Trevor Lawrence’s belief in the Jacksonville Jaguars looks a lot less like optimism and a lot more like a statement of fact after the way this team has started.
That’s the lane Dan Orlovsky jumped into, and he didn’t exactly tiptoe around it. Speaking on X through the Pat McAfee Show, Orlovsky made it clear he’s buying the Jaguars as a real AFC contender.
“I think the Jaguars are as good as anybody in the AFC,” Orlovsky said. “I think Kansas City is right there.
(And) I think those are the two best teams in the AFC. Is it sustainable?
Yes.”
For Orlovsky, the conversation begins with Lawrence. The quarterback’s rhythm and command have stood out to him, along with the way Jacksonville is moving the ball and mixing things up from week to week.
“(Lawrence) has insane timing right now,” Orlovsky said. “He is cutting the ball so loose to everybody.
He pairs plays so well from week to week to week. He’s got such tendency breakers.
They’re really talented from the perimeter perspective.”
He didn’t stop there. Orlovsky also pushed the idea that the Jaguars’ most impressive work may be happening on the other side of the ball.
“They’re legit,” Orlovsky said. “I think the best and most underspoke unit in football right now is Jacksonville.
We get caught up in the offense. But I’m telling you the defense is just as impressive.
It’s a well-coached football team.”
Jacksonville is 3-1 and sitting atop the AFC South, with head coach Liam Coen pointing to the defense as a major reason why. Takeaways, Coen said, are becoming part of the team’s identity, according to news4jax.com.
“I’d like to believe it’s a part of our DNA at this point,” Coen said.
Cornerback Travis Hunter has also played a major role on that side of the ball.
“He played his (butt) off,” Coen said. “We had some things for him on offense that we didn’t feel like putting him out there because, if he gets hurt on offense, we’re in a real bad spot. We didn’t want to put ourselves at risk there.”
In Other News...
Jaguars Win Brought One Rising Threat And One Growing Concern
Bhayshul Tuten kept flashing as a steady source of rushing production in the Jaguars Week 4 win over the Bengals, while Arik Armstead finished as the team leader in pressures and Brenton Strange posted a career high in receiving yards. The snapshot from Sunday offered a familiar mix for Jacksonville: a few players whose roles seem to be growing by the week, and enough impact plays to help explain how the offense and defense each found a way to shape the result.
But the win also came with some uneven tape. Anton Harrison and Bryan Thomas Jr. had stretches that were less convincing, and the bigger concern may be what is happening in the secondary, where injuries are starting to pile up. Montaric Browns absence is part of that uneasy picture, and it leaves Jacksonville with a little less margin for error as the season begins to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Keep Winning But This First-Place Start Comes With A Warning
The Jaguars are 3-1 and alone in first place in the AFC South after edging the Bengals, 22-17, in a game that looked every bit like early-season football in all its messy forms. Jacksonville leaned on defense, with interceptions from Travis Hunter and Jourdan Lewis helping swing momentum, while the Jaguars also had to work through turnovers and penalties in a choppy game that never fully settled into rhythm.
The warning for Jacksonville is pretty clear: the record is strong, but the margin for error has been slim. Cincinnati made a late push before Rayaun Lane came through with the key tackle to seal it, and the Jaguars will have to clean up the details if they want this kind of start to hold up once opponents start making them pay for the same mistakes. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Hunters Jaguars Role Just Got More Complicated
Travis Hunters first game plan wrinkle as a Jaguar came against the Bengals, and it was a revealing one. The rookie lined up strictly at cornerback, stayed on the field for every defensive snap and did not play on offense or special teams, a nod both to Jacksonvilles thin depth at the position and the teams caution after injuries started piling up in the secondary.
Liam Coen said the decision was driven by circumstance as much as strategy, and Hunter responded with the kind of defensive showing that only adds to the intrigue around how Jacksonville will use him moving forward. He broke up multiple passes and made a notable tackle, leaving the Jaguars with more reasons to think carefully about just how much they can ask him to carry on one side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]