed on defense. He added that the only real blemish is the difficult early-season trip to Denver, calling Jacksonville “a legitimate contender that will only look better a month from now.”
Yahoo Sports kept the Jaguars at No. 7, though Frank Schwab made the case that their start deserves more attention. He wrote that if you remove the second half of the Broncos game, Jacksonville has outscored its other three opponents 79-19.
Schwab also highlighted Trevor Lawrence’s 107.8 passer rating and noted the Jaguars’ upcoming slate: at Bengals, vs. Eagles in London, vs.
Texans in London, vs. Colts, at Ravens.
NFL.com bumped Jacksonville to No. 7 from No. 9.
Nick Shook called Sunday “a nice get-right week” and said the Jaguars handled the Patriots “with ease and even tousled their hair for good measure.” He also congratulated Travis Hunter for his first career interception in the blowout.
CBS Sports followed a similar line, moving Jacksonville to No. 7 from No. 10. Pete Prisco pointed to the bounce-back effort after the first loss and said the defense, which is No. 1 in the league in points allowed, delivered again.
Bleacher Report had the Jaguars at No. 8, down from No. 10, but Gary Davenport was direct about their standing in the division: “There is zero question that the Jaguars are the best team in the AFC South.” He also said the upcoming trip to Cincinnati and home date with the Eagles give Jacksonville a chance to make a bigger statement as a Super Bowl contender.
USA Today also placed the Jaguars at No. 8, up from No. 11. Nate Davis noted that Jacksonville’s two wins at EverBank Stadium have come by a combined 69-16, then added, “Too bad they only have four more games their this season.”
Fox Sports ranked the Jaguars 10th, down from 12th. Ralph Vacchiano said it feels like Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville haven’t yet played their best game, and pointed out that Liam Coen’s offense hasn’t been especially sharp.
Lawrence has had back-to-back games under 200 passing yards, Bhayshul Tuten still hasn’t gone over 75 rushing yards in a game, and yet the Jaguars have still won two games by two or more touchdowns. Vacchiano ended by saying, “Maybe it’s because those wins were against Cleveland and New England.
I want to believe. I really do.
But we will probably learn a lot more about this offense in Cincinnati next week.”
ESPN had Jacksonville at No. 10, up from 13th. In the fantasy section, Michael DiRocco called Brian Thomas Jr. the surprise of the group, noting that Parker Washington’s emergence and the reliability of Jakobi Meyers had pointed toward a more even target split.
Instead, Thomas has only seven catches for 88 yards and no touchdowns, while rookie Josh Cameron has also earned nearly equal playing time with two touchdown catches. DiRocco said it’s now “almost impossible to expect consistent fantasy production out of Thomas.”
ESPN’s other writeup was even more bullish on Trevor Lawrence. Josh Kendall and Chad Graff wrote that the Jaguars have won 10 of Lawrence’s last 12 starts, and said the former No. 1 pick is finally playing like a franchise quarterback.
Since mid-November, Lawrence leads the league in touchdowns with 26 and ranks second in passer rating at 106.5. He threw for three touchdowns and one interception in Sunday’s win over New England.
In Other News...
Jaguars Get Their Biggest Early Test Yet With AFC South Stakes Rising
The Jaguars head into Week 4 with a chance to measure just how real this fast start is, and the stakes are already pointing beyond one Sunday. Jacksonville and Cincinnati each sit at 2-1, which makes this matchup feel less like a mid-September tune-up and more like an early checkpoint in the AFC race, especially with the Jaguars showing real teeth on defense. Jacksonvilles pass defense has been one of the leagues best so far, sitting first in EPA per pass, and that kind of efficiency changes the way opponents have to attack.
Cincinnati brings its own pressure into the meeting, even after a Week 3 defensive step backward that raised a few questions about where this team is headed. The matchup comes with the usual layers of quarterback and personnel intrigue, but it also has the kind of betting interest that tends to follow games with division and playoff implications attached this early. For Jacksonville, the bigger question is whether the defense has truly established itself as a week-to-week edge, or whether this is the first test that forces the Jaguars to answer for more than just a strong opening month. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Are Off To A Strong Start But One Doubt Remains
Through three weeks of the 2026 season, Jacksonville has done enough to stay in the early Super Bowl conversation. The Jaguars are 2-1, and Trevor Lawrence has steered the offense efficiently enough to keep them in the mix while other contenders around the league have already taken on some early damage.
Still, the opening month has only sharpened the question that follows any fast start in September: how real is it? Seattle is also 2-1 despite a recent loss, and Cincinnati is right there too even after a surprising setback to Pittsburgh, so the Jaguars are hardly alone near the top of the standings. For Jacksonville, the challenge now is proving that this is more than a good September run and something that can hold up as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Face A Brian Thomas Jr. Question They Can't Ignore
Brian Thomas Jr.s Week 3 usage was one of the quieter developments in Jacksonvilles win over New England, but it may end up being one of the more interesting ones to watch. The second-year receiver was on the field for just 23 snaps and finished with one catch, a workload that stood out for a player expected to be a central part of the Jaguars passing game. Head coach Liam Coen said the reduced playing time was not a message, pointing instead to the teams heavier use of 12 personnel and the specific jobs being handed out around the offense.
Still, the bigger issue is what that usage says about where Thomas fits as the Jaguars lean into those tighter formations. More 12 personnel means fewer receiver snaps to go around, and that has opened the door for other targets to carve out more visible roles. Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington have been part of that mix, and Jacksonville now has a real question to answer about whether Thomas is simply being managed within the system or drifting into a lesser role than the one many expected for him. [Read more 🡒]