3 encouraging stats from the Jaguars win vs. Raiders in Week 9

The Jacksonville Jaguars started the season strong, going 2-1 in the first three weeks. But then, they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles and the losing continued until Week 9 when they managed to beat the Las Vegas Raiders.

Now, beating a flailing Raiders team is nothing to brag about but the Jags took another step in the right direction. After all, all their losses this season were close contests but they had come short every single time. The fact that they were able to erase a 17-point deficit and mount a comeback in Week 9 shows they’re a driven bunch that isn’t content with losing.

With that in mind, here are 3 encouraging stats from the Jags’ win over the Raiders.

3. The Jaguars’ offensive line didn’t give up a single sack vs. the Raiders

Before the start of the 2022 season, the offensive line was seen as the Jags’ biggest weakness and the group has certainly been inconsistent at times. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor will have a down game only to bounce back the following week, and the same is true for pretty much every Jaguars’ starting offensive lineman.

Having said that, the Jags have done a good job of protecting Trevor Lawrence this season and in Week 9, they didn’t surrender a single sack. The sophomore quarterback often had time to drop back and go through his reads, which led to an 80 percent completion rate.

If that wasn’t enough, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football recently highlighted how well the offensive line is playing and even called it their biggest strength.

2. The Jaguars’ defense allowed 0 points in the 2nd half of Week 9

Early in the game, the Jags had no answer for wide receiver Davante Adams, who caught nine passes on nine targets for 146 yards in the first half. In fact, cornerback Tyson Campbell struggled to keep up with him. But the Jags’ defense played with a sense of urgency in the second half and shut out the Raiders’ offense after giving up 20 points in the first half. Similarly, they held Adams to one catch for zero yards on eight targets in the second half.

You could argue that the Raiders have been a trainwreck this season but the Jacksonville defense also deserves praise for waking up and keeping them in check when they could have easily waved the white flag. On the other hand, it’s important to point out that the Jags had a few breaks. If Derek Carr had gone through his progressions, he would’ve torched Jacksonville’s back seven. Here’s one such example.

What’s impressive about Week 9 is that the Jaguars were able to make the necessary adjustments, something they’ve struggled to do this year. Back in Week 6, they had no answer for Matt Ryan and the Colts. Similarly, Daniel Jones and Russell Wilson got the best of their secondary in Weeks 7 and 8, respectively. But they showed against Las Vegas that they won’t give up and that they can adapt.

Moving forward, the Jaguars’ defense will need to start off strong. They were able to come back against the Raiders but they might have a hard time repeating the feat against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.

1. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence completed 80 percent of his passes

However you look at it, Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season was a disaster. Although he showed flashes of the talent that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, he didn’t have a good supporting cast or a coaching staff that could effectively develop him, which in turn affected his on-field performance.

With more talent around him and a competent head coach in Doug Pederson in Year 2, Lawrence has made strides but he’s also made several baffling mistakes. He’ll have a pretty good outing one week and struggle the next. That’s why it wasn’t surprising to see him bounce back against Las Vegas after throwing two costly interceptions against the Denver Broncos the week before.

In Week 9, Trevor Lawrence was pretty efficient, completing 80.65 percent of his passes for 235 yards with one touchdown and racking up 53 yards on six carries. More importantly, he made smart decisions with the football and avoided turning the ball over outside of a failed exchange with running back JaMycal Hasty.

Even though Lawrence is still missing that ‘big win’, he showed in Week 9 that he can help the Jaguars bounce back from a rough start. He might not be able to carry the team on his shoulders at this stage of his career but the Jaguars should be encouraged by his progress this season.

Lawrence still has plenty of room for improvement but he took a step in the right direction against the Raiders. The bar will be raised considerably against the Chiefs in Week 10 though, and building some consistency would go a long way toward helping the Jags put up a good fight.