Even after the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, they weren't considered a serious playoff contender. However, that changed when they trounced the Kansas City Chiefs in the following game on Monday Night Football.
After an electrifying win, the Jags sit at 4-1 and with a favorable chance to make the playoffs. Now, it's too early to uncork the champagne. After all, there are plenty of games left, but based on their history, they should feel great about their odds of qualifying for the postseason.
The Jaguars have gone far in franchise history when they start 4-1
After beating the 49ers, the Jaguars were 3-1. Although that was an encouraging record, the last time they were 3-1 to start a season was in 2018, and they finished 5-11 that year. Things are a bit different after the win over the Chiefs, though.
Jacksonville is now 4-1 for the fifth time in team history. On the four occasions they had that record to start a season, they made it to the postseason, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN. Here's a look at how far they advance each time.
1997: Finished 11-6, lost to the Denver Broncos 42-17 in the Wild Card Round
1998: Finished 11-5, made the divisional round, lost to the New York Jets 34-24
1999: Finished 14-2, lost to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC title game
2007: Finished 11-5, lost to the New England Patriots in the divisional round
Surprisingly, the last time Jacksonville made the playoffs was during the Doug Pederson era in 2022. It started 3-6 but managed to win six of their last seven games. This is a long-winded way to say that even if the Jags got off to a slow start, they would have a chance to qualify for the postseason, but that's not the case in Year 1 of the Liam Coen era.
The Jags are tied with the Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts for the lead in the AFC South. While any of them could slow down at some point in the season, all three appear to be in a position to make noise.
The Bills, in particular, have enjoyed sustained success in recent years, so they should be a lock to make the playoffs. On the other hand, Daniel Jones is enjoying a career revival and has quickly turned into the missing piece Indy was missing.
The Jaguars, for their part, quietly put together a well-rounded team in the offseason, and Liam Coen is doing a good job of getting the most out of his players. When you add it all up, it's easy to picture them turning heads. Already, they're making noise after beating the Chiefs. Now, they just need to continue to win football games.