{"id":361715,"date":"2025-12-22T13:02:05","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T13:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/361715\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T13:02:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T13:02:05","slug":"jaguars-cant-get-overlooked-anymore-after-an-impressive-statement-win-over-broncos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/361715\/","title":{"rendered":"Jaguars can\u2019t get overlooked anymore after an impressive, statement win over Broncos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maybe the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> and coach Liam Coen will get the credit they deserve now.<\/p>\n

Trevor Lawrence<\/a> and the Jags went to Denver and scored 34 points against one of the NFL\u2019s best defenses, extending their winning streak to six games with a 14-point victory on Sunday that gave the Broncos their first loss since Week 3.<\/p>\n

This was an impressive, convincing win for an underrated team that\u2019s been overlooked throughout the season.<\/p>\n

The Broncos (12-3) and Patriots (12-3) deserved recognition for double-digit winning streaks. The Colts (8-6) were the talk of the AFC the first two months during a 7-1 start. The Bills (11-4) and Josh Allen<\/a> are always in the spotlight. Aaron Rodgers<\/a> and the Steelers (9-6), Justin Herbert<\/a> and the Chargers (11-4) and C.J. Stroud<\/a> and the Texans (10-5) also get more attention.<\/p>\n

Even the demise of the Chiefs has been a bigger storyline than the rise of the Jaguars.<\/p>\n

But no team is playing better right now than Jacksonville. The Jaguars (11-4) lead the AFC South and are in the mix for the No. 1 seed. They would clinch a playoff berth if Indianapolis loses to San Francisco on Monday night.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a remarkable turnaround for a team that finished 4-13 last season.<\/p>\n

Coen has led the way since replacing Doug Pederson. He almost didn\u2019t take the job after initially declining an in-person interview with the Jaguars. Coen had agreed to a three-year contract to remain the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, a deal that would\u2019ve made him the league\u2019s highest-paid assistant.<\/p>\n

But he changed his mind after owner Shad Khan fired general manager Trent Baalke. Coen has quickly turned the Jaguars into Super Bowl contenders.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust thankful that a small market team like us can come into a place like Mile High and get it done,\u201d Coen said with sarcasm.<\/p>\n

Coen wants everyone to continue underestimating the Jaguars.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really don\u2019t care about the narrative,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m sorry to say that, but it\u2019s only helping us, so I want the narrative to keep coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several teams have embraced the underdog role in the past, using it as a rallying cry. The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> started wearing dog masks on the sideline because they weren\u2019t expected to have playoff success after losing starting quarterback Carson Wentz<\/a> to a knee injury. Backup Nick Foles led them to a stunning victory over Tom Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep doubting us,\u201d Jags cornerback Jarrian Jones<\/a> said. \u201cWe want to show up every Sunday and you have to play us no matter where we\u2019re at. We play in the snow, we play in the rain, whatever you want to do. I think the Jags are going to be ready to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawrence threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score. He has 12 TD passes and no interceptions over the past four games, posting a passer rating above 105 in each one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope we don\u2019t get any (respect),\u201d Lawrence said. \u201cSo everybody out there, just keep it up. It\u2019s great. It was a big game and just proud of the guys. It was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tomlin\u2019s team<\/p>\n

A few weeks ago, Steelers fans were chanting: \u201cFire Tomlin!\u201d Even Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison joined the critics, saying it was time for Pittsburgh to move on from coach Mike Tomlin.<\/p>\n

But the Steelers have won three in a row, including Sunday\u2019s wild, 29-24 upset at Detroit.<\/p>\n

They lead the AFC North and would secure their first division title since 2020 with one more win or a loss by the Ravens (7-8).<\/p>\n

Rodgers and the offense are clicking at the right time for Pittsburgh. Running backs Jaylen Warren<\/a> and Kenneth Gainwell<\/a> excelled in Detroit. But the Steelers might lose wide receiver DK Metcalf<\/a> to a suspension after he took a swipe at a Lions fans during the game. <\/p>\n

Playoff picture<\/p>\n

Five of the seven NFC playoff spots have been secured while only one team has clinched in the AFC, though three more teams can join the club if the 49ers beat the Colts.<\/p>\n

The Eagles (10-5) are NFC East champions. The Panthers (8-7) beat the Buccaneers (7-8) to move into first place in the NFC South. But the Buccaneers would win their fifth straight division title with victories at Miami next week and over Carolina in Week 18.<\/p>\n

The Bears (11-4) need one more win or one loss by the Packers (9-6-1) to lock up the NFC North. The Seahawks (11-4) lead the NFC West with the Rams (11-4) and 49ers (10-4) in the mix.<\/p>\n

The Lions (8-7) have a tough path. They have to win out and need the Packers to lose two to get a wild-card spot.<\/p>\n

The Broncos are the lone AFC team already in but their lead in the West is down to one game over the Chargers. The Jaguars, Bills and Chargers get in with a loss by Indianapolis on Monday night.<\/p>\n

The Patriots will clinch the AFC East with another win or a loss by Buffalo. The Steelers are on the verge of clinching the AFC North. The Jaguars lead the Texans in the AFC South while the Colts need to win out and get help to have a chance.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NFL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/p>\n

Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Maybe the Jacksonville Jaguars and coach Liam Coen will get the credit they deserve now. Trevor Lawrence and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":361716,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,514,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-361715","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=361715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=361715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=361715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}