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| Colts had a hard time handling Josh Allen (41). (Photo by Nancy Beecher) |
JACKSONVLLE (Florida Sports Wire) - The perfect game..at least the first half.
That’s what occurred for the Jaguars in their 24-0 shutout against the Colts Sunday at TIAA Field. What everyone was waiting for with Trevor Lawrence at the helm finally happened.
New head coach Doug Pederson has been playing his part.
Remember the date. Sept. 18, 2022. In the future, it could be a cornerstone date. (Think 2024 season.)
The Jags were perfect in all three phases of their game. For the most part, the second half was just as good as the first half. If they could stuff it all in a bottle, they would. But the NFL offers plenty of chances.
The offense behind Lawrence was precise and efficient as it could possibly be. The defense, led by a cast of characters, clamped down with highlight reel plays that kept the hapless Colts out of the end zone.
It’s true, the Colts were out of sync the entire afternoon, but the Jags’ defense registered five sacks on Matt Ryan and kept running back Jonathan Taylor handcuffed with 54 yards rushing.
The Jags’ “D” also picked off Ryan three times, allowed 218 total yards, and stymied them with a 2-for-10 third down conversion rate.
Lawrence put on a clinic the opening half with dink and dunk passes up and down the field, connecting on 14 of 17 for 137 and finishing the day completing 25-of-30 for 235 yards with a pair of scores.
Running back James Robinson completed the scheme with 64 of the team’s 93 total yards. The offense ran 37 running plays and 30 passing plays. They held the ball for 18:30 in the opening half and 38:15 for the game.
The offensive line play was crisp and gave Lawrence plenty of time. They didn’t allow a sack and just two hits on Lawrence.
The rain showers that fell on the announced crowd of 58, 360 brightened at half time with the Jags holding a 17-0 lead from a late second-quarter 52-yard field goal with plenty to spare from Riley Patterson.
It was a perfect script…like those games dating back to the 10-6 team in 2017, and the Coughline teams of the 1990s.
Yes, it was a great triumph to savor for a few days. More importantly, though, it could be a statement win and initial brick in the foundation the franchise has been seeking since Tom Coughlin was here.
Pederson confirmed Sunday that he can be the man for the job. One win does not a great head coach make, but a win like this one can help him go far.
Pederson already restored a sense of confidence and structure to the franchise, one that was recently fractured by Urban Meyer. There was much healing that needed to be done, and Pederson has brought a sense of relief.
The smiles and the sense of euphoria in and around the game’s end helped prove the case. Even the postgame interview room had an upbeat undercurrent.
Again, yes, this is one game for a franchise that has won 16 games in the last five seasons. The Jags will face a stiff test in Los Angeles next Sunday against the Chargers.
Still, Lawrence is still the face of the franchise, and Pederson is now the anchor.
Together, they helped show winning football can be accomplished. Now, it’s time for a few more encore this season and beyond.
(Jeff Moeller is a SportsDay columnist and reporter covering the NFL and other sports.