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The Jacksonville Jaguars are once again doing some soul-searching. The team lost their season opener to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, 20-17. It was a disappointing defeat for many reasons, but mostly because the Jaguars desperately wanted to set the right tone for their 2024 season, after a frustrating end to 2023.
To finish the 2023 campaign, the Jags completely stumbled. The team lost five of their last six games, to miss the playoffs and finish 9-8 on the year. A team that looked destined to win the AFC South and make a postseason push crumbled. It didn't help that quarterback Trevor Lawrence was playing hurt. But now, the Jaguars are still losing and there are no excuses for it.
The Jaguars are most to blame for losing their Week 1 game to Miami, and here are some reasons why.
The Jaguars defense was just bad….again
Jacksonville is just not doing a good job at stopping people. Against Miami, the Jaguars allowed a whopping 400 yards of offense. The Jaguars secondary particularly looked bad. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 338 yards, and a touchdown. On more than one occasion, a Jaguars defender was out of position and the team got burned because of it.
It hurt even more for the Jaguars because the team jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the game. At another point, the squad led 17-7. The team looked like they would be able to pick up a victory. Instead, the defense wasn't able to protect the team's lead in the contest.
The Dolphins game was yet another example of something that's been bothering this team for awhile. The Jags gave up more than 30 points in three of their final six games of 2023. The team knew coming into this season, the defense would have to play much better. Although the Dolphins scored just 20 points, the Jaguars pass defense looked awful. The team must play much better moving forward in the secondary for the team to reach the playoffs.
The Jaguars passing game looked lackluster
One question going into the 2024 season for the Jags was how well this wide receiver unit would do with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback. The Jags parted ways with some of their wideouts this past offseason, including Zay Jones. As a result, the team brought in some new faces, including first round 2024 NFL draft pick Brian Thomas from LSU.
After one game, it doesn't look like this pass game is clicking. Lawrence threw for just 162 yards in the Dolphins game. The team also struggled to complete third down conversions, going just 2-for-10 in that category in Week 1.
Thomas was a highlight. The rookie wide receiver finished the contest with four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown.
“He played great,” Lawrence said of Thomas, per NFL.com.
That is true, Thomas did. But Lawrence must do much better. Jacksonville failed to score at all in the second half, and that certainly doesn't help their struggling defense. The Jaguars only had one second half drive that found them moving the chains consistently. That march to the goal line ended in frustration, as running back Travis Etienne fumbled the ball into the end zone.
“It seemed like we couldn't get any rhythm going the second half besides on that drive,” Lawrence added. “We had plenty of opportunities after that and we couldn't get anything going. There are plays all over the place that we've got to make.”
Lawrence is right, and there's even more pressure on the quarterback to win after he signed a massive contract extension this offseason. The Jaguars agreed to pay $275 million to the gunslinger to keep him in north Florida through 2030. Lawrence simply has to play a whole lot better than what he showed in the second half of the Dolphins game.
Jacksonville has its next chance to turn the tide on Sunday. The Jaguars are in action in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns at home. The game feels like a must-win for the team to gain some momentum going forward.
