Jaguars beat Saints on Thursday Night, get 5th win of the 2023 season: 3 takeaways

The Jacksonville Jaguars faced the New Orleans Saints in Week 7 and won. However, it was closer than it should've been. Having built a solid lead, they let the Saints come back and tie the game 24-24 in the fourth quarter.

The Jags eventually scored to make it 31-24 and then stopped the Saints' last-minute comeback attempt. However, it shouldn't have come to that. On the other hand, they won and will remain at the top of the AFC South regardless of what happens Sunday. With that in mind, here are three takeaways from the game.

3. The Jaguars offense started hot, then it cooled down

The Jaguars scored on their first three possessions. Trevor Lawrence looked shart despite the fact that his availability for the game was in question due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 6. He had no trouble finding his playmakers and spreading the ball. Similarly, running back Travis Etienne was gaining yards in chunks and got two touchdowns. Then, the Jags stalled.

Even when you leave aside a couple of turnovers, the Jacksonville offense stalled, punting twice and making a field goal just before the end of the second quarter. It's true that the Jags were 17-6 heading into the second half but that they missed the chance to build an even bigger lead.

Things didn't get much better early in the third quarter. The defense limited New Orleans to a field goal to make it 17-9 but the offense couldn't do much and ended up punting on their first possession. By the start of the fourth quarter, they had run just seven plays.

Trevor Lawrence had a solid outing (20-of-29 for 204 yards with one touchdown) and it's worth recognizing that he's dealing with a knee injury but he wasn't as successful in the second half as he was early in the game. Similarly, Travis Etienne got off to a hot start but wasn't much of a factor.