The Jacksonville Jaguars could only watch from home as the Indianapolis Colts notched another win in Week 8. They’ve been able to get off to a strong 4-3 start in Liam Coen’s first year at the helm, but the excitement around this team has been dampened by the spoils of their rival’s breakout season.
Coming into the 2025 campaign, the Houston Texans were expected to retain their place at the top of the AFC South. However, they’ve been flailing due to their complete inability to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud, leading to another disappointing showing from the former second-overall pick.
They’re far from out of the race, but the Texans are just 3-4 going into the bye and 1-1 in the division after suffering a Week 2 loss to the Jags. Meanwhile, Indianapolis was able to take care of business versus the Tennessee Titans for its fourth-straight win, moving to 7-1 on the season and 2-0 against the AFC South.
From left, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, general manager James Gladstone and Tony Boselli, executive vice president of football operations, talk after an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The good news for the Jacksonville Jaguars is they’re still within arm’s reach of the Indianapolis Colts. The better news is that they’ve already played the toughest part of their schedule. Going into Week 8, ESPN had Jacksonville’s finished games ranked as the third-hardest slate in the NFL. On the other hand, they have the fifth-easiest set of remaining opponents.
That gives the Jaguars a prime opportunity to close the gap on the Colts after their bye. However, this team raised some serious concerns during its two-week skid before the break.
In their losses to the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville failed to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence, its ground game completely disappeared, its defense was unable to generate any pressure or force any takeaways, and its wide receivers were back to dropping critical passes.
General Manager James Gladstone has shown to be aggressive and proactive in tinkering with the roster to give the Jaguars their best chance at competing for a title this season.
After their encouraging 4-3 start, he should only be further motivated to capitalize on a wide-open league landscape with another big move — or multiple — before the November 4 trade deadline. Getting a game-changer on the offensive line, in their defensive front, or downfield for Trevor Lawrence could significantly bolster this team’s chances at capturing the AFC South, guaranteeing a playoff berth, and contending for the Super Bowl.
Follow us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley to see what moves the Jaguars might make to better their chances in the AFC South.
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