Jaguars make QB Geno Smith look elite in embarrassing Week 8 loss

Nobody would have blamed you if you genuinely believed the Jacksonville Jaguars would beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8. After all, the Jags were well-rested coming off their BYE and had defeated the Miami Dolphins Week 6. Also, the Hawks had lost three consecutive games and were without Russell Wilson, so Jacksonville had a chance to come out of Lumen Field with their second victory of the year. However, they lost 31-7.

Although the Jaguars avoided getting shut down, they were vastly outplayed. A few days before the game, cornerback Shaquill Griffin told the local media Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is elite. The 2013 second-round pick must have caught wind of the comment since he did have an outstanding performance against Jacksonville’s defense, completing 20 of 24 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

Ok, so the defense couldn’t stop Seattle but what about the offense? Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had progressed in recent weeks and he would surely have a good game against the Seahawks, right? Wrong, Jacksonville’s offense couldn’t move the ball and the rookie passer took a step back in his development, completing just 32 of 53 passes for 238 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His lone touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided.

Losing running back James Robinson early in the game definitely played a role in the Jags’ inability to move the ball and score points on offense. However, you can’t solely point to his absence as the reason why Jacksonville was shut down. The coaching staff deserves plenty of blame for not having the team ready to play. They looked sloppy and uninspired. They committed 12 penalties for 93 yards and were flagged for having 12 men on the field in back-to-back plays. That’s simply unacceptable.

The Jaguars’ secondary had no answer for the Seahawks’ offense.

Dawuane Smoot and Josh Allen constantly applied pressure up front but they didn’t get much help from the rest of the defense. Rookie Tyson Campbell came back to the lineup after missing the last two games with a toe injury. But the former Georgia Bulldog struggled in his return and often got beat by Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett.

Also, the Jags had no answer for DK Metcalf, who was his dominant self and hauled in six receptions for 43 yards and two touchdowns. It’s a tad premature but the team has to start planning how they want to bolster their cornerback room next offseason. Shaquill Griffin is playing well but that’s it. Even if Campbell improves as the season progresses, they simply don’t have much talent at the position.

The Jaguars had the opportunity to earn their second victory of the year but couldn’t seize it. It would be one thing if the game had been close but the Jags showed they still have a long way to go. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to the loss the following week when they take on the Buffalo Bills.