4. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars climb a few spots in our NFL power rankings thanks to a huge win over the Denver Broncos in Week 16. Trevor Lawrence and the offense is beginning to truly put it all together.
The run game is still a bit of a concern, but Lawrence hitting his stride this late in the season bodes well for the Jaguars’ chances in the playoffs. With this win over Denver, they also earn a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker if that would need to come into effect in a couple of weeks.
The Jaguars have a solid roster and some excellent coaching, and it’s easy to see how this team could win a playoff game or two this year. Jacksonville rises in our NFL power rankings and is also in a position to win the AFC South this year.
Liam Coen has done a masterful job with the Jaguars in his first season on the job and could win the Coach of the Year award.
3. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos got bullied for 60 minutes by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and not only saw their 11-game win streak come to an end, but also saw their league-leading home winning streak come to an end.
Denver was only able to muster 20 points at home, and the defense gave up 34. The Broncos just had no answers for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ offense, as Lawrence threw for three touchdowns and nearly 300 yards.
Denver’s defense has given up a total of 60 points over the past two games at home, and that is simply horrific for a unit that many think has been the best in the NFL. If the defense cannot shape up, this team is going to see their season ending very early.
It puts a ton of pressure on the offense, but the offense does not have an elite, go-to weapon who can change the course of a game. The Broncos are still 12-3, one of the best teams in the NFL, and in first-place in both the AFC and the AFC West. Denver is on a short week and is in Kansas City to face the Chiefs.
We can’t lose sight of the 11-game win streak and how good the Broncos have been, but this was a pretty brutal loss, and maybe many of us were underrating the Jaguars?