Jaguars beat Falcons in Week 4, climb back to .500: 3 takeaways from the London game

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered Week 4 looking to get back to .500 after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans in back-to-back games. A three-point favorite for the game, the offense, defense, and special teams contributed to the 23-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The offense got off to a hot start. They scored 10 points in their first three drives. However, they cooled down as the game progressed and only scored six more points the rest of the way. However, the defense did their part, and cornerback Darious Williams returned his first interception as a member of the Jaguars for a touchdown, giving the team a 17-0 team.

Although Atlanta made things a bit interesting when they scored in the third quarterback, their comeback attempt failed. A 38-field goal by kicker Brandon McManus sealed the deal in the fourth quarter and a fumble recovery by the Jags' defense sealed the deal. With that in mind, here are three takeaways from Jacksonville's second win of the year.

3. The Jaguars offense operated the way it's supposed to vs. the Falcons

Head coach Doug Pederson was a long shot to suit up in Week 4, so it wasn't particularly shocking to see him be ruled out Friday. On the other hand, there were questions about return specialist Jamal Agnew's availability for the game. Agnew popped up on the injury report with a quad injury and got the questionable designation. Once the Jags announced he was going to be inactive, it was fair to wonder how the offense would respond.

From the get-go, the Jaguars had no trouble moving the ball. Although they punted on their first offensive drive, they scored on their next drive when Trevor Lawrence connected with wide receiver Calvin Ridley for a 30-yard touchdown.

Lawrence went 23-of-30 for 207 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Even though the offense wasn't nearly as successful the rest of the game, they did enough to keep Atlanta at bay. Travis Etienne got 20 carries for 58 yards. Atlanta made an emphasis to stop him but the coaching staff kept giving him the ball. In the end, the strategy paid off as they controlled the time of possession with 32:25.

All things considered, it wasn't perfect but it was much better than the last two weeks.

2. The Jaguars pass rush woke up vs. the Falcons

One of the reasons the Jags lost to the Texans in Week 3 was their inability to get after the quarterback. They finished the game with no sacks, which led to questions about the front office's refusal to bring in reinforcements in the offseason. While it's true that the Jaguars should've more to bolster their pass rush, the cupboard isn't necessarily bare.

Against the Falcons, outside linebacker Josh Allen showed he can take over games He registered three sacks, including the strip sack that sealed the Jaguars' win. He consistently rattled quarterback Desmond Ridder and forced him to make mistakes, including a pair of interceptions in back-to-back drives. Travon Walker also registered a sack, so it wasn't just Allen bringing in the heat.

It may be a small sample but it's hard to tell what kind of pass rush the Jaguars will get from week to week. They showed out against the Colts and Atlanta but disappeared against the Texans in Week 3. Against the Chiefs, they recorded two sacks but couldn't contain Patrick Mahomes.

One thing the Jaguars should be thrilled about is that reinforcements are in the way. They'll soon welcome back outside linebacker Dawaune Smoot and DaVon Hamilton. While the latter is taking antibiotics and didn't make the trip to London, the former flew with the team and is close to returning. Even if they aren't 100 percent when they return, they should take some pressure off Allen's and Walker's shoulders.

For the time being, it will interesting to see if the Jags can get another productive game from their pass rush when they face the Bills in Week 5.

1. What's next for the Jaguars after beating the Falcons?

It was good to see the Jaguars return to .500 after beating the Falcons. You could make the case that expectations surrounding them before the start of the season were a bit too high but games like this show they're capable of playing at a high level and winning games. That said, there's still room for improvement.

The offensive line gave Trevor Lawrence good protection early in the game but the group struggled in the second half. This had a negative impact on Lawrence's decision-making. He had to leave the pocket and roll often because he wasn't getting enough time to throw the ball. In the fourth quarterback, he could've hit a wide-open Christian Kirk but he couldn't because the Falcons flushed him out of the pocket and forced him to throw in the move. The good news is that left tackle Cam Robinson is back from the four-game suspension he served to start the season.

There's a good chance he'll return to left tackle and the coaching staff will move Walker Little to left guard. While Robinson has not played since last year — he suffered a meniscus injury late in the season — his return should give the Jaguars' offensive line a boost.

The pass rush also cooled down in the second half. Although Josh Allen and Travon Walker had a combined four sacks early in the game, they were somewhat quiet in the second half until Allen had a strip sack near the end of the game.

The bottom line is that the Jaguars did enough to beat Atlanta but it may not suffice against the Buffalo Bills. They must build on this week's win and look for ways to improve their play in the trenches.

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