Over the past two weeks, the Jaguars have faced two backup quarterbacks. Two weeks ago, the Bengals started Jake Browning who got just the second start of his career. Yesterday, the Browns started Joe Flacco, a 38-year-old former starter in the NFL. He started four games for the Jets in 2022 and then was not picked up this season until November 20. The two backup quarterbacks combined to go 58-82 for 665 yards, four touchdowns, and just one interception. The Jaguars defense managed to make Jake Browning look like an MVP candidate and Joe Flacco look like he was still in his prime. If you have a backup quarterback who needs to get off to a great start, just schedule the Jaguars. In fact, the Ravens, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Titans should each start their backups in the coming weeks.
The Jaguars Pass Defense Cannot Stop Anyone
The Jaguars Defense Has Looked Bad Twice in a Row
If Josh Allen does not pressure the quarterback, nobody will. Because Allen has 13 sacks, the glaring pass push weakness has a tendency to be glossed over. Joe Flacco was a sitting duck in the game last night, and the defensive line could not touch him. On top of that, two busted coverages led to long touchdowns, and nobody was near either receiver. The Jaguars have suffered their share of injuries, but this defense is really struggling after a pretty hot start. It is difficult to score 27 and 31 points for two games in a row and lose both in the NFL. The Jaguars did just that.
The Offense Is Not Much Better
Averaging 29 points per game in the NFL, which the Jaguars have over the past two games, should get you a lot of wins. Those points, however, are not indicative of how this Jaguars offense is playing. They are still disjointed. They cannot convert consistently in short-yardage situations. In fact, in last night’s game, the team seemed more comfortable when it was third-and-seven than when it was third-and-two. They cannot get into a rhythm, and Trevor Lawrence looks frustrated constantly. With Kirk out for at least the regular season, Ridley playing as bad as any No. 1 receiver in football, and Etienne averaging about 3.6 yards per carry, this offense is struggling. Evan Engram, on the other hand, is playing as well as any tight end in football. It may be time to become the Chiefs and throw 15 a game to Engram and let him do the rest.
Calvin Ridley Is Not the Answer
Calvin Ridley’s poor play has earned him his own subheading in this article. The offense is playing poorly, but Ridley is the most disappointing piece of the puzzle. He has dropped more passes this year than he has been credited for. He was targeted 13 times in this game for four receptions. In those nine other passes, he should have caught one on the sideline, turned around and caught Lawrence’s second interception, and had one more pass just fall right out of his hands. Ridley cannot catch the football. His drops have come at crucial times often for missed first downs, on third down conversions, and for touchdowns as well. Unless he figures out how to catch the football, he should not be back in Jacksonville next year and the Jaguars should cut their losses.
Two Wins (Probably) Gets the Jaguars In the Playoffs
The truth is, the sky is not falling in Jacksonville. Almost every team goes through a lull at some point in their season, and the Jaguars have been close in almost every contest. There is some concern about a team with a poor passing defense and an offense that has not yet clicked, but this is still a good team. With four games remaining in the season, and thanks to a Texans and Colts loss, the Jaguars are still a game up in the division. On top of being a game up, they also hold the tiebreak over both the Colts and the Texans. That means that if the Jaguars win two of their final four games, they will almost definitely be in the playoffs. The Colts or Texans could win out, but that is improbably at best, so the magic number for the Jags is probably sitting at two.
Main Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
