Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson (26) celebrates with teammates following an interception against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Believe it or not, the Jaguars might be for real this season

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Nov 16, 2025 10:27 PM ET

In perhaps the most confusing result of the week, the Jacksonville Jaguars destroyed the Los Angeles Chargers, 35-6, on Sunday. The win advanced the Jaguars' record to 6-4, placing them firmly in the playoff picture and just two games back of the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts.

So are the often afterthought Jaguars actual contenders?

Well, on one hand, their most recent performance certainly demonstrates the team's potential. Jacksonville dominated in every aspect of the game against the Chargers, a 7-4 team that's also still in the hunt for a division crown.

Jaguars showed their potential in a complete team effort

Even with Trevor Lawrence showing an inconsistency that has some concerned about his future as the face of the franchise — Lawrence threw for only 153 yards with one touchdown and one pick, the Jaguars offense put up its best performance of the season so far.

Thanks to a group effort that led to 192 rushing yards, Jacksonville recorded 345 total yards and 30 first downs on the day. Defensively, the Jaguars held Justin Herbert and company to just 135 yards and eight first downs.

Dominated all three phases.#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/B33tZe2Zza
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 17, 2025

Of course, as is often the case in the NFL, any team can win, or even dominate, on any given Sunday. It's possible a repeat matchup would result in a different outcome. However, a convincing win over a team with playoff aspirations sent a clear message across the conference and league.

Jacksonville has had an up and down season

Looking at the season to date, Jacksonville also has notable wins over the defending AFC-champion Kansas City Chiefs and the 7-4 San Francisco 49ers. Both of those teams have looked vulnerable at times, but few predicted a loss to the Jaguars.

On the flip side, and why the jury is still out on Jacksonville, they lost to the Houston Texans. The Jaguars also have a bad loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on their resume. But to their credit, their other two losses are to two contenders — falling to the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, respectively.

Jacksonville's ranking on both offense and defense compared to the rest of the league paints a more confusing picture. It ranks No. 15 in total defense and No. 20 on offense, good enough to appear as an average team as a whole.

It's hard to believe the Jaguars will overtake Indianapolis or even be able to maintain their current level of play without gaining more from Lawrence, but at the same time, they are very much in the thick of the race in a wide-open AFC.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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