Why 'Respect' is the Last Thing the Jaguars Need

The Jacksonville Jaguars just keep on defying expectations. They weren't supposed to be in the playoff picture in Head Coach Liam Coen's first year at the helm. Now, they're 9-4, leading the AFC South with just four games left to go. Pundits have been predicting the downfall of the Jaguars practically every single week this year.

Whether it was after they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals and backup quarterback Jake Browning, when they dropped two straight to the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, or following their fourth-quarter collapse against Davis Mills and the Houston Texans, people couldn't wait to herald the end of the Jaguars' Cinderella run. Even in Week 14, they were comfortable betting underdogs despite riding a three-game win streak and matching up with a stumbling Indianapolis Colts team.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Indianapolis Colts, Trevor Lawrence, Jakobi Meyers — Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (3) and quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) take a knee during an injury time out in the first half against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Jaguars love being the underdogs

Going into their first head-to-head bout of the 2025 NFL season, both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts were 8-4, but they got there in completely different ways. The Colts took advantage of a soft slate to begin the year, jumping out to a 7-1 start before dropping three of their next four against stiffer competition. The Jaguars, on the other hand, battled through a gauntlet to get to their position and were thought to be inconsistent and erratic because of some tough losses.

So, Jacksonville was seen as the underdog despite hosting Indianapolis during its backslide. The Jaguars proved that thinking faulty, taking a critical one-game lead in the AFC South race with a resounding 36-19 blowout over the Colts. Head Coach Liam Coen was asked about the disrespect his team has received this season, but he said he and his players only embrace it, and that he doesn't want it to change now:

Q: "When you have a team that feeds off disrespect, how does that continue to go when that respect starts to come?"

A: "I don't know if we'll ever really get it, so that's the beauty of it. It ain't coming, you know that." pic.twitter.com/TlbggggWPf
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 7, 2025

"I don't think it helps. I've heard the rat poison before. Everybody loves you when you're doing it well, and then you're always going to find something. That's the competitive advantage that you have. Every player has to get themselves into a place, right? You always hear the stories about Jordan and how he would create things to get himself into a place to go compete."

"Our guys just keep finding ways to get a little bit pissed off and go play their tails off and execute, though, at a higher level. That's the thing we're starting to see a little bit better since the Chargers game is playing with an edge, but also going out and executing the plan at a higher level."

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