The Jaguars’ 35-6 rout of the New England Patriots did more than add another win to the ledger. It pushed Jacksonville into the top tier of this week’s NFL power rankings, with several outlets treating the Jaguars like a legitimate force after three games.
That reaction fits what has happened on the field. Jacksonville has looked dominant for 10 of its first 12 quarters, and if you set aside the ugly second half against the Denver Broncos on the road, the team has opened the 2026 season with the kind of force that makes people take notice. The Patriots game also showed something else: a clean response after a rough loss the week before.
"I think the response was more as a group, as a team what you're proud of is, okay, last year, fourth quarter, you fall apart against Houston; you have a good week of practice, you beat a good football team 35 to six. This year, we fall apart in the fourth quarter; you have a good week of practice, you beat a good football team 35 to six," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Monday. "I think for the group, for them all to know, it was eye-opening in ways to say, guys, like, it's not some crazy formula here."
The most favorable placement for Jacksonville came in SI’s Week 4 power rankings, where the Jaguars were slotted behind only four teams. Pro Football Talk matched that as the highest ranking for Jacksonville.
Buffalo, Seattle, and Denver all sit ahead of the Jaguars there, which is easy enough to understand since those three teams account for half of Jacksonville’s losses during the Liam Coen era. Kansas City also gets the nod, and given the Chiefs’ start, that ordering is hard to fight.
ESPN also put Jacksonville in its top 10, though not without a few placements that raise eyebrows. The Jaguars were one of three teams in the final spot of the top-10, but the teams ahead of them included the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. The Rams have not exactly started hot, while the Vikings have built their record by beating the Packers, Buccaneers, and a Chicago Bears team that was mostly without Caleb Williams.
The Vikings’ placement drew the sharpest skepticism. Their defense has been excellent, but they have still allowed more points than Jacksonville’s defense while facing a much softer set of quarterbacks. On offense, Minnesota sits in the bottom six in EPA/Play, which makes the case for them over the Jaguars a tougher sell.
Another ranking had Cincinnati three spots ahead of Jacksonville even though both teams are 2-1. That comparison stands out even more because the Bengals lost to old man river, while the Jaguars dropped a game to a Broncos team that won 10 games a year ago. The same outlet had Jacksonville at No. 14, a spot that makes the Broncos loss look like a bigger setback than it really was.
One ranking put the Jaguars at No. 7 and the Bengals at No. 8, setting up Sunday’s meeting in Cincinnati for a clean head-to-head test. The teams also met there last season, when Jacksonville let one get away. After the way the Jaguars handled Week 2, they will be looking to avoid that same result again.
The Rams came up again in another ranking that placed them above Jacksonville, and that one is easier to understand because Los Angeles boatroaced the Jaguars in London last season. Still, Matthew Stafford has looked off this year and the Rams’ defense has not met expectations.
In the final ranking mentioned, Jacksonville landed behind only Denver, San Francisco, Kansas City, and Buffalo. That group gives the Jaguars a clear spot in the top five, and that feels about right after a start that has looked far more convincing than the lone loss might suggest.
In Other News...
Brian Thomas Jr. Slump Just Created An Uncomfortable Jaguars Question
Brian Thomas Jr. has been part of the Jaguars long-term plan since arriving as a former first-round pick, but his recent production dip has invited outside curiosity in a way the team probably would rather avoid. NFL analyst Kristopher Knox recently floated the Steelers as a club that could benefit from adding Thomas to its passing game, a reminder that even young receivers with upside can become the subject of trade chatter when the numbers stop matching the pedigree.
For Jacksonville, the situation is less about any immediate intention to move him and more about how quickly a slump can turn into an uncomfortable question. The Jaguars have shown no interest in trading Thomas right now, but if his form keeps slipping, the conversation could get louder, especially with Pittsburgh already active at receiver this season after adding Michael Pittman Jr. and drafting Germie Bernard. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Rookies Are Forcing A Real Week 4 Depth Chart Shift
Through the first three weeks, the Jaguars rookie class has already started to leave a real imprint on the roster picture. Some first-year players, including Wesley Williams and Jalen Huskey, are still waiting for their first action, but others have forced their way into the conversation with meaningful reps on offense, defense and special teams. Bryan Thomas Jr. and Josh Cameron have been among the more noticeable contributors, giving Jacksonville something to think about as the season settles in.
Head coach Liam Coen also had to address the health of rookie Albert Regis, which adds another layer to a depth chart that is clearly still moving. For a team trying to find the right mix in the early part of the year, the rookie class is no longer just developmental background noise. The bigger question now is how much those performances will continue to push established options out of the way as Week 4 approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Have A Secondary Concern Before Bengals Showdown
A week after trying to settle into the rhythm of the season, Jacksonville suddenly has a secondary question hanging over its preparation for Cincinnati. The Jaguars Week 4 injury report shows three of their five cornerbacks were either injured or limited in practice, a reminder that a position group built on depth can get thin in a hurry when the practice report starts piling up.
Jarrian Jones was a full participant despite a hip issue, while Christian Braswell worked on a limited basis with a knee injury and Montaric Brown was also limited because of a hamstring problem. Jacksonville also had several other names on the report, including LeQuint Allen, DaVon Hamilton, Jakobi Meyers, Albert Regis and Cole Van Lanen, leaving the team with some moving parts to monitor as the Bengals game approaches and the coaching staff continues to sort out availability. [Read more 🡒]