No NFL team goes into a game expecting to lose. Players are wired to give their best and win, so it’s fair to say that the Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t thrilled to fall to the Washington Commanders in Week 1 of the NFL season.
Outside linebacker Josh Allen said it best when he told the media that losing to the Commanders hurt because this Jags’ defense was built to win. On the other hand, not everything was doom and gloom in the season opener and there were some positive things. With that in mind, here are three positive stats from their Week 1 loss.
3. The Jaguars ran the ball efficiently (18 carries, 123 yards, 6.8 avg)
Running back James Robinson played his first game since tearing his ACL late in the 2021 season and he picked up where he left off, racking up 11 carries for 66 yards. Having the former Illinois State Redbird back in the backfield was big. However, he wasn’t the only running back that had an impact against the Commanders.
Travis Etienne, making his NFL debut, also toted the rock four times for 47 yards. Just like Robinson, the former Clemson Tiger showed no ill effects of the Lisfranc injury that cut his rookie campaign short in 2021.
Looking back, it’s easy to see why the Jags drafted Etienne 25th overall last year. Conversely, his selection was kind of puzzling precisely because they already had Robinson. Either way, they both give the Jags’ a dynamic running back tandem moving forward. On just 18 carries, they logged a combined 123 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Robinson also added a 3-yard touchdown reception that eventually helped the Jaguars briefly take the lead. The coaching staff must now keep feeding their young backs.
2. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence averaged 6.9 yards per attempt
There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season was a disaster, and there were several reasons why. For starters, he was getting acclimated to the NFL but the two biggest ones were his lack of weapons and Urban Meyer’s inability to coach (and lead) the Jags. This led to a pretty underwhelming statline in 2021: 6.0 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
That’s not the kind of production you want from the quarterback position, so the Jags addressed the two main issues that hindered Lawrence’s development last year. They hired quarterback-friendly head coach Doug Pederson and also bolstered his supporting cast.
So how did Lawrence fare in the first game of his second NFL season? It wasn’t a top-notch performance but there were many things to like, especially when you take into account that he was pressured on almost half of his 42 dropbacks. While the young passer needs to work on his timing, he also showed a willingness to push the ball downfield, averaging 6.9 yards per attempt.
While that’s not a number to brag about, that’s nearly one yard more than his 6.0-yard average in 2021, which ranked 31st in the league. You could make the case that his 49-yard pass to wide receiver Christian Kirk skews the final number but you can’t just outright omit it.
On the other hand, Lawrence’s completion percentage is still below 60 percent. Again, he needs to clean up a few things but the offensive line also needs to give him better protection up front. For the time being, it’s reassuring to see him make strides.
1. The Jaguars defense forced 2 INT vs. the Commanders
The sky isn’t falling after just one loss and it’s fair to be frustrated with the Jaguars’ inability to win a close game even though they had the lead with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. There are no moral victories, and the secondary must do a better job of slowing down opposing defenses but it’s also important to point out that the defense picked Carson Wentz twice. Sure, they only sacked him once and weren’t able to pressure him at the same rate they did in Week 18 last year.
On the other hand, rookie outside linebacker Travon Walker logged the first interception of his NFL career, which is more impressive when you consider that he didn’t have a single one in college. Sophomore Tyson Campbell, a young promising cornerback, recorded the Jags’ other pick.
Campbell gave up the game-winning touchdown though, so he’s got his work cut out against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. In fact, he told the media after the loss to the Commanders that he would begin so study tape Sunday night.
Any questions?@tysoncampbell_ | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/66EocCPx1N
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 12, 2022
The Jaguars registered a league-low nine takeaways last year, and just like the offense, the defense needs to clean up a few issues. Walker said it best when he told the media that his interception and his sack weren’t enough to come out of FedExField with the win.
On the bright side, it’s encouraging to see Jacksonville’s young players make game-changing plays.