Cam Robinson's reaction to key drop in Jaguars' loss exemplifies how fans feel

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a lead at the midpoint of their matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season. However, things took a turn late in the third quarter when running back Travis Etienne fumbled in the end zone and the Phins recovered. It was all downhill from there and left tackle Cam Robinson's reaction to a key drop exemplifies how fans felt in the 20-17 loss.

Wide receiver Christian Kirk returned to the football field after suffering a core injury in 2023 that forced him to miss the last four games of the season. He was underwhelming, registering one reception on four targets for 30 yards. To make matters worse, he had two crucial drops. The first one took place early in the game.

On third-and-9 early in the second quarter, Trevor Lawrence looked for Christian Kirk. You could make the case that the pass was a bit behind but it was certainly catchable.

As Laurie Fitzpatrick noted, what stands out in the play besides Kirk's drop was that Robinson couldn't believe it. When you think about it, that's how fans felt when mistakes started to pile up in the loss. The other drop came after Tyreek Hill scored to make it 17-14.

Robinson, for his part, did well. He didn't give up a single total pressure but failed to execute his block during the Jaguars' failed run on fourth-and-1 on their own 32-yard late in the game. In the clip below you can see that the left tackle fell to the ground right away and let a defender go through.

The play failed and Miami gained possession on downs. While they didn't score in their following drive, they ended up winning 20-17 the game with a last-minute field goal.

The usually reliable Christian Kirk didn't come through for the Jaguars in Week 1

Following the loss, wide receiver Christian Kirk told the media he takes responsibility for his mistakes, pointing out that he didn't do enough to help his team win.

"It's bad, just bad. I've gotta make them while I'm here. It's just not good enough. I'm a better player than that and I take full responsibility," Kirk said. "We'll take all the criticism for it. I've played in this league a long time, and I've been through stuff like this. The true telling of a man is how he bounced back and came back better the following game."

Kirk is right. All he and the rest of the team can do nothing but turn the page and move on. The good news is that everyone will forget just how underwhelming the Jags were against the Dolphins if he plays like he did the past two years.

And that's the thing, Kirk's mistakes stood out because he's been one of the most reliable players on their offense the past two years and one of Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets. That he had two drops is out of character for him. Maybe he was being bothered by the calf injury he sustained in the preseason.

Regardless of the reason, Kirk must deliver and the Jacksonville Jaguars will need him to be his usual self if they want to get in the win column in Week 2.

More Jaguars analysis here: