RT Jawaan Taylor a bright spot in Jaguars loss to Commanders

There are several reasons why the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Washington Commanders in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season and one of them was the self-inflicted wounds. You can’t expect to win many football games if you commit 13 penalties, which is the amount the Jags had against the Commanders. On the other hand, right tackle Jawaan Taylor deserves recognition for his efficient outing in Week 1.

Even though Trevor Lawrence was sacked just twice, he was pressured on nearly half of his dropbacks. Left tackle Cam Robinson led the way with five but left guard Ben Bartch and center Luke Fortner allowed four each. Meanwhile, Taylor didn’t give up a single pressure. Moreover, he wasn’t flagged and posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 66.7, the best mark among Jags’ offensive linemen and fourth-highest on the team.

Taylor had to exit the game after experiencing cramps. On the bright side, it doesn’t look like it’s a serious issue and should be back in the lineup for Week 2.

A second-round selection in 2019, Taylor showed potential as a rookie but dealt with inconsistency and penalties the last two seasons. He then had to compete with sophomore Walker Little during training camp to keep his job. In the end, the Florida Gator won the competition and kept his streak of 50 consecutive starts alive against the Commanders.

The Jaguars must cut down on the penalties vs. the Colts

You have probably heard NFL head coaches talk about “not shooting themselves on the foot”, and that’s pretty important when it comes to winning football games. Talent plays an important role but so does clean execution, which is why the Jags lost in Week 1 despite the fact that they had a favorable matchup.

13 penalties in Week 1 was simply too much and most of them were of the offsides or holding variety. Also, Dawuane Smoot was flagged for roughing the passer early in the second quarter, which gave the Commanders a fresh set of downs and allowed them to march down to Jacksonville’s end zone and score.

The Jags will need to cut down on the number of times they get flagged if they want to beat the Colts in Week 2. The game will be at TIAA Bank Field, which will give them an edge but it won’t matter if they once again commit penalties at a high rate.

It’s too early in the 2022 season for the Jaguars to fret but they need to work on several issues, including penalties. Jawaan Taylor didn’t allow any in Week 1, others must follow suit.