Jake Browning has performed in 13 profession NFL video games. In two of them, he has overwhelmed the ever-living shit out of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jags (1-1) dirty themselves nearly numerous instances Sunday, dropping a despicable sport to the Cincinnati Bengals 31-27 in what was an City Meyer-level soccer sport from hell.
Trevor Lawrence performed poorly, Brian Thomas Jr. performed worse and the workforce as a complete regarded like they hadn’t practiced collectively one time this season. For as many good issues because the Jags did — like three interceptions and the emergence of Bhayshul Tuten — there have been twice as many puke-inducing moments that killed any form of likelihood Jacksonville needed to win.
This was on no account, form or type a proof of idea sport for anybody from Duval County. There have been loads of all-time low moments in current reminiscence however they usually occur a couple of weeks into the season. Seeing an implosion like this simply two weeks in leaves greater than a fair proportion of uneasiness heading right into a rivalry sport subsequent weekend.
Okay, so perhaps the Jags had one thing cooking once they traded away Tank Bigsby. With Tuten coming into Sunday because the workforce’s RB2, he did every thing in his energy to get the Jags a win.
The rookie rushed the ball eight instances for an efficient 42 yards and caught two passes for 32, together with his first profession landing.
The operating again room has been nice in back-to-back weeks. Travis Etienne performed properly once more, Tuten was a star and even LeQuint Allen had some well timed blocks and runs. These guys didn’t price the Jags the sport on Sunday.
Akin to a man like Cam Little, Foye Oluokun would possibly get a reserved spot on the winners record for some time. Since coming to Jacksonville, Oluokun has completed nothing however play properly and he did so once more in opposition to the Bengals.
Oluokun had seven whole tackles, two TFLs and a sack. His sack was one of many workforce’s three on the day.
He and Devin Lloyd each performed sound protection (Lloyd snagging what ought to have been the game-sealing decide) however Oluokun all the time discovered himself across the ball. He’s a captain for a motive and regarded the half on protection. I don’t assume anybody can persuade me he harm the workforce in Cincinnati.
For a second straight week, the Jags offensive line regarded competent. Via two weeks, the Jags have given up only one sack and have rushed the ball for over 100 yards in each video games. That one sack got here on the second-to-last play of regulation Sunday and was from one of many sport’s finest move rushers in Trey Hendrickson. Exhausting to complain about that in case you are a Jags fan.
Lawrence had clear pockets for a lot of the afternoon whereas the backs had lanes to run for 5 yards a pop nearly all day. Neither Cincy nor Carolina has next-level defenses, however this protection was absolutely an improve from the one this line confronted final week but they regarded as much as the problem all afternoon. Offensive traces hardly ever get credit score, however the Jags have one thing right here if they’ll determine methods to truly play offense shifting ahead.
On the pitch-around remaining play, Ezra Cleveland did probably get harm. Like with Anton Harrison’s late-game damage final week this shall be a giant one to look at shifting ahead.
Parker Washington, Solely When He Is On Offense
When the Jags had been capable of throw the ball appropriately, a whole lot of these balls went the best way of Parker Washington a lot to the shock of everybody watching Sunday’s sport.
Washington led Jacksonville in receiving with 81 yards, hauling in all six of his targets. He had a monster sport total, assuming the function of what many thought was going to be Travis Hunter’s.
Now, the Jags are lacking Bigsby a bit within the return sport as a result of Washington is making an attempt to do means an excessive amount of again there, however that’s an expertise factor I’d think about. As a receiver, it seems like Washington is a veteran with the best way he was hauling in balls and breaking tackles. He regarded like the one Jags vast receiver who even needed to be on the sector for a lot of the sport.
The Bengals don’t have a great offensive line. Everybody in soccer is aware of this. Somebody who actually is aware of this now’s Travon Walker.
Walker was a stud move rusher Sunday, accumulating a sack and three QB hits which tied a career-high. Each he and Josh Hines-Allen acquired a trio of quarterback hits and it felt like these two had been within the backfield nearly each play. Walker even began his day with the just about fumble compelled in opposition to Joe Burrow.
This was under no circumstances Walker’s finest sport, removed from it. Nevertheless, the previous No. 1 total decide did play properly sufficient to provide his offense an opportunity. They had been those who squandered it, not Walker.
Ordinary Cam Little glazing goes as such: 2/2 on subject objectives, 3/3 on further factors. Make your kicks, get off the sector. It could have been good if the Jags didn’t give the Bengals an opportunity to return each kick to the 40, however there’s solely a lot blame to position on Little with how the brand new guidelines work.
That’s now back-to-back weeks of half-off pizza as a result of the Jags protection is taking part in fairly properly. Anybody cool with ethical victories?
Nicely, what are you able to say to the Lawrence haters after that sport?
You may forgive a pair dangerous passes. You may forgive among the unlawful shift penalties given the brand new offense as a result of that’s not all on the quarterback. You may even forgive a rushed decide in the long run zone when you’ve got Hendrickson in your face. However all three? A number of instances over? Unforgivable.
Lawrence wasn’t the only motive the Jags misplaced. His vast receivers did loads to fail him. However the Jags might have prevented this entire factor had they performed a sport only a modicum cleaner. When your protection has three takeaways, it’s laborious accountable them, so the blame will get thrown the opposite means. On this case, it’s largely going to fall on Lawrence’s head, truthful or not.
