By: Michael Spiers

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

I’m going to ask a question that would have gotten me laughed out of just about any sports conversation a few years ago. Are the Jacksonville Jaguars actually the best team in the AFC?

Before you start questioning my sanity, hear me out.

The Jaguars just absolutely dismantled the Indianapolis Colts, 42–7, in a game that was essentially over before halftime.

Jacksonville led 28–0 at the break, and the Colts never had a chance. It wasn’t just a win. It was the kind of performance that makes the rest of the NFL sit up and take notice.

Jacksonville is now 5–2, sitting comfortably atop the AFC South, and suddenly looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

And here’s the thing. This isn’t just a team getting lucky or beating up on bad competition. The Jaguars are playing some pretty impressive football on both sides of the ball.

Let’s start with Trevor Lawrence. For years, we’ve heard about his potential, his talent, and how he was supposed to become one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks.

Well, we’re finally seeing the consistency that everyone expected when Jacksonville drafted him first overall.

Against Indianapolis, Lawrence completed 10 of 14 passes for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns. That’s about as efficient as it gets. He didn’t need to throw the ball 40 times because the Jaguars controlled the game in just about every other way.

And how about Bhayshul Tuten? The young running back rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, helping Jacksonville pile up 183 yards on the ground. When you can run the football like that and have Lawrence making plays through the air, you’re going to be difficult to stop.

But what really has my attention is the defense.

The Jaguars held Indianapolis to seven points, forced three turnovers, recorded four sacks, and made life miserable for Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor managed just 23 yards on 8 carries.

That’s championship-caliber defense, at least for one Sunday.

Jacksonville has now outscored its opponents 196–111 this season. That’s an 85-point advantage through seven games. Those numbers tell me this team isn’t simply finding ways to squeak out victories. It’s capable of dominating opponents.

Of course, if we’re going to call Jacksonville the best team in the AFC, we have to talk about Buffalo and Kansas City.

Josh Allen and the Bills are 6–1, and until somebody proves otherwise, they’re going to be among the favorites.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are 5–2, and anybody who has watched playoff football over the past several years knows better than to count them out.

Denver and Pittsburgh are also 6–2, so the competition certainly isn’t going away.

But here’s what makes Jacksonville interesting. The Jaguars don’t necessarily have to be better than those teams in November. They just have to keep improving and put themselves in position to beat them in January.

Head coach Liam Coen deserves a tremendous amount of credit. He’s got this team playing physical football, protecting the quarterback, running the ball effectively, and making opponents earn everything they get.

The next challenge comes Thursday night in Baltimore against the Ravens. It’s another opportunity for Jacksonville to show that this isn’t some early-season fluke.

Am I ready to declare the Jaguars the best team in the AFC? Not quite.

But am I ready to say they can beat anybody in the conference on a given Sunday? Absolutely.

And considering where this franchise has been at times over the years, that’s a pretty remarkable statement.

For once, Jaguars fans aren’t just hoping their team can sneak into the playoffs. They can legitimately start dreaming about something much bigger.

And wouldn’t it be something if the road to the Super Bowl ended up running through Jacksonville?