Jacksonville Jaguars Week 13: The Day After
By Daniel Lago
More from Jacksonville Jaguars News
- Jacksonville Jaguars should welcome Derrick Henry into the kingdom
- Jaguars Rumors: Trent Baalke seems to be getting respect now
- Jaguars News: This division rival might be making a big move
- Former Jacksonville Jaguars S Johnathan Cyprien: “New Profession, Same Standards”
- Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram officially gets the franchise tag: 3 takeaways
After one of the worst offensive outings in franchise history, the Jacksonville Jaguars put together
the most dramatic comeback performance in team histor
y. Despite a 21-0 deficit early in the first half, the Jaguars rallied on the strength of two defensive touchdowns and defeated the downtrodden New York Giants 25-24.
After giving up touchdowns on 3 straight drives to Eli Manning, the Jacksonville defense buckled down and played absolutely dominant football down the stretch. Manning had no time to operate as he was hit 13 times, and the Jaguars managed to do just enough on offense to win. It was far from a perfect performance, especially early on offensively, but the Jaguars did enough to win and did so under tough circumstances.
With the sweet taste of victory in our mouths, let’s take a look at yesterday’s game and focus on 3 takeaways.
1. The Jaguars have a top tier defense
It’s tough to say about a 2-10 team, but the Jaguars have one of the best defenses in the NFL over the course of the last several weeks. Despite almost no support from their offense in the first half, the Jacksonville defense stayed strong and focused heading into the third quarter. They re-energized the entire team and the stadium when they forced a fumble near the goal line and recovered it in the end zone to make the score 21-10. The game seemed hopeless and out of reach before that point, and a big play on defense was exactly what the Jaguars needed. The defensive line got consistent pressure and made it tough for Eli Manning to get back into a groove after a solid first quarter.
Don’t let the standard metrics fool you, the Jaguars have a very good defense, and it should only get better after another offseason of free agent and rookie additions.
2. Marqise Lee is has the potential to be a big weapon
There have been plenty of excuses for Marqise Lee’s lack of production in his rookie season, none of which more reasonable than the crowd that developed with fellow rookies Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Lee took advantage of his playing time for the first time on Sunday as he caught 6 of the 7 balls thrown his way, including a big-time catch on a 30 yard touchdown. He looked fast on the field and his ability to stretch the defense vertically is something the Jaguars desperately need to help open up this offense. He unfortunately left the game late with an injury, but it was exciting to see him used often and effectively.
3. Blake Bortles finally showed some improvement
Blake Bortles is a rookie quarterback and that comes with a territory, but his regression over his last several starts was becoming disheartening at the very least. He didn’t have a great game on Sunday, but he probably had his best overall performance as a pro. He finally had a game without a turnover, and there weren’t really any head-scratching decisions that left you wondering what he was thinking. He used his ability to run very effectively, and his drive at the end of the game was the kind of clutch quarterbacking we haven’t seen in Jacksonville in years. If he can build off this performance moving forward, the Jaguars should have plenty of reason to be excited heading into 2015.