JAGUARS ENTER TOP 10 IN ESPN'S LATEST POWER RANKINGS

The Jaguars vault into the top 10 in ESPN's latest NFL power rankings. 

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In ESPN's latest power rankings, released earlier this morning, the Jaguars entered the top 10 for this first time since 2008. Here's a look at what the mothership had to say about the Jags:

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

2017 record: 5-3

Week 9 ranking: No. 14

Preseason ranking: 28. The Jaguars have been one of the biggest risers in our rankings, and it's (mostly) thanks to defense, which ranks first in points allowed per game (14.6), Total QBR (33), sacks (35) and TD-INT ratio (0.4).

ESPN isn't too far off here. The Jaguars have been proving they belong over the last month - in that time span they've gone 3-1, winning their last two contests by a combined score of 50-7. ESPN is certainly correct in their assessment of how well the Jaguars defense is playing, but they fail to address the fact that the Jaguars are now a top ten team on the offensive side of the ball. They've found balance on offense with Blake Bortles and the passing game performing well in recent weeks, even without the services of Leonard Fournette. 

This is likely a narrative that will continue to play out - "The Jaguars are a team that runs the ball and plays elite defense" - while that's true, the passing game is showing life and may start to earn the respect of defensive coordinators around the league. If that happens the Jaguars will become even more difficult to game plan for and beat. 

PS: The Jaguars are four spots in front of the Titans who came in at 14.