H
appy times continue in Jacksonville. The Jaguars won their second consecutive game to improve to 3-1 on the 2026 NFL season, continuing their ascent into a highly competitive franchise under head coach Liam Coen. The franchise returned to the playoffs last season after a multi year absence and are looking to build off of their momentum from 2025, and so far, things are looking good down in Duval County.
The Jaguars have been so impressive that their status among the rest of the AFC has become a topic of discussion. ESPN analyst Ben Solak had some high praise for the team after their impressive Week 4 win, dropping a bold take about how they stack up among the rest of the conference.
Solak has the Jaguars as the class of the AFC
The Jaguars have only lost two games since November of last season and given how impressive the team has played during that stretch, Solak says that it is time to consider them as the best team in the entire AFC– comparing them to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
“If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Look at what the Jaguars have been since their Week 9 bye last season,” Solak wrote. “They’re 12-2 over 14 regular-season games, tied with the Seahawks for the best such record. Offensively, they are second in points per drive, and defensively they are third in points per drive.”
The Jaguars were 4-3 heading into their bye week last season but went on a tear to end the year, winning nine out of their last 10 contests. Despite losing in the AFC Wild Card, they still showed that they have the pieces to be competitive for a long time. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had one of the best seasons of his career in 2025, throwing a career-high 29 touchdowns and surpassing 4,000 yards for the third time in his career.
Can the Jaguars go on a run?
There is no denying that the Jaguars are finally a perennial contender. But Solak achnowledged that the one thing they are missing is a deep postseason run. If they are to go on one this season, it would greatly improve their legacy with Coen and Lawrence.
“The only thing this team doesn’t have is a recent, deep postseason run — it hasn’t made the divisional round since 2022 — to give it a sense of tenure and legitimacy,” Solak wrote. “The Ravens and Lamar Jackson were in the divisional round in 2024 and the conference championship in 2023. The Bills were in the divisional round last year and the conference championship in 2024. I don’t need to explain the Chiefs’ experience. We’ve seen all of them there, so it’s easier to imagine seeing them again.”
The Jaguars have a lot of momentum, and are going to need for these next two weeks. Set to play in London for two straight weeks, the franchise will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before heading to Wembley Stadium for a divisional matchup against the Houston Texans in Week 6. Both game will kickoff at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time.
ESPN insider gives bold take on how the Jaguars stack up in the AFC