If Lawrence hangs within the pocket on his first decide and takes that sack as a substitute of throwing, the Jags get three factors as a substitute of zero. If Lawrence places the ball in Dyami Brown’s intestine as a substitute of crusing it late within the fourth, the Jags win. I might even see an argument as to not throwing the ball to Thomas Jr. on the play that resulted within the second decide although Thomas Jr. was settling within the zone pocket. Each Thomas Jr. and Brown did loads to fail Lawrence at completely different instances, however there have been performs to be made that weren’t.
All of these issues shouldn’t must be stated about Lawrence, although. How for much longer can the objective publish be moved? How lengthy till “properly, it is a new teaching workers he’s studying” wares off AGAIN? The dude threw a ball 4 yards previous the road of scrimmage, fishing for a penalty after his workforce had already dedicated a pre-snap infraction. It’s stuff like that which doesn’t make sense for somebody like Lawrence.
Everybody noticed Coen yell at Lawrence to hit his receivers within the chest. It’s in all probability nothing. We must see over the subsequent few days how the top coach and quarterback reply to that, because the nationwide media will definitely seize this interplay. I really feel like we have now been right here earlier than, although.
Whereas Lawrence displayed a couple of of the identical dangerous tendencies he has had all through his profession, Thomas Jr.’s issues had been a brand new sight. A scary one.
At each flip, Thomas Jr. ducked being hit and shied away from making the additional effort gamers like Washington had been making. Perhaps all sport he was reliving getting blown up within the preseason in opposition to the Steelers, however come on man. The model of soccer Thomas Jr. was taking part in was just like the Tyler Lockett fashion, the place avoiding hits extends your profession. But it surely wasn’t even simply that.
Lawrence hit his WR1 within the intestine on fourth and 5 on the Cincy seven. It was a five-yard achieve at the least. Recreation over. Till Thomas Jr. simply flat-out dropped it. Each he and Brown had dropping issues all day as if phantom defenders had been swiping their fingers away at straightforward catches, together with touchdowns. Eight of Lawrence’s incompletions on the day had been within the route of BTJ, who completed with 4 catches for 49 yards. You get half of these incompletions again and the Jags roll this Bengals workforce.
Penalties and poor quarterback play are one factor. If the Jags can’t depend on their high receiver to easily catch the ball anymore, then these journeys to Cabo higher begin getting booked now.
In some way in the long run the Bengals solely accepted six Jags penalties for 55 yards. Anybody truly watching the sport noticed in all probability 60 that Jacksonville dedicated.
The Hunter PI was simply one of many wealth of Jags penalties dedicated Sunday. Who knew a workforce might make so many unlawful shift calls? In what was the proper ribbon on an terrible day, the Jags acquired an unlawful shift on their remaining play.
Penalties like a number of unlawful shifts are a failure on the coaches and the quarterback. With what number of penalties and what number of miscues there have been, it’s really surprising the Jags had been on this sport so long as they had been. This model of the Jags may not have even overwhelmed Carolina.
The top coach goes to must put on this one. Let’s see how he does.
Coen took his first loss as a head coach and it was as inexcusable as any. This workforce didn’t look coached properly and compelled itself into means too many bizarre positions that would have been negated.
Why did the Jags not run the ball extra within the fourth quarter? You’re limping round on this sport and puking throughout yourselves once you move. Why not give the ball to Tuten and Etienne and restrict potential Bengals’ possessions? Why not run the ball 4 straight instances following Browning’s third decide with six minutes to play on the 12-yard line? Why the hell is that this workforce so unprepared to movement anybody on offense?
These are simply among the questions Coen must reply within the coming days. Quite a bit shall be attributed to the brand new teaching workers and new language that comes with it. However there’s a disconnect that acquired swept up final week within the win. This workforce just isn’t disciplined sufficient, particularly on offense, and the coach may need effervescent points with the franchise quarterback.
The Jags have “Constructed for this.” as their bio on Twitter. Sunday confirmed that that could be a lie.
It was sure to occur eventually, however Hunter acquired beat up a bit on Sunday.
He performed okay on offense with three catches for 22 yards. It was on protection the place he was thrust into the motion and was uncovered by Browning of all folks.
On the Bengals’ remaining drive, he was the defensive again the offense needed to choose on. The primary such occasion resulted in a questionable move interference penalty that would be the topic of criticism all week. A simple option to stop that is to play soccer appropriately the opposite 58 minutes of the sport, however I digress. Hunter had performed wonderful up till that time, but it surely does say one thing that the Bengals in a do-or-die scenario needed to focus on Hunter over Tee Higgins or Ja’Marr Chase (Chase had 14 catches, 165 yards, one TD).
The second occasion was Browning and Chase catching Hunter flatfooted for a 16-yard achieve simply two performs later. All indicators pointed to the Bengals wanting Hunter because the matchup once more and so they received once more.
Coen stated he was going to play Hunter extra total, which occurred perhaps a bit hurriedly with Jarrian Jones getting harm. You draft Hunter to play him. He simply didn’t play exceptionally properly. He nevertheless is under no circumstances the most important loser on this record. There are going to be rising pains with the Hunter experiment. That is a kind of rising pains video games.
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