For the first time this season, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked eerily similar to the team that dubiously earned the No. 1 overall draft pick in back-to-back seasons (2020-2021). Coming off an encouraging win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12, they collapsed and lost 40-14 to the Detroit Lions Sunday.
In the two seasons prior to 2022, the Jaguars were known for not only having inferior talent but also for constantly shooting themselves in the foot with countless penalties, dropped passes, nagging turnovers, and an overall lack of mental fortitude.
The Jaguars’ defense went dormant vs. the Lions in Week 13
Against the Lions, the defense was outplayed from beginning to end. They simply could not slow down Lions quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon Ra St. Brown. The Detroit offense constantly created separation from Jaguars defenders and consistently made big plays with ease.
The Jaguars simply could not stop the pass or the run. Goff completed 31 of 41 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns while St. Brown hauled in 11 receptions for 111 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
When the smoke cleared and the game was mercifully over, the Jags’ defense gave up a total of 40 points and 434 total yards to an undeniably elite offense led by Goff and company.
Of course, you don’t lose a game by more than 20 points unless several things go wrong. Sure, the Jaguars’ defense played poorly but that’s not the sole reason the Lions won by such a wide margin. With that in mind, here are other observations from the embarrassing loss.
Drops & miscues ultimately doomed the Jaguars in Week 13
In Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions (5-7), you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish this Jaguars team from their 2020-2021 counterparts. One thing that stood out was the amount of passes the receivers dropped in crucial moments.
Tight end Evan Engram failed to reel in two catchable balls. Wide receiver Jamaal Agnew dropped a pass late in the game when the ball hit both of his hands and the defender was giving him space to operate. Even wide receiver Zay Jones, who is known for his reliability, dropped three passes.
Having one dropped pass in a game is bad enough for an NFL receiver, but to have two or even three is downright infuriating for an offensive coach and fans alike. In Jones’ case, however, he may have been affected by a chest injury he’d been dealing with prior to Sunday’s action.
A fumble by running back Travis Etienne on their first drive was especially deflating for the Jaguars’ offense. The drive had all the makings of an electric, momentum-creating touchdown march. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence connected with wide receiver Christian Kirk early in the drive for 39 yards to get the Jaguars rolling in a big way.
Etienne was carving out huge chunks of yardage before coughing it up to the Lions and former Florida Gators linebacker Alex Anzalone. In a way, that first drive was a perfect foreshadowing of what the Jaguars would go on to do for the remainder of the game.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence avoided a disastrous injury vs. the Lions
On the bright side, Jaguars fans all breathed a sigh of relief when they watched Trevor Lawrence run back onto the field in the third quarter following a scary moment in the final play in the first half. Lawrence was sacked by another former Florida Gators linebacker James Houston in a twisting manner leaving him grabbing his leg in obvious pain.
Several players, including the Lions, finished the first half by respectfully getting on one knee watching Lawrence respond to the medical trainers. Fortunately, he was able to walk into the locker room without help and was even able to come back and play without missing any game time.
In addition, Lawrence continued displaying his well-advertized improvement, and wide receiver Christian Kirk was able to go over the century mark in receiving yards (104) with six catches and again looked every bit like the number one wide receiver he was paid to be in the offseason.
Lawrence completed 17 of 31 attempts for 179 yards and a touchdown but his numbers would’ve seemingly looked closer to 25 of 35 for 275-325 yards and a couple of touchdowns had his supporting cast shown up to play.
Speaking of that supporting cast, they basically looked like a bunch of deer caught in the Lions’ headlights. Penalties also played a big role in this one-sided affair. Several false starts, including one by tight end Dan Arnold, halted any momentum the Jaguars were hoping to build.
Overall, this was a dominant effort by the Lions who had all three of their top wide receivers for the first time this season. The Lions dominated in every phase of the game. Simply put, they came ready to play and most of the Jaguars players did not. And if the Jaguars expect to keep making strides as they’ve done most of this season up to this point, they cannot have any more embarrassing losses like this.