3 Jaguars who cooked, 4 who got burnt in the heartbreaking loss to Eagles

The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost in different ways this season. At times, they've started strong only to cool down later. In other games, the Jags simply cannot get anything going. They then suddenly wake up and make things interesting for a bit before ultimately coming up short. One of those instances took place in Week 9.

After a slow start, Jacksonville drew to within 28-22 of the Eagles. The offense then got to their 13-yard line but its comeback attempt ended when Trevor Lawrence was picked off by linebacker Nakobe Dean. One day after the loss, head coach Doug Pederson met with the local media and said that the team isn't executing.

"I think the No. 1 thing you look at, you got to look at the third downs, right? Are we talking about first down? You get positive and then we've had positive yards on for we had a great first play yesterday, " Pederson said when he was asked why the team has struggled to start strong this season. Just a fingertip away from being an explosive play, right? No. 53 makes a heck of a play. That's football."

Pederson continued, "They get paid to make plays too, right? Okay, if Trevor throws it six inches further to completion, to Evan, a 20-yard gain, and we're feeling great. So those things, the plays are there, right? Yeah, part of its execution, part of its, there's a little unknown too, as to what, how the defense is going to look at us, because with the injury situation we had in different things, how they got to look at us, how they got playoffs."

Ultimately, the Jaguars are 2-7 and both execution and the coaching staff's inability to put the players in a position to succeed have had a role. That said, not everything was gloom and doom in the loss to the Eagles. Here are three players who stood up and four that didn't deliver.

Jaguars player No. 1 who cooked: Travon Walker, edge rusher

No Jaguar had a bigger impact in Week 9 than Travon Walker, who recovered a fumble and took it to the house, showcasing the ability to play running in the NFL along the way.

While Walker didn't register a sack, he consistently brought the heat. Moreover, his defensive touchdown gave Jacksonville the spark it needed to try to come back.

Jaguars player No. 2 who cooked: Parker Washington, wide receiver

Parker Washington started his first game this season in relief of Christian Kirk and delivered. He didn't make any big plays but certainly proved that he's a capable replacement, hauling in three receptions for 41 yards.

The downside of Washington getting more playing time on offense is that the Jaguars struggled in the return game. Austin Trammell was the main returner and was overwhelming.

Jaguars player No. 1 who cooked: Josh Hines-Allen

Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen has been relatively quiet in 2024 but reminded everyone how much of a game-changer he is in the loss to the Eagles, registering two sacks.

Now, the former Kentucky Wildcat has 50 sacks, which puts him five short of Tony Bracken's franchise record of 55.

Jaguars player No. 1 who got burnt: Ronald Darby, cornerback

It's fair to say that signing cornerback Ronald Darby in free agency hasn't been great. Although the former Florida State Seminole has been dependable throughout his career, he's seemingly taken a step back in 2024.

Darby has struggled throughout the season, and against the Eagles, he gave up five catches on six targets for 98 yards with one touchdown.

Jaguars player No. 2 who got burnt: Austin Trammell, receiver

Wide receiver Austin Trammell showed promise in training camp but couldn't make the 53-man roster. Still, he did enough to earn a roster spot in the practice squad.

Trammell got his chance to showcase his talent in Week 9, getting promoted to the active roster via standard elevation. However, he wasn't able to capitalize on it. He struggled as a returner and was a non-factor as a receiver.

Based on how he played, Trammell won't get many additional opportunities if Brian Thomas Jr. if he's healthy.

Jaguars player No. 3 who got burnt: Evan Engram, tight end

Doug Pederson talked about one throw Trevor Lawrence missed. The quarterback targeted Evan Engram but the pass was off. Had he caught it, the Jaguars would've gotten a massive gain.

On the other hand, Engram routinely struggled to get open and even had a drop. He ended up with five receptions for 45 yards.

Jaguars player No. 4 who got burnt: D'Ernest Johnson

Sure, the play design wasn't great and he was always going to have trouble winning a jump ball. But ultimately, running back D'Ernest Johnson didn't come through with the game on the line.

Ideally, you want to put the ball in hands of your playmakers, whether it's Brian Thomas Jr. or Tank Bigsby, but Johnson was the one that got the call and didn't deliver.

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