The Jacksonville Jaguars were nothing short of dominant in their home opener against the New England Patriots. Some have called this a revenge game. It was definitely a statement game. It’s a good feeling to beat the team you lost to in the AFC Championship game the previous season. The Jags played very well on all sides of the ball, including quarterback Blake Bortles. It’s time for the team from Duval to have respect across the league.
Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars Get Revenge Against the New England Patriots
Bortles and Receivers Have Strong Outing
Sunday was a great day for Bortles. He gets a rough shake from commentators but he never lets it get to him. He was 29 of 45 for 377 yards with four touchdowns and one pick today. The fifth-year quarterback also added yards with his feet on some crucial plays today. Besides Bortles’ great game, receiver Keelan Cole stood out the most. Cole had seven receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. But the most incredible part was his 24 yard one-handed circus catch. It’s only the second week of the season, but this should be in contention for best catch of the year. Cole caught the ball with one hand while staying in bounds and moving the ball away from the defender. Besides the great catch, Bortles spread the ball to many receivers with all four touchdowns going to a different receiver.
Three of the four touchdown passes from Bortles were impressive from both sides. Dede Westbrook had a 61-yard touchdown reception in which he switched directions around a defender and kept going for the score. Cole and Donte Moncrief’s scores were both in the corner or side of the end zone with defenders in coverage. However, there were a few mistakes. Moncrief had a few drops and rookie D.J. Chark fumbled the ball, resulting in a turnover. Receivers coach Keenan McCardell needs to help clean up the mistakes, but overall the receivers put on a good show and helped Bortles.
Sacksonville Stands Strong
Today was a very good outing for the Jaguars defense. Multiple defenders made plays and they held Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in check. The defense sacked Brady twice. One sack was by Dante Fowler Jr. in a play that he also recovered the ball after forcing a fumble from Brady. Gronkowski only had two receptions for 15 yards on four targets. While it wasn’t solely Jalen Ramsey who guarded Gronk, the team did a good job of not letting him become a factor in the game.
A player worth noting is rookie safety Ronnie Harrison. Harrison has been impressive so far and he logged seven tackles today against the Patriots. He was taken in the third round of this year’s draft and has shown a great work ethic to this point. While not a focal point of discussion in today’s win, it’s the young players like Harrison that will lead the Jaguars to success in the future. The defense was staunch today and playing like this will propel them past the AFC championship should they get there again this year.
The Jaguars Were Not Down Today
“Myles Jack wasn’t down” has become a rallying cry for fans of the Jaguars over the past eight months. While the statement is true, the Jags weren’t able to capitalize on a fourth-quarter lead in January against the Patriots. Today, the Jaguars started with the lead and never let go. The coaching was better in this game than in January and the energy in the stadium was palpable. The players wanted it bad, the fans were determined to cheer them on, and the result was the first win against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s Patriots in franchise history. It was definitely more important for the Jaguars than the for the Patriots. But this was a statement game. This was a revenge game. It was one of the best wins for the Jaguars in recent memory and they are earning their respect around the league.
