JAGS JOURNAL: A Win is a Win

The Jacksonville Jaguars took “home” their first win against the Colts in London.

Getting a win on the board is a welcomed sight for all fans. However, one consequence of the win is likely weighing on many fans: the entire coaching staff is now safe, at least for another week. Technically, it’ll be two weeks as the team enters its bye week.

Granted, the coaching definitely wasn’t what won this game. Poor playcalling and clock management toward the end of the game could’ve resulted in disaster, but the defense held tight and the Colts failed to capitalize. For a second year in a row, the team allowed a second-half comeback and narrowly pulled out a victory.

All that being said, a win is a win.

Plenty went right in this game as well. Aside from a particularly costly coverage error in the fourth quarter, rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey continued to look impressive. Fellow defensive rookie Yannick Ngakoue had a standout game, recording a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception. Myles Jack had three solo tackles in his first NFL start.

Blake Bortles looked tentative early on, but soon found his rhythm with a strong passing game to compliment one of his best games running the ball. Bortles completed 19 of 33 passes for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns. Most critically, Bortles didn’t turn the ball over.

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It was frustrating to see the passing game continue to revolve around mostly short passes or screen plays, but at least it finally worked in the Jags’ favor. Allen Hurns was able to use one such play to break loose in traffic for a touchdown, and Bortles connected with Robinson in the end zone on another short pass play.

The running game finally had a breakthrough against the Colts. T.J. Yeldon ran for 71 yards, and Bortles added 36 yards and a rushing touchdown.

The issues with the Jaguars still remain. The coaching decisions are still problematic, and the team still seems to play too tentatively in late-game situations. Still, a win could help to pump some life into a team that’s been feeling the pressure of their expectations, and maybe it’s exactly what they need to get on track. Only time will tell, and the coming bye week will give everyone plenty of time to continue to refocus.

Stray observations

• Luke Joeckel went down with an injury early on in the game, continuing the early season trend of the offensive line getting beaten up. The injury apparently doesn’t look good, meaning the Jags will have to plan for the event of a lengthy absence. If the injury is serious, this may have been Joeckel’s last game with the Jaguars given his contract status.
• Yeldon was great this week – in addition to 71 rushing yards, he pulled in four receptions for 46 yards.
• The team didn’t do a great job of handling the Colts’ sudden surge of offense toward the end of the game. That being said, the defense did step up to stop several attempts at a final drive from the Colts.

Next game: @ Chicago, Oct. 16.