Jaguars report card: Offense, defense get Ds while coaches fail in loss to Denver Broncos
Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette grades the Jaguars’ performance against the Denver Broncos based on execution, effort and game circumstances.
Offense: D
This is arguably the lowest point so far in Trevor Lawrence’s career.
After the Jaguars grabbed an early 10-0 lead, the offense couldn’t take advantage of a great display of running by Travis Etienne (24 carries, 156 yards).
The Jaguars simply couldn’t move the chains much in the second half except during a go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter, which Lawrence jump-started by zipping a 25-yard pass to Christian Kirk.
But there just too many lulls in the middle of the game where the Jaguars failed to extend the lead.
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Lawrence made one of the worst decisions of his career on first-and-goal from the Denver 1 early in the second quarter, forcing a ball in traffic for Marvin Jones at the back of the end zone.
Safety Justin Simmons leaped up seven yards in front of Jones to intercept the pass, costing the Jaguars what should have been an easy seven points for a 14-0 lead.
After veteran QB Russell Wilson led the Broncos on a go-ahead, fourth quarter drive, Lawrence (18 of 31, 133 yards, 2 INT, 52.2 rating) couldn’t answer, getting intercepted on the first play by K’Waun Williams to seal the game.
Defense: D
Once again, this unit — playing without defensive line coach Brentson Buckner , missing the game for personal reasons — failed to make plays when the game was on the line.
After Lawrence led a 47-yard TD drive for a 17-14 Jaguars’ lead with 3:54 remaining, it took Russell Wilson only two minutes to march the Broncos 80 yards for the game-winning score.
Tre Herndon getting beat on the first play for a 47-yard catch by KJ Hamler set things up and Denver navigated the last 33 yards on the ground, including a 10-yard scramble by Wilson to move the chains on third down.
The defense certainly didn’t finish the way it started. After back-to-back weeks of shaky performances, Caldwell’s unit came out and totally shut down the Broncos, not allowing a first down until nearly midway through the second quarter.
A 13-yard pass to Courtland Sutton finally moved the chains and ignited the Broncos’ only first-half score, a 6-yard jet sweep by receiver Jerry Jeudy. It was only the second time all season the Broncos scored 17 points.
The Jaguars allowed a respectable 331 yards and only permitted Denver to convert 2 of 11 third downs, so sounds like a solid game, right? But when the NFL's lowest-scoring team has TD drives of 80, 98 and 75 yards, that's not a defense worthy of high marks.
Special teams: B-plus
The Jaguars’ punt coverage team did a fabulous job all day.
A perfect coffin corner kick by Logan Cooke was downed by Daniel Thomas at the Denver 2, preceding the Broncos’ 98-yard TD drive.
Late in the second quarter, Denver’s Montrell Washington fielded a punt at his own 5 and tried to get outside, but JaMycal Hasty dropped him for just a 4-yard gain.
Gunner Chris Claybrooks dropped returner P.J. Locke immediately at the 7-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.
Cooke also had a booming 63-yard punt, but didn’t get the result he wanted as it hit at the goal line for a touchback.
Hasty showed terrific burst on the day’s best kickoff return to the Jaguars’ 33 for a 29-yard pickup. Claybrooks fielded another kick two yards deep in the end zone, dropped the ball at the 2 as he started to run, then managed to get back to the 24-yard line.
Kirk had a nifty 10-yard punt return into Denver territory that set up the Jaguars’ go-ahead TD drive late in the fourth quarter.
Coaching: F
Doug Pederson took responsibility earlier this week, saying he and the staff had to do a better job of helping the players raise their performance so the Jaguars could start winning some of these close games.
Coming across the Atlantic did nothing to change what’s becoming a tiresome theme of the Jaguars’ season.
When this team absolutely has to make a play in big moments, it just can’t seem to get it done.
While that shortcoming also falls on the players, it’s Pederson’s job to be the leader to show his team how to maximize their talent.
Right now, it’s just not good enough. A franchise-record five consecutive losses by one score is the kind of thing that can diminish morale as the season moves along.
Pederson may have some sleepless nights for choosing to throw the ball on first and goal from the 1, which resulted in another red-zone interception by Lawrence. Power back James Robinson now being with the New York Jets kind of hurt there.
Now Pederson faces the most difficult part of his work: keeping this snake-bitten team from not letting the season totally slip away.
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. Denver Broncos in London
