For the second week in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars gave themselves the chance to win a game they should have won from the start.
And for the second week in a row, the Jaguars fell short of expectations.
Sunday was a game as forgettable as any in recent memory, with the home team losing to the Cleveland Browns 18-13. There may be only one or two teams that have started Week 2 with more turmoil than the Browns, but it’s the Jags who are coming off the losing end.
WINNER
Brian Thomas Jr.
The Jags’ first-round rookie missed just six yards on a 100-yard game in just his second appearance. Thomas Jr. caught two balls on four attempts for 94 yards, including a splash play for a team-high 66 yards. One could argue that, aside from Travis Etienne’s lone touchdown, he was the team’s only offensive bright spot.
Montaric Brown
Brown, filling in for oft-injured franchise corner Tyson Campbell, led the defense with 11 tackles. He also recorded two tackles for loss, the most on his team. The downside of Brown’s play and his good play was that Campbell was probably not on the field and the defense was on the field far too long. Both were painfully true on Sunday.
Defense overall
After two weeks, it’s clear which Jags unit is better. The Duval defense held Cleveland to 18 points (after holding Miami to 20 in Week 1) and the Browns were 2-14 on third down. Foye Oluokun and Josh Hines-Allen each recorded sacks. Jacksonville gave up just three points in the second half. It’s crazy that the Jags can’t find a way to win these games despite the cards the defense is dealing.
LOSER
The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coaching staff
In two weeks, the Jags have scored 30 points. In those games, quarterback Trevor Lawrence has completed a total of 26 passes and has been sacked seven times. The offensive line is good for this team NO Favors, but there has to be a way for the team to get around this. Lawrence hasn’t won a game as the team’s starter since New Year’s Eve last year, the worst record in the league. The team has just one win in its last eight games, which came by quarterback CJ Beathard. After bringing in Mitch Morse to bolster the line, things have almost gotten worse on offense. TrEverbank is now (almost unsurprisingly) 0-1, and there’s little hope that offense will turn around until Week 3 on the road against an undefeated Buffalo Bills team. By comparison, the Bills scored 65 points in two weeks and beat the Miami Dolphins by 21 on the road in a short week.
Injuries
After a breakout performance in Week 1, Tank Bigsby suffered a massive setback on a kickoff that caused him to leave the game. His immediate future and even his season were in question. Among other assorted injuries: right tackle Anton Harrison was briefly out, Andre Cisco injured his groin but returned, and Gabe Davis injured his shoulder. Before the game, tight end Evan Engram injured his hamstring and was unable to play, joining an inactive list that also includes second-round pick Maason Smith, Campbell and Darnell Savage. After just two weeks, the Jags are thin and banged up. Combined with an 0-2 start, things could easily get worse if any of those injuries prove more serious.
Leading the team
It’s unclear where the Jags go from here. No, an 0-2 start doesn’t derail a season, but it comes pretty darn close to derailing it. The Houston Texans started 0-2 last year, and look where that got them. Three of the four teams in the AFC South other than the Texans are 0-2 after two weeks, so there’s hope for the Jags to pick up a few division wins and put something together late. But there was hope last season… Somehow the Jags keep finding themselves in these giant holes of their own making, and no one seems to have an answer as to how it keeps happening.
Offensive line
Two weeks have passed and everyone from Anton Harrison to Cam Robinson looks terrible. Simply put. It’s true, the quarterback and play callers could do more to support the line, but watch this play below and wonder how anyone is supposed to succeed with that protection.
Former Jags play well
Would anyone want to watch Calvin Ridley’s two-touchdown game? How about Gardner Minshew’s win over the Baltimore Ravens for the second straight season, making it two wins against two different teams? Would Jason Myers’ game-winning field goal pique anyone’s interest? Even Chris Conley caught a pass today.
