Jaguars, atop AFC South, accept 'we're not going to get respect' - ESPN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jaguars might control the AFC South after Sunday's victory over Indianapolis, but that doesn't mean they're feeling good about themselves — not when they know there's a large swath of people who don't believe they belong there.

«At the end of the day, I feel like no one likes us except for us,» said running back Travis Etienne Jr., who ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns in the 36-19 win. «It just goes along with being in this organization and the way this organization has been for some time now. We're not going to get their respect. We kind of don't even care.»

The Jaguars have latched on to that perceived disrespect — whether in the national media or in sports bar conversations — as fuel for a stretch run.

According to quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Colts and Houston Texans get more attention when talking about the AFC South, with Jacksonville an afterthought. And he might have a point because the big story out of Sunday's game wasn't the Jaguars' fourth consecutive win to move into sole possession of first place in the division — it was Colts quarterback Daniel Jones' Achilles injury.

«We all feel like we're a really good team and probably don't get the credit we deserve,» said Lawrence, who threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns. «Everybody talks about every other team — and even in our own division, it's all these other teams that are going to go win the division and do all these things and nobody really cares about the Jags, which is fine.

»It's kind of just how it is and we'll use it as a chip on our shoulder and keep playing. It doesn't really matter."

Even Jaguars coach Liam Coen has taken note.

«I don't know if we'll ever really get [respect],» he said. «That's the beauty of it. It