After the humiliating meltdown against the Houston Texans in Week 10, the Jacksonville Jaguars desperately need to bounce back to keep their playoff hopes alive. They did just that when they manhandled the Los Angeles Chargers in a 35-6 win.
The Jags dominated in all three phases of the game, and more importantly, showed that they can succeed when facing adversity. Rightly, they enjoyed a surge in most NFL Power Rankings.
The Jaguars moved up several spots in NFL Power Rankings
After reaching the top 10 early in the season, the Jaguars had tumbled down most NFL Power Rankings in recent weeks, and understandably so. They had lost four of their last five games and dealt with several issues along the way: Drops, penalties, inadequate blocking, and a dearth of pass rush.
When you add it all up, the Jags had an uphill battle against the Chargers. This wasn't ideal when you take into account that this was a season-defining game: A win would keep them in the thick of the playoff race, but their odds of qualifying would've taken a massive blow with a loss. In the end, Jacksonville came up on top and moved up as many as six spots in the NFL Power Rankings.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports named the Jags the biggest risers after moving them six spots, from No. 19 to No. 13, in his NFL Power Rankings. He heaped praise on Liam Coen, noting that the head coach did a good job of keeping the team focused after the loss to Houston.
"Coen Liam Coen deserves a lot of credit for leading his team to a blowout of the Chargers after the devastating loss to the Texans," Prisco wrote. "This team would be in the playoffs if they started right now."
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also gave the Jags an encouraging spot in his ranking, placing them at No. 11. However, he wonders if they can build off the win over Los Angeles.
"Will their latest signature win have staying power?" Florio asks. All things considered, that's a valid question.
The Jaguars need to keep playing complete games to make the playoffs
The Jaguars have shown this season that they can beat good teams when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Los Angeles Chargers. On the other hand, they suffered huge losses to the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. Couple that with the fact that they couldn't put down the Houston Texans even though they had a 19-point lead. Similarly, the Jags barely beat the struggling Las Vegas Raiders.
This makes you wonder if Jacksonville can make a legitimate playoff push, or if the win over the Chargers was a one-time thing. Based on a handful of factors, things are pointing to the former.
The Jaguars have struggled with penalties this season, but only tallied one against Los Angeles. Part of the reason is that Trevor Lawrence used a wristband, which allowed him to process things faster. Expect him to continue to wear it and continue to get comfortable in Liam Coen's offensive scheme.
Moreover, the Jaguars will get a bit healthier in the upcoming weeks. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is close to returning from an ankle sprain he suffered in Week 9, and tight end Brenton Strange's 21-day window to return from Injured Reserve has been opened. The two will give the offense a massive boost.
Last but not least, Jacksonville has a relatively easy slate left on the schedule, with games against the New York Jets, the Tennessee Titans (twice), and the Arizona Cardinals. All those games are winnable.
When you add it all up, the Jaguars have several things going in their favor to finish the season strong and subsequently keep moving up in NFL Power Rankings.