NFL power rankings: Jaguars sink entering Week 4

To get a feel for how the Jacksonville Jaguars are viewed around the league, here’s a look at national media power rankings going into Week 4 of the 2023 season.

The Ringer: 12 (last week: 8)

NFL.com: 13 (last week: 9)

From Eric Edholm:

Things went off the rails a bit in Sunday’s 20-point home loss to the Texans. It would be foolish to overlook the biggest issues that have plagued the team to this point: third-down offense and pass defense.

Third downs have been miserable for Jacksonville, which is converting just 29.7 percent of its attempts through three games. The Jaguars were only five-for-13 against Houston, with three of those conversions coming when they were down three scores, but that mark actually raised their third-down average. With all the weapons they have, that sort of performance is inexcusable.

And on defense, Jacksonville can’t seem to stop people unless the pass rush is heated up. That’s understandable, given the fact that the unit is built around Josh Allen and Travon Walker, but the Jags’ ability to apply pressure has cooled dramatically the past two games.

Fox Sports: 13 (last week: 11)

From David Helman:

The idea of the Jaguars is a hell of a lot better than the reality to this point. There’s a lot of talent on this offense, but you wouldn’t know it from three straight weeks of forgettable football. And allowing a kickoff return touchdown to an H-back is just beyond the pale.

Sharp Football Analysis: 16 (last week: 10)

From Raymond Summerlin:

The Week 3 loss to the Texans was a wild game that included a missed field goal, a blocked field goal, two Jaguars turnovers, and a Texans kick return touchdown by the heaviest player in NFL history to ever return a kickoff for a touchdown – FB Andrew Beck. All of that said, the offense once again struggled and now sits 24th in points per drive and 28th in EPA per play. Jacksonville may still be the class of their division, but alarm bells are ringing.

Pro Football Network: 15 (last week: 8)

From Dalton Miller:

The Jacksonville Jaguars look broken. Trevor Lawrence looked better this week than the week prior, but the offense can’t seem to get out of its own way. Despite not having a single three-and-out on the whole day, the Jaguars only managed two red-zone trips.

And their defense looked lost in the secondary against Bobby Slowik’s offense. Tank Dell ran free too often, and C.J. Stroud continues to look better under center.

Bleacher Report: 17 (last week: 8)

USA Today: 18 (last week: 10)

From Nate Davis:

If you stink in America – looking at you, Calvin Ridley – may as well take a two-week European vacation to try and sort things out.

The Athletic: 18 (last week: 15)

From Josh Kendall:

Is Urban Meyer coaching the Jaguars again? Trevor Lawrence was a legitimate MVP candidate entering the season, but he is 26th in EPA per dropback (minus-.20) and 24th in off-target percentage (12.4 percent). Lawrence has three touchdowns and two interceptions, and Jacksonville is 24th in the NFL in points per drive (1.54).

Pro Football Talk: 18 (last week: 8)

ESPN: 19 (last week: 9)

CBS Sports: 20 (last week: 10)

From Pete Prisco:

What was that against the Texans? Or were they simply overrated by many — including me? They sure don’t look like a playoff team.

Yahoo Sports: 21 (last week: 11)

From Frank Schwab:

The air is completely out of the Jaguars’ balloon. There was a lot of hype for them this offseason, but a bad loss Sunday at home to Houston exposed them as a team with a lot of work to do. It’s early and the Jaguars could still have a fantastic season, but they’re not going to be as good as some (myself included) had been projecting.

The Jaguars fell double-digit spots for four different sites. With the rankings ranging from 12-21, Jacksonville is currently viewed as a middle-of-the-pack team rather than an emerging contender.

Where would you rank the team heading into Week 4, Jaguars fans?