The Jacksonville Jaguars got back to the win column when they beat the Atlanta Falcons 23-7 in Week 4. While it wasn't perfect, head coach Doug Pederson said he was pleased with the team's overall performance, calling it a step in the right direction.
"The pick-six was huge after the offense scored. And I thought the defense played pretty solid all day," Pederson told the media after the game. "The one drive at the start in the third quarter, you'd like to do better. But then hold them out of the endzone when they did."
"Just overall the turnovers, Josh's performance, there's just a lot of good efforts today and they played together as a team. That's the sign that we're heading in the right direction, where we're getting some things fixed and still got some work to do. But very pleased with today's win," Pederson said.
Again, not everything was sunshine and flowers. If the Jaguars want to keep winning, they'll need to focus on these three areas.
3. The Jaguars struggled to move the chains in third downs vs. the Falcons
The Jaguars entered Week 4 with a conversion rate in third downs of 29.7 percent. However you look at it, that's unacceptable. Moving the chains in the money down keeps drives alive while not converting forces offenses to either punt or go for it on fourth down. Simply put, the more you succeed in third downs, the higher your chances of scoring will be.
Against the Falcons, the Jags had 16 first downs but went 5-of-14 on third downs. Not surprisingly, the offense went quiet after scoring 10 points in the first three drives of the game. Although posting a 35 percent completion rate sufficed in Week 4, it may not be nearly enough to beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 5.
2. Trevor Lawrence has been efficient despite Jaguars O-Line woes
One of the Jaguars' biggest question marks this season has been their offensive line. Left tackle Walker Little notwithstanding, the unit hasn't been able to give Trevor Lawrence optimal protection. This has severely affected his ability to take deep shots. Simply, he doesn't have enough time to throw the ball.
At 2.47 seconds, Lawrence had the second-fastest throwing time in the league. While it's good news that he isn't holding onto the ball, the protection he's getting doesn't allow him to go through his full progression.
Against the Falcons in the fourth quarter, Lawrence wasn't able to see a wide-open Christian Kirk in the end zone because he was flushed out of the pocket. He ultimately targeted running back JaMycal Hasty but you can't blame him for missing Kirk. He simply had to make a throw in the run once the protection threw.
Following the game, Michael DiRocco of ESPN pointed out that Lawrence averaged just a measly 5.3 yards per attempt but believes that's the result of not getting good protection from the offensive line.
I read this as more of a concern about the OL being able to protect long enough to go downfield. https://t.co/Dflbt9mR2g
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) October 1, 2023
The Jaguars are aware that pass blocking up front has been an issue this season. Ben Bartch had struggled the past three games, so he was benched in favor of veteran Tyler Shatley in Week 4. After the game, head coach Doug Pederson said Shatley was better equipped to handle the Falcons' defensive front.
"We felt like this defensive front was a little bigger, heavier, stronger front. Felt like Shatley gave us the best opportunity. There was nothing really against Ben. And we as a staff just felt like it was Shatley's time to get in," Pederson said.
It will be interesting to see what other tweaks the team makes in the upcoming weeks. Cam Robinson is back from the four-game suspension he served to start the season. The Jags could plug him back at left tackle and move Walker Little inside.
1. The Jaguars didn't abandon the run vs. the Falcons but averaged less than 4.0 yards
The Jaguars tried to establish the run against the Texans and Chiefs without much success. In Week 4, they did a better job of running the ball but they still left a bit to be desired. Travis Etienne toted the rock 20 times for 55 yards (2.8 yard-per-carry average). Tank Bigsby and D'Ernest Johnson weren't much better.
As a team, the Jags had 105 yards on 32 carries but that number is a bit skewed. Trevor Lawrence got 42 yards on eight rushes. One of them went for 22 yards. Take it away and Jacksonville would have averaged fewer than three yards per carry against the Falcons. This shouldn't be the case when you consider how stacked the Jaguars are at running back.
Travis Etienne proved he can be a No. 1 running back last year, totaling 1,125 rushing yards. On the other hand, rookie Tank Bigsby is a fine short-yardage specialist. However, neither one is going to find much success if the offensive line can't open lanes, which has been the case most of the season.
Against the Falcons, Etienne was getting tackled before he could reach the line of scrimmage. He couldn't break off any big runs because Atlanta was already waiting for him as soon as he got the ball. While the offense revolves around Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars must find a way to kickstart their running game, or else run the risk of becoming a one-dimensional offense.
It's hard to see the Jags making a trade before the deadline but having Cam Robinson back in the fold for Week 5 should give the offensive line the boost they need in the running game.