Why Former Jaguars' Great Maurice Jones-Drew Thinks They Are AFC's Best

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the middle of one of the best seasons in franchise history.

Only two other Jaguars teams have ever won more than the 11 regular-season games the Jaguars have won in 2025, and their road win over the Denver Broncos has solidified their case as one of the AFC's best teams. Former all-time Jaguars great Maurice Jones-Drew certainly thinks so.

Jones-Drew's Take

Speaking on NFL GameDay, Jones-Drew made his case for the Jaguars as the conference's best team. As of this writing, the Jaguars are still in the race for the conference's No. 1 seed, and their win over Denver could go a long way.

"It's the Jacksonville Jaguars," Jones-Drew said when asked to pick the best AFC squad. "Their quarterback is playing at a high level right now. He's in the system. He understands the system. He's playing the fastest I've seen him play. Defensively, they're opportunistic, and guys are making plays for them, and they believe. That's the other part."

Nov 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen smiles to the crowd as he walks of the field against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

"Now, when you watched Trevor Lawrence at Clemson, you know what you saw? You saw him utilizing his legs in certain situations. You saw him putting the ball on the money to his receivers and his backs. They've done an awesome job of creating space and creating -- I would say they're just putting the defense in binds over and over and over again. It is making it simple for Trevor Lawrence."

As things stand today, there are likely six teams who would want to claim the title of AFC's best team: the Jaguars, Broncos, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots. The Jaguars are 3-1 against those teams in 2025 and won two of the games by multiple scores. If not for their fourth-quarter meltdown against the Texans in Week 10, they would be 4-0.

Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) drops back to pass against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Simply put, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has the Jaguars playing at the highest level they have ever played in the Shad Khan era. Their six-game winning streak makes them one of the hottest teams in football, and the Broncos win puts them in consideration with the true elites of the league through 16 weeks.

"This is the other key too. Everyone -- no one ever wants to like the Jaguars. Which is fine, that's not about it. But you have to respect what they've done. They beat the Chiefs when the Chiefs were healthy and good, right? They went to Houston. Had Houston beat. Houston scored 26 unanswered in the fourth," Jones-Drew said.

Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne (1) rushes the ball against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"So to me, they're playing the best football in the AFC right now, which means that the best team in the AFC, right?"

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