You could make the case the Jacksonville Jaguars are the embodiment of Murphy’s Law. At least, that’s how it felt during the 37-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. As the old adage goes, “if something can go wrong, it will”. In recent weeks, it’s become something of a common theme for the Jags to trail by 10 or more points in the third quarter and Week 13 was no different.
The Rams held no punches and ran the ball early and often. Moreover, the Jaguars’ defense had no answer for Cooper Kupp. Before Week 13, you could have made the case their loss to the San Francisco 49ers was their most embarrassing outing of the season but the one against the Rams was arguably worse. After all, Los Angeles was coming off a three-game skid and seemed vulnerable. It could be argued that this criticism of the Jaguars is too harsh but they deserve every single ounce of it after their uninspiring performance.
These three stats explain why the Jaguars lost to the Rams.
1. Jaguars running back James Robinson just got eight carries.
If you want to keep up with the best teams in the NFL, you must get your best players involved early and often, right? The Jags don’t seem to agree with that and made the curious decision of benching running back James Robinson after fumbling the ball.
The second-year running certainly has to do a better job of holding onto the ball but he’s the Jaguars’ best offensive player and taking carries away from him hurts the team’s ability to score points. The fact that veteran Carlos Hyde ran the ball more times than Robinson is egregious.
The Rams are a difficult team to run the ball against and Robinson gave the Jaguars a better chance to do it. Why are they decided to take him out of the game is anyone’s guess.
2. The Jaguars couldn’t stop the Rams’ rushing attack.
Earlier this year, defensive coordinator Joe Cullen and head coach Urban Meyer would talk about how good the Jaguars’ run defense was. However, things have gone haywire over the last four weeks. In that span, Jacksonville has surrendered an average of 143 rushing yards and they gave up 128 in Week 13.
The Rams have one of the best aerial attacks in the whole league but had struggled to run the ball before facing off the Jags. From Week 6 to Week 12, Los Angeles’ rushing attack had averaged 93 yards per game and failed to crack the 100-yard mark four times. On paper, this looked like a favorable matchup for Jacksonville but they failed to seize the situation.
To exacerbate the issue, Rams’ starting running back Darrell Henderson Jr. sat out the game but backup Sony Michel made the most of his opportunity, becoming his team’s first 100-yard rusher of the year.
There’s no doubt the Jaguars’ defense was a strength in the middle of the season but their efficiency has fallen off a cliff in recent weeks. While the offense needs to shoulder a good chunk of the blame for their overall record, the defense hasn’t helped matters. Their front seven hasn’t suffered any major injuries, so it’s fair to wonder what’s wrong with the unit. One thing is clear, they won’t be able to win many games as long as they don’t fix things up front.
The Jaguars didn’t have any takeaways, turned the ball over vs. the Rams.
Football is a team sport and it takes both the offense and the defense to win games. Similarly, both units played a part in the Jaguars’ loss to the Rams. On one hand, Trevor Lawrence, Carlos Hyde, and James Robinson fumble the ball. Funny enough, only Robinson got benched but that’s besides the subject.
Los Angeles went up 10-0 after Robinson’s fumble. Lawrence’s recovered his and Hyde’s came in the third quarter. You won’t win many games turning the ball twice, especially against a team like the Rams. On the other hand, the defense didn’t fare much better. Joe Cullen’s unit logged just one sack and didn’t force any turnovers.
Also, the Rams had no answer for wide receiver Coopper Kupp. Letting safety Andrew Wingard, linebacker Damien Wilson, and K’Lavon Chaisson take turns to cover him was puzzling.
The Jaguars are making it very difficult to find reasons for optimism in the last weeks of the 2021 seasons. After showing progress in October, the team has come crashing down. Urban Meyer and the coaching staff to fix all the issues that are hindering Jacksonville. Unless they want to secure the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. If that’s their goal, they’re doing a heck of a job.