5 studs that made the Jaguars OT win vs. the Cowboys possible

You need a team effort to win football games and that’s precisely how the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to beat the Dallas Cowboys 40-34 in overtime. Both the offense and the defense did their part to help the Jags come back from a 14-point deficit.

Following the game, head coach Pederson talked about what this win means to his players and how happy he is for them.

“This one was obviously a little more special but just happy for the guys”, Pederson said. “They never gave up. We talked about it last night at the hotel. We talked about it again today. We just kept chipping away against a really good football team. That’s a well-coached team. They’re obviously one of the top teams in the league but this win today gives our guys confidence in who they are as a team”.

The Jaguars’ defense couldn’t stop the Cowboys in the first half while the offense turned the ball over three times. Nevertheless, they made enough plays on both sides of the ball to tie the game and later win it in overtime. With that in mind, here are five players that made the comeback possible.

5 studs that helped the Jaguars beat the Cowboys in Week 15

Trevor Lawrence, quarterback

Trevor Lawrence has played the best football of his career since Week 9. Since then, he completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 1,380 yards with 14 touchdowns and just one interception. He threw a pick against the Cowboys and fumbled the football during a scramble in the fourth quarter but put on display his playmaking skills and led the drive that sent the game to overtime.

Simply, Lawrence is playing at an absurd level and is a big reason the Jaguars are 3-3 over the last six games.

Rayshawn Jenkins, safety

Safety Rayshawn Jenkins wasn’t particularly great for the Jags in 2021 but he’s become a playmaker in the secondary this season. In Week 15, he picked off Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott twice. He returned the second one for the touchdown that sealed the victory. Moreover, he had 18 total tackles and two passes defensed.

Zay Jones, wide receiver

Just a couple weeks ago, wide receiver Zay Jones had a poor outing against the Detroit Lions. But just as Doug Pederson predicted, Jones has bounced back, catching 14 passes for 186 yards and a jaw-dropping four touchdowns in the last two games.

While Christian Kirk remains the No. 1 receiver in the Jaguars’ passing game, Jones has turned into one of Trevor Lawrence’s most reliable targets in recent weeks. For the season, he’s scored five touchdowns, two shy of the career high he set for the Buffalo Bills in 2018.

Arden Key, defensive end

Without outside linebacker Travon Walker, it was fair to wonder if the Jaguars’ front seven was going to be able to apply pressure up front. The answer was yes, outside linebacker Josh Allen, defensive end Dawuane Smoot and defensive end Arden Key picked up the slack and disrupted Dak Prescott throughout most of the second half.

Key sacked Prescott in the first quarter (split with Folorunso Fatukasi). He later brought Prescott down again one play before Jenkins’ first interception of the game.

Travis Etienne, running back

Running back Travis Etienne lost a fumble early in the game. However, he didn’t let it get into his head and instead went on to make several plays for the Jaguars. He finished the game with 103 yards on 19 carries.

The coaching staff deserves credit for not losing their confidence in Etienne and trying to establish the run against a stout Cowboys defensive front.