The 2022 campaign for the Jacksonville Jaguars is done and dusted. This was after the Jaguars lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in the AFC Divisional Round, 27-20. Here we'll discuss the four Jaguars most to blame for their NFL Divisional Round loss vs. the Jaguars.
The Jaguars' unexpected transformation from being the worst team in the NFL to being one of the last eight remaining teams in the playoffs ended with a disappointing defeat. Recall that an earlier matchup in Week 10 saw the Chiefs book a 27-17 win over the Jaguars. The rematch, however, was much different. Unlike the November game or their Wild Card Weekend game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Jaguars did not fall behind by three scores early on in this one.
This game, in fact, was largely competitive. It's just that the Jaguars failed to make the most of the opportunities that came their way. Throughout the first three quarters, the Jaguars' offense cost themselves points or chances to extend their drive on at least three occasions. Despite scoring in all four quarters, the Jaguars lost the time of possession and turnover battles against Kansas City. That ultimately led to their defeat.
A penalty for tripping early in the second quarter, a missed pass by Christian Kirk that could have resulted in a Jaguars touchdown later in the second quarter, and two fourth-quarter turnovers were key factors in the game. Although perfection is not required to beat the Chiefs, one should play as close as possible to it. Penalties and turnovers just proved fatal for the Jaguars. As such, Kansas City advanced to the AFC Championship and the Jaguars return to the drawing board in the offseason.
For now, let us look at the four Jaguars most to blame for their NFL Divisional Round loss vs. the Jaguars.
4. Kirk & Hasty drops
During the second quarter, Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence threw a deep pass to WR Christian Kirk that was on target for a 50-yard gain. Sadly, Kirk was unable to hold on to the ball and dropped it. This caused the Jaguars to settle for just a 41-yard field goal by Riley Patterson.
Later in the second quarter, on third-and-19 from the Kansas City 39-yard line, Lawrence attempted another pass. This time his target was backup RB JaMycal Hasty. Again, the pass was dropped. This time around, the Jaguars could not get any points on the board. Instead, they were forced to punt the ball back to the Chiefs.
These were just a couple of the opportunities that the Jaguars failed to maximize. In the end, these proved to be the difference between getting eliminated and possibly making it to the AFC title game.
3. Jaguars Defense
Mike Caldwell's defense performed well in a difficult setting. It even held the Chiefs to 51 yards below their average. The Jaguars also made enough key stops to give themselves a chance to win. However, they did allow a crucial 98-yard drive in the second quarter when backup QB Chad Henne had to replace an injured Patrick Mahomes. This drive ultimately led to a touchdown and proved to be a turning point in the game.
Keep in mind as well that despite three takeaways in their previous game against the Chiefs, the defense did not force any punts this time. The lack of pressure on an injured Mahomes also contributed to the defeat. The Jaguars failed to sack him even once. In the fourth quarter, the defense was also unable to prevent Mahomes from leading a 75-yard drive that ended in a touchdown and a 10-point lead for the Chiefs.
Despite a less-than-stellar performance, the Chiefs still survived. This was largely because the Jaguars could not really force them into a ton of mistakes and turnovers.
2. WR Jamal Agnew
In the fourth quarter, the Jaguars, behind by 10 points, marched well into Chiefs territory and were just inches away from scoring to reduce the margin to three. However, a short pass to Jamal Agnew was fumbled to Kansas City. That virtually ended the Jaguars' season.
Fumbled inside the 5! @Chiefs ball!
📺: #JAXvsKC on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3PQhoYeSUP pic.twitter.com/PyL7GkMPTi— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2023
ESPN's Gamecast even reported that the Jaguars' odds of winning the game decreased significantly after this turnover. It went from 16.9 percent to just 3.4 percent, as a result of that fumble.
In spite of this mistake, though, Agnew remains an interesting player for Jacksonville. Remember that he had a strong regular season. He had 86 yards rushing, 187 yards receiving, and three touchdown receptions. He also had an impressive average of 26 yards per kick return and 8.2 yards per punt return.
1. QB Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence and his teammates will need some time to recover from the missed opportunities they had in this what-could-have-been matchup.
Lawrence did have a solid performance. He completed 24-of-39 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown, and a 74.4 rating. He was able to make a few big plays, but not enough to defeat the Chiefs in the playoffs at Arrowhead. Although Lawrence led some long scoring drives, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk in the first quarter, the offense ultimately made too many mistakes. They were just not efficient enough to win the game.
Of course, Lawrence's biggest error came with under four minutes left in the game. That was when he was intercepted by Jaylen Watson. Despite the disappointment of the loss, Lawrence can still take pride in putting up a successful second season. He should be among the strongest QBs again next season.
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