Why the Jaguars' Playoff Spot is Officially on Life Support

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are officially fighting for their playoff life.

After a hot 4-1 start to the season, the Jaguars have lost three of their last four games and are sitting at 5-4 with their playoff hopes hanging by a delicate, teal-stained strand. The latest blow came in Sunday's devastating 36-29 loss to the Houston Texans, which saw the Jaguars outscored 26-0 in the fourth quarter.

Playoff Picture

Through 10 weeks, the Jaguars currently the No. 7 seed in the AFC and are 2.5 games out of first-place in the AFC South. While they still have two games against the Colts ahead of them, they do not have any margin of error left after the Colts won in overtime in Week 10.

Sports Illustrated has the Jaguars' playoff odds at just 39%, and they still have four tough games moving forward against the Colts, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Chargers -- who are all also pushing for playoff spots.

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) on the sidelines during the first half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

To make matters worse for the Jaguars, the AFC is as competitive this year as ever. Teams like the Broncos, Colts and New England Patriots are well ahead of the Jaguars, who now have to somehow fend off the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, the Chargers, and even the Texans.

The Jaguars' free fall from grace can be worsened by Sunday's brutal loss to the Texans. The Jaguars sustained the kind of loss that can linger and impact a team far beyond one Sunday, and now head coach Liam Coen will have to ensure this is prevented.

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

“Yeah, we just talked about as a team that this game can't beat us again. It can't beat us on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. because we're kicking off against the Chargers and have a very quality opponent coming into town. We're at home. And nobody cares, it's just the next opportunity that we have to go try to get a W," Coen said on Monday.

"That's the reality is that we gave up a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter essentially and didn't get it done. Their back was against the wall. And they played like it, they played like it and we didn't. So those are tough ones to swallow, as you mentioned, they are. And it's hard to move forward but come Wednesday we're preparing for another opponent. When the players get back in the building, we are preparing for another opponent. We’ve got to get this tape fixed and corrected and moved on, but I'm not worried about losing the team by any means.”

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