The Big Four in the National Football league might be adding a team to its sorority next week. The Jacksonville Jaguars are knocking on the door. 

The Jaguars have quietly compiled a 10-4 record. They are in control to lock down the number 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. Jacksonville hosts Oakland (4-10) this weekend before they go on the road to Houston (7-7) to face the Texans in the season finale.

Jacksonville’s four losses this season have been to teams with a .500 record or better. The Jaguars lost to Indianapolis (twice), Tennessee, and New Orleans.

Jacksonville is the team nobody wants to face in the playoffs at home.  The Jaguars are a tough, hard-nosed group of players that have been playing with a swagger the second half of the season.

Coach Jack Del Rio team is big and physical. The Jaguars have an impressive ground game and that usually leads to success come January in the playoffs. Quarterback David Garrard is playing error free ball. Garrard has added a new weapon to his arsenal in the last month, the long ball.

Jacksonville’s offense has caught and passed the defense as the strength of their team. Always known for its stingy defense under Del Rio, the Jaguars offense is potent enough to keep up with Indianapolis and New England come playoff time.

The Jaguars have scored 24 or more points in a team-record eight consecutive games. That’s something the Mark Brunell-Jimmy Smith-Keenan McCardell Jaguars never did.

The Jaguars have had four consecutive games of 400-plus total yards, a first in team history. They also have six games this season with 400 or more yards, also a team record.

Running back Fred Taylor is playing some the best football of his career and Maurice Jones-Drew is running the ball like a man on a mission. The Jaguars arguably have the best 1-2 punch in the league in their backfield.

Jacksonville is ready to join the sorority, but until they can beat Indianapolis and New England, they cannot be considered an elite team.

1. New England (14-0), 2. Indianapolis (12-2), 3. Green Bay (12-2), 4. Dallas (12-2), 5. Jacksonville (10-4), 6. San Diego (9-5), 7. Cleveland (9-5), 8. Pittsburgh (9-5), 9. Seattle (9-5), 10. New York Giants (9-5), 11. Tampa Bay (9-5),  12. Minnesota (8-6), 13. Tennessee (8-6), 14. Washington (7-7), 15. New Orleans (7-7), 16. Buffalo (7-7), 17. Houston (7-7), 18. Philadelphia (6-8), 19. Arizona (6-8), 20. Detroit (6-8), 21. Denver (6-8), 22. Carolina (6-8), 23. Chicago (5-9), 24. Cincinnati (5-9), 25. Oakland (4-10), 26. Kansas City (4-10), 27. Baltimore (4-10), 28. San Francisco (4-10), 29. St. Louis (3-11), 30. New York Jets (3-11), 31. Miami (1-13), 32. Atlanta (3-11).