JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves in a unique position to finish the season strong, despite being without their starting quarterback, Trevor Lawrence. Following a narrow 10-6 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the Jaguars, who currently hold a 3-10 record, will now face an easier segment of their schedule. They will take on three teams that have already been eliminated from playoff contention, beginning with a home game against the struggling New York Jets (also at 3-10) on Sunday. This will be followed by road match against Las Vegas (2-11) and another home contest against the Titans (3-10), concluding with a trip to Indianapolis (6-7) to end the year.
This opportunity represents a pivotal moment for a franchise looking to build momentum for the future, especially with the expectation that most starters will return in 2025. However, this late-season performance may not influence owner Shad Khan’s upcoming decisions regarding the futures of general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson. The current duo has faced criticism for failing to establish a competitive team, as Baalke has struggled to create a strong roster while Pederson has been unable to facilitate Lawrence’s progression effectively. The Jaguars’ recent form is concerning, with losses in 15 of their last 19 games, ten of which were decided by just a single score.
Despite their struggles, the Jaguars celebrated a much-needed victory on Sunday, marking their first win since defeating New England in London earlier in the season. The triumph ended a five-game losing streak on the road and signified their first road victory since November.
“It’s a feeling I had almost forgotten,” said running back Tank Bigsby, who had 55 rushing yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. “Seeing the excitement on the coach’s face and my teammates brought joy. We work hard, and it’s great to see everyone happy.” Jacksonville is expected to show more resilience as they finish the season against opponents who, like them, are not contending for playoff spots.
Center Mitch Morse emphasized the importance of professionalism as they look to capitalize on their schedule. “It’s our responsibility to keep moving forward,” he said. “I believe we’ve managed that well. This is our chance to prove ourselves.”
Defensively, Jacksonville showed marked improvement in their recent performance against Tennessee, restricting them to just 272 total yards and successfully halting three fourth-down attempts, including a crucial one in the final moments of the game. This effort has helped elevate the Jaguars from the last place in total defense to 28th in the league as of Monday.
On the downside, quarterback Mac Jones of New England is under pressure to lessen his turnover rate. In his last three games, he has thrown five interceptions and lost a fumble, even though none of those turnovers resulted in points against the Titans. Consistent mistakes like this are something Jacksonville cannot afford to overlook.
Rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has become a critical asset for the Jaguars lately, logging eight catches for 86 yards in the last outing. The growing reliance on him is evident, especially after two of their leading receivers, Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk, ended up on injured reserve. Thomas has amassed 54 receptions for 851 yards and six touchdowns this season. He is just 15 yards shy of setting the franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie, needing only one more touchdown to surpass the previous rookie record.
In contrast, receivers Devin Duvernay, who recently signed a lucrative two-year deal, has been less productive. He’s averaging a career-low in various stats, and his last game against the Titans was particularly uninspiring, with only three receptions for 8 yards alongside negative yardage in rushing and a lackluster performance on punt returns.
Injury updates revealed that right tackle Anton Harrison missed the latest game due to an illness, but he is anticipated to resume practice soon.
A notable statistic is that Jacksonville currently holds the fifth overall pick in the upcoming draft, with their improved schedule potentially affecting their draft positioning.
As for Trevor Lawrence, he awaits clearance from the league’s concussion protocol that would allow him to proceed with the necessary surgery on his left shoulder, which is not his throwing arm.
