You have the right to feel frustrated about the Jacksonville Jaguars after their 31-7 performance against the Seattle Seahawks. After all, the Jags had shown progress throughout most of the 2021 season and it looked like they heading in the right direction when they defeated the Miami Dolphins in Week 6.
And then, the Jaguars lost to the Seahawks in an embarrassing fashion. It took one game for the team to lose all the momentum they had built in the past few weeks. Now, a loss doesn’t make or break a team’s season but this wasn’t a close, far from it. Both Seattle’s offense and defense feasted on a helpless Jacksonville squad. To make matters worse, the Hawks were coming off three straight losses and didn’t look particularly great heading into the game.
You could argue that the coaching staff doesn’t have much talent to work with but head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke put the team together. They’re the ones that chose that put the team together. Also, Jacksonville was flagged an astonishing 12 times. Sure, players are the ones that commit the penalties but is up to the coaches to get them ready for game day.
After the game, linebacker Myles Jack said there were some positives in their performance but their negatives stood out. They always do when you lose by more than 20 points. On the bright side, both Jack and outside linebacker Josh Allen took responsibility for the team’s substandard performance and vowed to work on fixing the issues that affected the team.
Either way, here are the studs and duds following the Seahawks’ dominating win over the Jaguars.
Here are the duds from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Jaguars.
1. Laviksa Shenault Jr., wide receiver
Wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. has every now and then made cameos in the backfield. Against the Seahawks, he had one carry for eight yards. However, he wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game. He finished the game with a measly two receptions for 13 yards. To add insult to injury, you had a couple of drops. You could argue they weren’t well-placed passes but Viska had the chance to come down with the catch in both instances.
To make matters worse, Jamal Agnew was targeted more times in Week 8. Shenault hasn’t been totally bad but the Jaguars surely expect more from him.
2. Tyson Campbell, cornerback
Rookie cornerback Tyson Campbell missed the last two games with an injury. His return to the lineup was supposed to give the secondary a boost but he wasn’t much of a factor against the Seahawks.
Campbell allowed four passes on six targets for 67 yards. One of them was a 27-yard reception that set the Hawks’ first touchdown of the game. The former Georgia Bulldog showed signs of progress in previous games but it’s clear he’s still got work to do to become a reliable starter.
3. K’Lavon Chaisson, outside linebacker
It may not be fair to single out K’Lavon Chaisson on a day when the Jags were plagued by penalties. However, the 2020 first-round pick’s offsides negated an interception by Tre Herndon. Also, he wasn’t much of a factor in Week 8, logging just two assists and one pressure.
Here are the few bright spots from the Jaguars’ loss to the Seahawks.
1. Dan Arnold, tight end
It’s difficult to pick studs on a day when the Jaguars got pummeled. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence took a step back in his development and went 32-of-54 for 238 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The loss isn’t on him but he didn’t play well. Then again, he didn’t get much help from his wide receiver corps and only tight end Dan Arnold logged more than 40 yards.
Arnold was Lawrence’s most reliable target against the Seahawks, hauling in eight receptions for 68 yards. The tight end has become a mainstay of the offense since joining the team after Week 3.
2. Andrew Norwell, left guard
Even though Trevor Lawrence was sacked just once, he was constantly under pressure and constantly had to leave the pocket. Don’t blame left guard Andrew Norwell though. On 76 offensive snaps, he didn’t allow a single pressure and finished the game with an 87.7 Pro Football Focus overall grade, his highest of the 2021 season. Looking back, suggesting the Jags trade him before the deadline wasn’t a good idea.
3. Josh Allen/Dawuane Smoot, edge rushers
The Jaguars’ didn’t get much pressure from K’Lavon Chaisson against the Seahawks but outside linebackers Josh Allen and Dawuane Smoot were a whole different deal. The duo had a combined nine total tackles, six tackles for a loss, and three sacks.
Allen and Smoot have been the most consistent Jaguars’ defenders up front. Jacksonville couldn’t stop the Seahawks’ offense but the pair never gave up.