The Jaguars didn’t just beat the Colts in Week 8 - they flattened them, 42-7, and the payoff showed up immediately in the Week 9 power rankings. Jacksonville’s win over Indianapolis stretched its AFC South lead and sent the team soaring up boards across the NFL media landscape, even as the injury picture got uglier on defense.
That’s the tension hanging over the Jaguars right now. On one side, the offense was rolling against the Colts, and the next opponent is a Ravens team dealing with major injury issues of its own.
On the other, Jacksonville is now bracing for the loss of two defensive leaders, Eric Murray and DaVon Hamilton, for the rest of the season. The Week 9 game will be in Baltimore, and the Jaguars enter it with both momentum and some real roster concerns.
The rankings reflected that mix of dominance and doubt. Mike Florio of NBC Sports put Jacksonville at No. 2, saying, “They caught the Colts at the perfect time, and they’re catching the Ravens at the perfect time.”
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports had the Jaguars at No. 3, pointing to the team’s balance on both sides of the ball. He wrote that they are “one of two teams in the top-10 in scoring defense and scoring offense” and noted that they “also lead the league in scoring margin.” Prisco also said losing DaVon Hamilton “means a trade has to be made.”
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco also slotted Jacksonville at No. 3, using the Jaguars’ recent trade for Meyers as an example of how the team has tried to patch holes and keep the offense humming. He pointed to the timing of that move, when Brian Thomas Jr. was out with an ankle injury, Travis Hunter was out for the season with a knee injury, Dyami Brown was dealing with a shoulder injury, Parker Washington had not yet emerged, and the Jaguars were leading the NFL in drops.
Conor Orr of SI.com ranked Jacksonville No. 3 as well, calling Hamilton’s loss “a killer” and saying the Jaguars “look so coldly efficient on offense and just need the horses on defense to keep them in games.” He added, “Expect the Jaguars to go big game hunting at the DT position over the next week.”
USA Today’s Nate Davis placed the Jaguars at No. 4, saying the AFC South race should be smooth from here and adding that the team still has issues after losing Murray and Hamilton for the season. Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report had Jacksonville at No. 5, calling the Colts a “down-and-out opponent” and saying Liam Coen’s team did what the AFC South’s best squad should do.
The Athletic’s Chad Graff and Josh Kendall ranked the Jaguars No. 6, noting that Jacksonville may be headed for the AFC’s top seed and that it leads the NFL in point differential by a wide margin, though they also said skeptics will point to the lack of marquee wins so far. Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano put the Jaguars at No. 7, describing Indianapolis as “a dead team walking” and highlighting Trevor Lawrence’s three-touchdown day, Jonathan Taylor being held to 47 total yards, and a defensive touchdown.
Vacchiano also singled out Brian Thomas Jr.’s touchdown catch, calling it “perhaps as one last showcase before he’s traded.” He finished by saying, “They are for real.”
The Colts game also came with a notable stat line for the bigger picture: after Sunday’s win, the Jaguars are 14-3 over their past 17 regular-season games, spanning from November 2, 2025 through November 1, 2026. That is their best regular-season record over a 17-game stretch since the 1999-2000 seasons.
There was more praise for the offense from Bleacher Report, where Sobleski highlighted Bhayshul Tuten’s breakout day. Tuten posted career highs with 104 rushing yards and 55 receiving yards, and Sobleski said his growing role can ease the burden on Lawrence. He also noted that Lawrence became the first quarterback since the 2015 season to throw for three touchdowns while attempting fewer than 15 passes.
For now, the Jaguars sit near the top of the league in the rankings and head into a Baltimore trip that looks manageable on paper, even with their own injury problems.
In Other News...
Jaguars Move Fast After Davon Hamilton Injury But Bigger Question Remains
Davon Hamiltons season-ending injury forced the Jaguars to move quickly, and they responded by bringing back a familiar face in veteran defensive tackle Austin Johnson. Johnson spent last season with Jacksonville, so the team already knows what it is getting as it looks to steady the interior of the defensive line and add some immediate depth.
Johnsons arrival helps plug an obvious hole, but it may not be the only move Jacksonville makes at the position. The Jaguars are expected to keep evaluating defensive tackle options in the coming weeks, a sign that Hamiltons absence could push the team to keep searching for more help up front. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Have A Division-Shifting Problem The Colts Will Watch
DaVon Hamiltons season-ending torn quad leaves the Jaguars with a real problem in the middle of their defense, and it comes at a time when every AFC South game feels loaded with extra weight. Hamilton has been a key part of Jacksonvilles interior defensive line, so losing him doesnt just thin out the rotation - it changes how the front has to hold up against the run and push the pocket.
The timing also puts Jacksonville on the clock before the NFL trade deadline, with the team now expected to look for help at defensive tackle. For the Colts, and everyone else watching the division race, it is the kind of injury that can ripple beyond one roster spot and force a team to make a move it may not have planned on making this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Just Caught A Huge Break In Week 9
The Jaguars head into Week 9 with a chance to take advantage of a Baltimore team suddenly in a difficult spot. Jacksonville is 5-2 and sitting atop the AFC South after flattening the Colts, and the matchup now looks even friendlier with the Ravens dealing with major quarterback uncertainty. Lamar Jackson is expected to go on injured reserve after hurting his thumb in Week 8, and Tyler Huntley is also banged up, leaving Baltimore in line to lean on a depth chart that could get very thin in a hurry.
For Jacksonville, that kind of break matters in a crowded AFC race, especially with Trevor Lawrence steering an offense that has played well alongside a defense that has been among the leagues best by EPA per play. The Jaguars have earned their strong position, but the timing of this opponents injuries gives them a real opening to keep momentum rolling and protect their place in the division. [Read more 🡒]