Jaguars report card: F-F-ailures on both sides of the ball costly in 29-21 loss to Eagles

Sports columnist Gene Frenette grades the Jaguars’ performance against the Philadelphia Eagles based on execution, effort and game circumstances.

Offense: F

Just when Trevor Lawrence’s game appeared to be taking off, it hit a major pot hole.

His four lost fumbles and interception added up to a career-worst five turnovers.

Those giveaways almost completely shut down the offense for three quarters as the Jaguars squandered an early 14-0 lead.

Over the next six possessions, and until the Jaguars scored on Jamal Agnew’s second TD in the fourth quarter, the offense accumulated just 85 yards over 41 minutes, 30 seconds.

More from the Jaguars' loss to the Eagles:

• What we learned: Four takeaways from Jacksonville Jaguars' sloppy, 29-21 loss to Philadelphia Eagles

• Game rewind: Turnovers spoil Doug Pederson's Philadelphia return, Jaguars lose to Eagles

• Quarter to forget: Eagles overpower Jaguars defense with another big second quarter in 29-21 victory

• Trevor Tracker 2022: How do Trevor Lawrence's first four starts compare to 2021? Here's how

The best the Jaguars looked was on their first touchdown drive when back-to-back explosive plays by TE Dan Arnold and Agnew set up Lawrence’s 4-yard scoring pass to Agnew.

Otherwise, with a chance to hold on to the AFC South lead and maybe establish themselves as a division favorite, the Jaguars blew a golden opportunity to knock off the NFL’s only unbeaten team.

Lawrence picked a bad time to have an awful day. Prior to his first fumble, he also overthrew an open Agnew at the Eagles’ 5 on a deep ball that could have made it a 21-point margin.

Only 219 total yards and five turnovers won't win many games.

Defense: D

They couldn’t have asked for a better start as on Eagles’ first possession, CB Darious Williams got his hand on a ball in traffic and it deflected up into the waiting arms of safety Andre Cisco.

He cruised 59 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. But once the momentum flipped off Lawrence’s fumbles, the Eagles got their ground game in gear with 17 carries for 95 yards in the second quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points to end the half.

It’s usually a formula for winning when the defense gets a touchdown, but Mike Caldwell’s unit couldn’t stop the Eagles from getting meaningful rushing yards as they racked up 210 total. Most distressing was allowing a pair of 10-yard rushing TDs by Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell where they found the end zone with relative ease.

Sanders getting 7 yards on a simple run up the middle on third-and-5 with three minutes left — erasing valuable time and forcing the Jaguars to burn their last two timeouts — was another killer.

Losing interior lineman Foley Fatukasi (groin) in the second quarter hurt the cause, but the damage was already in motion. Cisco's pick-6 keeps this from a failing grade.

Special teams: B

On a tough punting day in wet conditions, the Jaguars had fourth down on their own 16 when Logan Cooke flipped the field in the third quarter with a 61-yard punt into the wind.

Considering the ball bounced five yards backwards, it was one of his best punts in a career filled with many good ones.

His three punts for a net average of 52.7 yards in difficult weather was 18 yards better than Eagles’ punter Arryn Siposs had on his three tries.

Agnew had three kick return opportunities, the longest one being for 27 yards.

The only situation for placekicker Riley Patterson to attempt a field goal was on fourth-and-3 from the Philly 34 in the second quarter, but the Jaguars opted to go for it, which resulted in Lawrence’s first strip-sack fumble. Patterson had only one touchback on four kickoffs.

Coaching: C-minus

It looks bad to blow a 14-point lead, but this loss was more on Trevor Lawrence not taking better care of the football.

Albeit the run defense was shoddy in the last three quarters, this setback wasn’t as much a direct result of coaching blunders as players not doing their job.

Receivers struggled to hang on to a wet ball, the defensive front got worked too often at the line of scrimmage by the Eagles’ offensive line, which had two starters leave due to injury.

The Jaguars ran only 46 plays because of all the turnovers as Philadelphia just about doubled them in time of possession.

It was commendable the Jaguars, despite all the momentum with the Eagles, gave themselves a chance at the end to maybe force overtime.

Just an all-around miserable day, but coaching wasn’t the biggest culprit.

Gene Frenette Sports columnist at Florida Times-Union, follow him on Twitter @genefrenette

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Grading the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles