The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly haven’t looked like a contender in December, but how many teams actually have?
The top-heavy NFC has the red-hot San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles fresh off back-to-back losses, and the Detroit Lions with two losses in their last three games. In the AFC, it seems the Baltimore Ravens are the only team ready to seize the chance to secure the No. 1 seed.
In most cases, opening the month of December with a pair of losses against teams led by backup quarterbacks would cause a dramatic tumble in power rankings. But how far can the Jaguars fall when the other teams hovering around the top 10 can’t quite figure things out either?
Here’s where experts think Jacksonville ranks with four weeks of regular season action left in the 2023 season:
USA Today: 12th
Last week: 10th
Give QB Trevor Lawrence points for toughness after throwing 50 passes just six days after suffering an ankle injury. But that doesn’t mask the loss of WR Christian Kirk (core muscle surgery) or a defense that’s surrendered 65 points and nearly 900 yards during the Jags’ two-game slide.
No. 1 team: San Francisco 49ers
ESPN: 10th
Last week: 8th
Biggest improvement: Third-down conversions
The Jaguars were one of the worst in the league at converting third downs in the first month — just 29.7%, which ranked 29th. From Week 5 on, however, they’re converting 40%, which ranks 15th. They’ve fared better at converting third-and-7 or longer since Week 5 (22.4%) than they did in Weeks 1-4 (11.8%), and that has been a big boost.
No. 1 team: San Francisco 49ers
The Athletic: 16th
Last week: 14th
Fantasy spotlight: Trevor Lawrence
The No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft is 14th among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game (17.10). That’s not terrible, but it’s not the ceiling he was expected to have. Lawrence threw three interceptions Sunday, which gives him 10 this season, tied for fifth most in the league. In the last three seasons, Lawrence has 35 interceptions. Only Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Mac Jones have thrown more, and Lawrence’s touchdown-to-interception ratio (1.5) is a lot closer to Jones’ than to Allen’s or Mahomes’.
No. 1 team: San Francisco 49ers
Pro Football Talk: 10th
Last week: 8th
Trevor Lawrence’s amazing recovery from a high-ankle sprain counts as a win of sorts.
No. 1 team: San Francisco 49ers
CBS Sports: 9th
Last week: 8th
Two straight losses has them forgetting any idea of having the top seed in the AFC. The defense has struggled mightily the past two weeks as they ready for the AFC’s top team in Baltimore this week.
No. 1 team: San Francisco 49ers
Yahoo Sports: 11th
Last week: 9th
Kudos to Trevor Lawrence for playing Sunday through a high ankle sprain. He moved better than you’d figure from a player with that injury. He still missed plenty of passes he usually makes and didn’t look quite right. And he might not for a while. The best news for the Jaguars is the Texans and Colts also lost, or else the AFC South might be up for grabs.
No. 1 team: San Francisco 49ers
Touchdown Wire: 9th
Last week: 8th
The Jaguars need to clean it up, man. Playing that sloppy at this point in the year is not a good sign, and their pass defense made Jake Browning and Joe Flacco look like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
No. 1 team: San Francisco 49ers
Jaguars Wire: 11th
Last week: 9th
The urgency is up after back-to-back losses, but the Jaguars are right when they say the sky isn’t falling. Even a couple wins in their cushy three-week end to the season should be enough for the AFC South title. There’s serious issues to clean up, but it’s not quite panic time yet.
No. 1 team: San Francisco 49ers
