Last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars finished 10-6, their season ending in the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots. That season, as a whole, came as a surprise to many. Most thought they could be in the mix for AFC South, but not many predicted them winning the division. Continuing their unexpected season, the third-seeded Jags would upset the second seed Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round at Heinz Field.
All through the 2017-18 season, the Jags would be led by the top defense and rushing offense in the league, as well as efficient play from QB Blake Bortles. Fast-forwarding to the 2018-19 season, the hype was real surrounding Jacksonville. The self and media proclaimed “best defense in the league” was projected by many to make it all the way to the Super Bowl. However, at 3-7 (last in the AFC South), the Jaguars are quickly reaching their downfall.
A Good Start
Jacksonville opened up the season against the Giants in a convincing 20-15 win. Week 2 would be even more convincing with a 31-20 win over the defending AFC Champions, New England Patriots. The Jaguars would dismantle Tom Brady and the Pats at home, even without the services of RB Leonard Fournette. QB Blake Bortles was flying high with a career-high 376 passing yards and four touchdowns. Keenan Cole even stepped it up with 116 yards and a touchdown. After this game, most people were feeling good about their preseason AFC champion pick in the Jacksonville Jaguars. But, following this game, came the fall and demise for this team.
Quarterback Play
Following the good start by the Jacksonville Jaguars, everything started to crumble. The Jags are 1-8 in their last nine games. Their only win came against the below average New York Jets. In those eight losses, QB Blake Bortles has eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. In terms of all games this season, Bortles has a 49.0 quarterback rating which is 25th in the league. QB play was just the beginning of the fall for this team, as Bortles was 12th in the league last season in total QBR.
All good teams have good quarterbacks, and Blake Bortles isn’t playing up to that level. A $54 million extension for the QB has seemed to imply that the Jags were confident with the man behind center. After the way the team has been performing, however, and with the trade deadline passed, Cody Kessler may even be a better option. Blake Bortles can’t get all the blame for the Jags’ unsuccessful season though.
The Run Game
On the offensive side of the ball, passing isn’t the only thing that’s been unsuccessful. Running the ball plays a huge role as well. So far this season the Jags rank 16th in the league in rushing yards at 114.2 per game. Injuries obviously have a lot to do with this disappointing number. Leonard Fournette went down with a hamstring injury in Week 1 against the New York Giants. He’d return in Week 4 vs the Jets only to put up lackluster numbers. Fournette put up 30, 53, and 95 yards against the Jets, Colts, and Steelers respectively. His last game against the Bills proved to be a better performance with 95 yards off 18 carries.
With the star running back only playing five games this season, it hasn’t benefited the Jags at all. But, it should be “next man up,” right? Well, that hasn’t really been the case. In the six games played without Fournette, TJ Yeldon and Carlos Hyde have been expected to carry the load in the run game. Yeldon is only averaging 38.5 rushing yards per game in games played without Fournette.
Of the six games, he started in four of them. Jacksonville has shown to put Yeldon as their RB1 when Fournette isn’t available. His play, without a doubt, has been a factor in the Jags’ inability to win as of late. If Jacksonville wants to contend for a Wild Card spot, they need to get production out of their run game, and that includes Fournette.
Off-Field Drama
The off-field drama for Jacksonville has mostly come from defensive players. On November 18, 2018, it was reported that the Jags are considering trading CB Jalen Ramsey in the offseason. There’s not much to say about this report, mainly because of the fact the Jaguars have denied it. Despite the denial, this may be the start of the complete down fall. If the Jaguars can actually consider moving arguably the NFL’s best cornerback, this could result in a full collapse of the franchise. However, this isn’t the only piece of drama Ramsey has been a part of.
Jalen Ramsey is known for having a big mouth and isn’t afraid to critique many of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. Those he talked badly about included Dak Prescott, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, QB Josh Allen. The flip side to all this trash talk is the fact that Jalen Ramsey and the Jags are 0-4 against all of those guys this season. There have been no reports of Ramsey being a locker room disturbance. but is Ramsey’s mouth getting a little bit too much? He may be able to hold his own on the field, but football is a team sport.
Solutions?
With the trade deadline passed, it seems like the best thing for Jacksonville to do now, is to try Cody Kessler at Quarterback. Blake Bortles has been playing like a below average quarterback. In terms of the run game, with Leonard Fournette suspended against the Colts, TJ Yeldon and Carlos Hyde have to step up. The defense seems to have their shape, but Jalen Ramsey may need to lay off the big talk and start putting up some wins. Four out of the Jags’ final five games come against the Colts, Titans, Redskins, and Texans who are all looking to make a playoff push. The question that remains for the Jaguars’ is whether or not they can ruin the plans for one of these teams.
With eight losses on the year, winning out doesn’t even guarantee a playoff spot in a highly competitive AFC. What about beyond this season? We’ll just have to wait and find out. Care to debate any of the claims I’ve made regarding Jacksonville? Social Media below.