The AFC race is already tightening up as Week 9 gets rolling, and Jacksonville made the first loud statement of the week. The Jaguars’ dominant win over the suddenly hopeless Baltimore Ravens pushed them deeper into the conversation at the top, and they’re looking like one of the league’s most complete teams right now.
That kind of result only sharpens the picture for the rest of the conference, especially with several of the AFC’s biggest names lined up for major matchups against NFC opponents. With the second half of the 2026 season approaching, the question is simple: how do the AFC teams stack up heading into another loaded week?
At the bottom of this updated AFC ranking sits the Los Angeles Chargers, and the situation there is bleak. This is being called the most broken team in the NFL, and with the high-profile trio of head coach, quarterback and offensive coordinator in place, the criticism is hard to argue with.
The fact that things have gone sideways between Harbaugh, Herbert and McDaniel is a stunner, but at this point the bigger question is what the Chargers can even do next. There’s even a sense that teams could start asking about Justin Herbert, though the asking price would be enormous.
For a team that entered the year with Super Bowl hopes, an 0-7 start is the kind of collapse nobody saw coming, and the fallout from it is going to be worth watching.
Just above them are the Miami Dolphins, a team that may not be scaring anybody but is still expected to keep grinding. They’re 1-6 overall and 0-3 at home, which lines up with the low expectations that surrounded them before the season.
Still, there’s a belief here that Jeff Hafley is building something. The Dolphins aren’t likely to be favored in many, if any, of their remaining games, but they should keep showing up and competing.
There’s a sense they could steal a couple more wins along the way, maybe even a few surprises, while laying groundwork with players who want to be part of what comes next.
In Other News...
Jaguars Just Sent A Strong Trade Deadline Message To The AFC
The trade deadline chatter around Brian Thomas Jr. has only underscored how much the Jaguars value the young wide receiver as they try to stay in the AFC mix. Kansas Citys reported interest says plenty about Thomas rising profile, but it also reflects Jacksonvilles position: a team trying to build around premium talent, not move it out the door.
The Chiefs may keep searching for help at receiver, with other names like Josh Downs and Hollywood Brown in the conversation, but Jacksonville has little reason to entertain a deal for a former first-round pick who fits its long-term plans. For a club viewed as one of the AFCs top contenders, sending a key piece to a rival would run against everything the deadline should represent. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Have A Win-Now Trade Deadline Decision To Make
The Jaguars are heading into the trade deadline with a familiar kind of pressure: a roster that has enough talent to matter, but still has clear holes that could make a difference in the stretch run. Defensive tackle, defensive end and safety all stand out as areas where help could be useful, and that has put Jacksonville in the conversation around a handful of notable names as teams around the league weigh whether to buy or sell.
Budda Baker, Derrick Brown, Christian Barmore and Khalil Mack are among the players being discussed as possible fits if Jacksonville decides to be aggressive. Nothing is done yet, of course, but that is the point of this stage of the season for a team like the Jaguars, who have to decide whether to stand pat or make a real push to sharpen the roster before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars May Be Willing To Go Further Than Fans Expected
The Jaguars are still working the phones as the trade deadline approaches, and the urgency on the defensive front is easy to understand. DaVon Hamilton landing on injured reserve with a knee injury left a noticeable hole inside, and Jacksonville has made it clear it wants to add help before the stretch run.
James Palmer reported the Jaguars even made a push for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, a sign they may be willing to be more aggressive than some around the league expected. They came up short because of divisional constraints, but the pursuit itself says plenty about how seriously Jacksonville is treating the need to fortify its defensive line depth before the postseason. [Read more 🡒]