This week in “Talking Teal”, John Shirey, William Frost, Paul Martin, and I discuss our final notes on last week’s game against the Denver Broncos, which matchup we are looking forward to the most in the Minnesota Vikings game, guess the game score and make one bold prediction.
Talking Teal: Week 14
Final Notes on last Week’s Game
John: I was genuinely impressed with the defense last week. Not that Denver’s offense is anything special, but they still have some solid playmakers. We absolutely came to play on the defensive side of the ball. With that said, it was completely nauseating watching the offense attempt to play. The run game was abysmal, Blake Bortles threw a hideous pick-six and Allen Robinson not only dropped a crucial deep bomb, he allowed it to be picked off. So basically, they played the same way they have all year.
William: I said it last week and I’ll say it again, I hate myself for loving Gus Bradley‘s defense. Everybody on that unit deserved a game ball Saturday. This defense has given 20 points or less six times in 12 games, which says a lot about how poor the offense has been during this 2-10 season.
Ben: Blake Bortles played one of his worst games as a Jaguar, which is really saying something. He lost us the Denver game single handily. The receivers didn’t help Bortles out much either, especially Allen “Where’d my hands go?” Robinson. The defense played extremely well even though they couldn’t get to the quarterback as much I had hoped they would. Jalen Ramsey played one of the best games of his young career.
Paul: The defense is as impressive as the offense is ineffective, but that’s not good enough since we still lost. One of the most disappointing factors is Bortles’ completion percentage. It was less than 50% and it seems that he doesn’t take as many shots down field as last year. Let’s hope Bortles can fix this in the remaining games.
Most Interesting Matchup for this Week
John: The most interesting matchup this week for me is our front seven against the Vikings offensive line. I feel like this is the matchup we need to dominate in order to have any chance at victory this week. If Sam Bradford doesn’t spend the majority of the afternoon on his back, we don’t stand a chance.
William: I’m really looking forward to seeing Allen Robinson come up against this Vikings defense. He has been less than impressive so far this year but against a unit which is severely lacking confidence there is every possibility that he may have a special afternoon come Sunday.
Ben: The Vikings are top five in the league in sacks with 31. They have three defensive linemen with at least six sacks. Danielle Hunter leads the group with 9.5. I expect Minnesota’s D-line to absolutely dominate Jacksonville’s offensive line on passing downs.
Paul: The most interesting matchup for the week is Yannick Ngakoue and Sam Bradford. Ngakoue has six sacks on the season, and I’ve also seen some chatter on Twitter about voting for him in regards to the Pro Bowl. Sam Bradford is more of a pocket passer so if the talented rookie can pressure him well, it would be great.
Score Prediction
John: Minnesota 20, Jacksonville 17
William: Minnesota 17, Jacksonville 12
Ben: Minnesota 17, Jacksonville 6
Paul: Jacksonville 24, Minnesota 23
One Bold Prediction
John: It’s no secret the Bortles has been struggling lately, but he’s actually made some nice plays on the ground. I think Nathaniel Hackett will draw up some designated running plays for him this week trying to find a spark. That said, I think Blake Bortles will lead all players in rushing in the game.
William: Bortles is going to get an 85+ passer rating, yeah that’s right.
Ben: Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen will account for five sacks together.
Paul: Yannick Ngakoue accounts for two sacks. While defense has been our strong point this year, it’s going to have to be even better to get a win. Our offense just isn’t cutting it. I think Ngakoue getting a few sacks could help knock Bradford off his game, and it shouldn’t be too hard to stop the run against the Vikings.
*Bonus*: Do you want us to lose the remaining games or would you like us to win a couple?
John: Gus Bradley’s fate is sealed. He’s gone regardless if we win or not. So, I say, “just win, baby”.
William: At this point I’m honestly not that bothered. We won’t have a worse record than Cleveland, which means that Myles Garrett isn’t coming to Florida. We’ve had a positive enough showing from our defense that I can come to terms with a poor end to the season. I’d be more likely to want a higher draft pick if this offensive tackle class wasn’t so disappointing.
Ben: I have my eyes on Myles Garrett, so at this point just keep losing and make this terrible season possibly bring some good to us by picking no lower than 3rd overall.
Paul: At this point the Jaguars will have a good draft pick no matter what. I’d rather us win out. It’s better to have a good coach than to keep drafting in the top five each season so I’m more concerned about what happens with the coaching change.
Be Sure to Follow Us
Thanks for reading and be sure to check out each author’s LWOS page to read more of their previous work and if you’re on Twitter give them a follow.
John: LWOS page: https://lastwordonprofootball.com/author/john-shirey/
William: LWOS page: https://lastwordonprofootball.com/author/willfrost/
Twitter: @willfrost_
Ben: LWOS page: https://lastwordonprofootball.com/author/benjaminthompson/
Twitter: @JagsBenLWOS
Paul: LWOS page: https://lastwordonprofootball.com/author/paulmartin/
Twitter: @ p_mar93
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