Oct 30, 2022; London, United Kingdom, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) warms up before a game against the Denver Broncos during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Proof That No One Believes in the Jaguars Still

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Dec 20, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Pretty soon, here, there's going to be a shift in the paradigm. People will start saying that they were always high on the Jacksonville Jaguars. That they were never doubted, never slighted, never underdogs.

That can't be allowed to fly. Anyone who's followed this team closely in the 2025 NFL season knows that the Jaguars have had to fight and claw for every modicum of respect they've been given this year.

I've been doing my Power Rankings Round-Ups every week for a while now. It took a five-game win streak, capped off with an incredible 48-20 blowout of the New York Jets, led by a literal record-breaking performance from Trevor Lawrence, for the Jaguars to crack the top 10 among all of the primary media outlets I've followed this season.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jaguars not given a shot against the Broncos

Needless to say, the pundits and detractors are just waiting for the Jacksonville Jaguars to stumble so they can cut the legs out from under this team. Fine. The Jaguars will have to be perfect from here on out. They have a perfect opportunity to show that they belong in the title conversation in Week 16. On Sunday, they go on the road to take on the AFC-leading Denver Broncos, who are currently riding an 11-game win streak.

Both of these teams are largely underrated in the eyes of the media, but it's clear which one is preferred. Broncos' coach Sean Payton said it himself. Jacksonville is a small market and will always be doubted and scrutinized as a result. For example, four of five editors on NFL.com's panel are picking the Broncos to win this week, by an average margin of over five points. Tom Blair is predicting a 26-22 victory for Denver:

NEWS: #Broncos head coach Sean Payton says that it is impressive that the #Jaguars are in the playoffs despite Jacksonville being such a small market.

“It’s a smaller market… but you see a real good team.”

pic.twitter.com/ecQeIj0nRX
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 19, 2025

"Jacksonville and Denver appear to be fairly evenly matched, especially since Week 9, when the Jags began to really heat up; in that span, they've performed better in EPA per play on defense (fifth in the NFL) and offense (10th) than the Broncos (eighth and 12th). Then again, Sunday's showdown looks like Jacksonville's toughest test since Week 10, when the team fell to the Texans in Houston, while Denver's been handling its business left and right, including in Week 15's rugged win over the Packers."

"Another thing to circle: The Texans were the last team to seriously pressure Lawrence, heating him up at a rate of 50% and sacking him five times, and that was also the last time the QB posted a passer rating under 80 (74.2). Maybe he'll show some growth against the team rocking the league's second-highest pressure rate (40.5%), but for now, that's one more drop in the take Denver bucket."

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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