REPORT: Jaguars Placed Intriguingly in Rankings Despite Narrow Loss

The shorthanded Jacksonville Jaguars lost a hard-fought battle against the Houston Texans for the second time this season. While their effort was admirable, the Jaguars lost their fifth game in a row.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker (44) sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-10 and have not played excellent football for much of this season. However, their performance on Sunday against the Houston Texans may have been their best of the season.

The Jaguars' loss to the Texans was marred by a late hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, which knocked him out of the game and should end his season once and for all.

After filling in for Lawrence over the last few weeks, veteran Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones stepped again to replace Lawrence. Jones threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Jones led one of the best quarters of football Jacksonville's offense has had all season. Jones guided the Jaguars to a 14-point fourth quarter, nearly bringing them back from a double-digit deficit to win the game.

Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News ranked the Jaguars as the 30th-best team for the second consecutive week. The Jaguars’ hard-fought loss to the Texans proved they are not the worst team in the league, which is what they looked like the last time they took the field. 

“The Jaguars showed some fight with Mac Jones vs. the Texans after enduring that ugly illegal hit on Trevor Lawrence,” Iyer said. “Big injuries might end up saving the tenure of Doug Pederson.”

Jacksonville looked significantly better after having a week off to rest and recover on their bye week. Still, they were unable to secure the victory against the Texans, further cementing their status as one of the worst teams in the league.

Luckily for Pederson and his coaching staff, the Jaguars still have multiple weeks remaining to show they have the pieces to build around instead of completely rebuilding the roster. However, five games may not be enough time to convince the Jaguars' front office not to blow things up.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan stated this past offseason that the Jaguars had a formidable roster and one of the best the organization has ever had. After 12 football games, it is clear that is not the case.

The Jaguars must make many crucial roster decisions this offseason regarding their roster if they hope to ever end their time as an NFL cellar dweller.

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