Jaguars lose to the Rams, former Jags players are thriving with new teams

A loss is a loss but there are some that hurt more than others and you could make the case the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 37-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams hurts more than others because several former Jags players have gone on to thrive with different teams and found success in Week 13 of the 2021 season.

The Jaguars once again looked overmatched and even though they kept things close in the first half, the Rams had no trouble pulling ahead in the second half. If you thought the blowout to the Seattle Seahawks or the embarrassing loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11 were bad, you probably felt like punching the tv watching Jacksonville get pummeled in Week 13.

At this point, it feels like 2020 again. Sure, the Jags have secured the quarterback of the future in Trevor Lawrence but that’s about it. The team is at least one more draft away from containing and players most players don’t seem to be getting better under the current coaching staff. There are expectations to the rule, defensive end Josh Allen is playing at a dominant level and cornerback Tyson Campbell is developing into a solid starter but the roster is in need of an infusion of talent.

Jalen Ramsey is thriving after leaving the Jaguars.

The Jaguars have made several questionable decisions over the last four years, so even though head coach Urban Meyer deserves some of the blame for some of the team’s current woes, he’s not solely responsible for the Jaguars’ inability to win games.

Former general manager David Caldwell had a hard time finding talent but he also struggled to keep the few difference-makers the Jags had. He traded All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angele Rams in the middle of the 2019 season. The following year, he moved on from defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell.

Coincidentally, Jacksonville faced off against Ramsey in Week 13. Even though the cornerback said this was “just another game“, it seemed like he enjoy handing his former team another loss. Do you blame him? He often broke plays and even scooped the fumble teammate Aaron Donald forced.

Former Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew had his first win with the Eagles.

Ramsey wasn’t the only former Jaguars that had a great day Sunday. Quarterback Gardner Minshew made his first start as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Moustache helped Philly earn their sixth victory of the year, going  20-of-25 for 242 yards and two touchdowns.

Minshew started in the place of Jalen Hurts, who is dealing with an ankle injury, and will most likely return to holding a clipboard in Week 15. However, he showed he can win outside of Jacksonville and the market for his services will probably increase considerably when he becomes a free agent in 2023.

Lawrence is the future in Jacksonville but Minshew had become a mainstay of the team. Although the 2019 sixth-round pick struggled last season, he wasn’t the only reason the team managed to win just game and he showed against the Jets what he can do when given a fair chance (and a good supporting cast).

There’s something bitter-sweet about watching former Jaguars thrive with different teams. In a year in which wins are hard to come by, it’s nice to see players that were once important in Jacksonville find success, even if it’s with other teams.