The Jacksonville Jaguars picked up their first win of the season over the Miami Dolphins. It was Urban Meyer's first win as a head coach in the NFL after starting the season 0-5. Trevor Lawrence played well and more parts of the Jaguars team looked good.
The Dolphins led at halftime, but Meyer and the Jaguars' halftime adjustments guided them to victory. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made his return and was inconsistent throughout the game, throwing an interception. The Jaguars' first win could help them get into a rhythm moving forward.
With that said, here are three Jaguars' takeaways from Urban Meyer's first win in thriller over the Dolphins.
3. The Jaguars aren't the worst team
Heading into this game, the Jaguars had been arguably the worst team in the NFL. While it took the Jaguars time to get going, it looks like they are ready to compete in every game. They aren't going to turn into a playoff contender, but the Jaguars could win more games moving forward.
Meyer's halftime adjustments were great and will be key heading further in the season. Look for the Jaguars to still be near the bottom of the league but compete in more games.
2. James Robinson is the key to the offense
Over the last few weeks running back James Robinson has picked up his game. This has helped the Jags' offense flow more and allow Lawrence to make better decisions. In the first two weeks, Robinson only had 16 carries for 72 yards and no touchdowns. Since then, Robinson has had 15 plus carries in every game for a total of 388 yards and five touchdowns (ESPN Stats).
Robinson's ability to get yards after contact has helped the Jaguars always have positive rushing plays. Defenses have to stack the box against Robinson, which opens up the play action game for Lawrence. If the Jags want to have a good offense, it all starts with Robinson.
1. Trevor Lawrence is improving
The consensus number one pick Trevor Lawrence struggled to start his career in the NFL. Although the box score may not show it, Lawrence's execution against the Dolphins was excellent. Urban Meyer had to like that. Lawrence threw for 319 yards, one touchdown, and most importantly, zero interceptions.
In total this season, Lawrence has thrown for 1,465 yards, seven touchdowns, and eight interceptions (ESPN Stats). Having a game today where Lawrence didn't throw an interception shows he is not forcing the ball in tight windows.
The Jags' offense in the first half did not play well, but the halftime adjustments set them up for success. They started the second half by putting an emphasis on the run game to Robinson. This allowed Lawrence to get in a rhythm through play action passes downfield.
Look for Lawrence to continue improving as we head forward in the season.
Jaguars fans finally got to celebrate a win for the first time since week one last season. They aren't ready to compete for a playoff spot, but the Jags and Urban Meyer have a lot of positives to take away from this game. The defense improved in the second half and got enough stops for the offense to win the game.
Robinson's second half performance on the ground gave the Jags' offense all the momentum they needed. The Jaguars need to keep feeding him the ball going forward, especially to help Lawrence in his rookie campaign.
Look for the Jags to pick up a few more wins this season and build up the young core.
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