Moeller: After Bengals' loss, Jaguars Need To Bring Everything Back Into Focus
By JEFF MOELLER, Florida Sports Wire
Heading into the game, you had a feeling about a loss at Cincinnati.
It was the Bengals’ home opener, and quarterback Joe Borrow didn’t play well, as his team just slipped past the Colts in the season opener.
Then..maybe luck would be on the Jags’ side, and a 2-0 start wasn’t out of question.
Trevor Lawrence looked sharp and effective, marching his team down the field on their opening drive for a score.
Burrow would leave the game with a toe injury, and the Jags had a 17-10 halftime lead.
But then, it was the same old Jaguars that ended in a 31-27 loss. They have the ability and potential, but they can’t get over the hump.
It was the same old factor of not capitalizing in the movement and failing to put a team away.
Stay focused. The penalties, dropped passes, and mental mistakes result from a lack of focus and attention to detail.
Lawrence’s first quarter red zone interception proved to be costly, keeping the Bengals in striking distance. Instead of being a key momentum swing for the Jags, the pendulum swung the other way.
Still, the Jags took a 17-10 lead into halftime, and there still was a confident feeling. Borrow left the game with toe injury and Backup Jake Browning took over,
The Jags’ secondary started to show some holes and a tight performance last week. They didn’t have an answer for wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who torched them for 14 catches and 165 yards.
Travis Hunter saw more time in the secondary, but he committed a costly pass interference penalty on Chase. The Jags’ secondary became victim to the deep ball in the second half.
Overall, though, the Jags’ defensive pressure was dialed in for the second consecutive week, and they registered three interceptions.
The running game was solid again behind Travis Etienne and rookie Brayshul Tuten, who looks like he will make everyone quickly forget Tank Bigsby, who was quietly shipped to the Eagles.
Lawrence, who finished with 271 yards passing and three touchdowns, couldn’t have stated their current dilemma any better.
Stay focused.
“I think overall we showed we can make plays,” stressed the fifth-year starter “Just the consistency piece is still lacking at times. I think just playing a full 60 minutes with focus and attention to detail and not shooting ourselves in the foot—that’s still showing up. So that’s stuff that we have to correct and learn from.”
Now, the Jags will return home to play an 0-2 Houston team, who has beaten them seven straight times at home. The Jags last win at home against them was 45-7 in 2017.
The AFC South appears to be up for grabs, even though Daniel Jones has looked like Johnny Unitas in leading the Colts to a 2-0 start. Does anyone truly believe he can lead them to the division title?
There’s a new direction with the Jags this season, and the pieces are starting to fall into place. A division or playoff run isn’t out of the question.
It’s just a matter of staying focused.
