The Jacksonville Jaguars head overseas for a two-week stay in London with some positive momentum … finally.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Co. finally broke out offensively, piling up 497 total yards and their most points in almost a full calendar year in Sunday’s 37-34 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Are the Jaguars (1-4) back? NFL analysts woke up Monday morning pondering that very question.
While impressive, with Lawrence leading a game-winning field goal drive in the final minute to secure his first win as a starter since November of 2023, Sunday’s win came with its fair share of warts.
There was the sideline spat between Lawrence and struggling wide receiver Gabe Davis in the first quarter that required the teammates to be separated. There’s the developing story of backup running back Tank Bigsby outperforming former first-round pick Travis Etienne Jr. And the real elephant in the room: A 14-point lead with less than 5 minutes remaining in regulation that evaporated in the blink of an eye, against 39-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco.
Hey, at least the Jaguars still have a season entering winnable games in London against the Chicago Bears (3-2) and New England Patriots (1-4). Here’s where NFL experts have Jacksonville ranked among the league’s elite entering Week 6.
NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Jacksonville Jaguars
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 28 (up 4 spots)
Iyer: "Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars finally showed some resiliency, as the youth of Brian Thomas Jr. and Tank Bigsby are serving them better than holdover talents. Lawrence flashing his second-year form provides some promise after that winless opening month.”
Taylor Wirth, NBC Sports: No. 27 (up 2 spots)
Wirth: "Another strong showing from Trevor Lawrence who I was oh-so-close to declaring a bust two weeks ago. I still need to see a lot more but he's playing much, much better these days.”
Brian Blewis, Pro Football Network: No. 28 (up 1 spot)
Blewis: “The Jaguars reminded the NFL world on Sunday that they’re not the worst team in the NFL despite entering Week 5 as the only winless team. Trevor Lawrence had a bounce-back performance in snapping his nine-game losing streak, throwing for a career-high 371 yards on an average of 10.9 yards per attempt. Lawrence also recorded the fourth-highest EPA per dropback in a single game of his career, and it was his best since Week 11 of last season. In addition to Lawrence, Tank Bigsby and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. each shined on offense. Bigsby ran for 101 yards, including a 65-yard score on the ground, while Thomas Jr. showed off his explosiveness with an 85-yard touchdown reception. At 1-4, the Jaguars’ playoff hopes remain dim, and Doug Pederon’s job continues to be on thin ice.”
Matt Johnson, Sportsnaut: No. 27 (up 3 spots)
Johnson: “The Jacksonville Jaguars won a game and Trevor Lawrence had his best game of the season. There are long-term positives to take away from this win, most notably the emergence of running back Tank Bigsby (129 scrimmage yards, 2 TDs) and Brian Thomas Jr (122 yards, 1 TD). Unfortunately, injuries have decimated this Jaguars defense and Lawrence won’t get to face many defenses as bad as the one the Indianapolis Colts field. Still, this is at least a step forward.”
Peter Dewey, Sports Illustrated: No. 28 (no change)
Dewey: "Don't let the Jaguars blowing a two-score lead to Joe Flacco and the Colts, but then coming back to win on a last-second field goal persuade you into thinking their a worthwhile bet to win the Super Bowl at 1-4.”
Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: No. 29 (up 3 spots)
Cluff: “The Jaguars are just 1-4 on the season and have one of the worst-scoring defenses in the NFL. They also trail the Texans by three games already. You can't count them out of the postseason.”
Consensus: No. 28
