Jaguars Back Where They Belong — With Backs Against the Wall

The Jacksonville Jaguars have largely been doubted throughout the 2025 NFL season. Before the campaign began, there was skepticism over whether Liam Coen could make the leap from offensive coordinator to head coach at the highest level.

The roster had some promising, talented pieces, but it also had plenty of holes. There wasn't much confidence that new general manager James Gladstone would be able to fill them all.

Then, when they opened the season at 4-1, people still didn't believe that the Jaguars were real. They attributed the hot start to some unsustainable turnover luck, with the defense notching a league-leading 14 takeaways during that run. That pessimism has paid off for the detractors in the second half of the campaign.

Since then, Jacksonville has gone 1-3, losing in truly spectacular fashion against the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and Houston Texans. The Jaguars are still in the thick of the AFC playoff race, but they'll have to be significantly better down the stretch than they have been in the past few weeks if they want to ward off the Kansas City Chiefs and other challengers for their current Wild Card spot.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Los Angeles Chargers, Trevor Lawrence — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, left, hugs center Tyler Shatley after the win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Syndication Florida Times Union | Corey Perrine / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jaguars expected to continue backslide

The last time the Jacksonville Jaguars took the field, they didn't look like an NFL playoff-caliber team. They did through the first three quarters against the Houston Texans, jumping out to a 29-10 lead behind some dominant play from all three phases. Then, they melted down in the fourth, allowing backup quarterback Davis Mills to erase the deficit and complete the comeback with a 14-yard touchdown scramble to cap off three straight end zone trips.

In Week 11, the Jaguars will have to deal with a much more proven commodity on defense, facing off with Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. LA has plenty of flaws of its own, especially along the offensive line, but its dark-horse MVP QB has been able to overcome that weakness and lead his team to a 7-3 mark. Jacksonville's pass rush will have to be a lot better than it was against Houston to contain Herbert and the Chargers' offense. NFL.com's panel of editors isn't expecting the Jaguars to get it done, as all five members picked LA, with Dan Parr expecting a 21-16 victory for Herbert and company:

WILD STAT:

Justin Herbert has experienced more pressures (154) Then the top Defense in the league has generated (Seattle Seahawks: 151) pic.twitter.com/RK0oL4jxeU
— Dan Mitchell (@realdanmitchell) November 12, 2025

"I keep waiting for all the injuries to catch up with the Chargers, but I don't think it's happening this week. While he's been hit more than any other quarterback this season, Justin Herbert keeps finding a way, ranking second in the NFL in passing yards and third in TD passes. After a beatdown of the AFC North-leading Steelers, Los Angeles leads the NFL with a +49 point differential since Week 8. It's a very different story of late for the Jaguars, who have dropped three of their last four, with the lone victory a one-point escape over the cellar-dwelling Raiders."

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) leaves the field following a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

"Jacksonville has allowed the third-most points per game (33.3) and second-most touchdown passes (11) of any team since Week 7. The quarterback disparity feels significant here. Trevor Lawrence has a 79.3 passer rating this season (second-lowest among QBs with 125 or more pass attempts) and also ranks in the bottom 10 in completion rate (59.5%), pass yards per attempt (6.3) and TD-to-INT ratio (10:7). If the Bolts don't self-destruct after a cross-country trip and 10 a.m. PT start time, they should win their fourth straight.

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