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.
Travis Etienne Jr.: first player in @Jaguars franchise history with 2+ rushing TD in 3 straight games. pic.twitter.com/PgyG6BMlYg
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 20, 2023
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.
2. The Jaguars defense didn't create as many turnovers, kept the Saints in check
The Jacksonville defense got the spotlight heading into the game for their ability to create takeaways. After Week 6, they led the league with 15, and three Jaguars had three interceptions (Darious Williams, Andre Cisco, and Rayshawn Jenkins). The group wasn't able to force as many turnovers on Thursday as they did in previous weeks but linebacker Foyesade Oluokun came up with a huge pick-six that gave the Jags a 24-9 lead at one point. On top of that, they managed to keep the Saints' offense away from the end zone until the fourth quarter.
The Jags make Saints quarterback Derek Carr uncomfortable. The pass rush didn't get to Carr often (one sack) but they did force him to get rid of the ball faster than he would've probably liked. It didn't help that the Saints were without starting linemen James Hurst and Ryan Ramczyk but there's a good chance Carr would've still struggled.
In the same manner, they did a good job of slowing down Alvin Kamara and the running game. Jamaal Williams returned after missing a few games with a hamstring injury but he too was a non-factor. The duo had a combined 80 yards between the two.
One thing to keep an eye on following the game is Andre Cisco's health. The third-year safety went down with an injury in the third quarter. He left the field on his own, which is encouraging, but hopefully won't be anything serious. Working in his favor is that the Jags are going to have a long weekend, so he'll have ample time to rest if it's not a big deal.
In the end, the Jaguars defense had another good performance and once again assisted the offense with an interception return to the touchdowns. While it's good to see Mike Caldwell's unit step up it's fair to wonder if that kind of defensive success is sustainable.
1. The Jaguars have shown they can build leads cut cannot put teams away
A win is a win, regardless of how pretty or ugly it is. The Jags have won five games, three in a row, and nobody will take that away from them. Having said that, it's a bit concerning that they let teams hang around. The offense will build an early lead and the defense will keep opponents in check but the outcome of the game was still in question late in the fourth quarter. Good teams don't do that.
Not finishing teams off has worked against the New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons, and even the jetlagged Buffalo Bills. But it's hard to see that approach working against the San Francisco 49ers or in the playoffs for that matter. By the start of the fourth quarter, Jacskonville had run just seven plays. That simply won't cut it against better opponents.
The silver lining is that it's still somewhat early in the season for the Jaguars to fix this issue. Moreover, they're currently better than they were at the same point last year, so you could say that they have improved. After Week 7 in 2022, Jacksonville was 2-5. Then again, not much was expected from the Jags last year.
The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars have shown they can win games this season. They next need to learn to dispose of teams once they've built a lead. If they do, they will then join the conversation as one of the top teams in the NFL. This weekend though, they should enjoy their fifth win of the year and the extra rest that comes with playing on Thursday Night Football.