The Jacksonville Jaguars snapped a five-game losing slump as they rallied to beat the Las Vegas Raiders, 27-20, at home in Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season. At 3-6, the Jaguars are now in solo third place in the AFC South. Here we will look at Trevor Lawrence and three other Jacksonville Jaguars heroes most responsible for their Week 9 win vs. the Raiders.
The Jaguars staged one of the largest comebacks in team history on Sunday, rallying from a 17-0 hole to pull the rug from under the Raiders.
It was a very welcome turn of events for a squad that had previously raced out to early leads before squandering them late in games. In fact, the Jaguars have six one-point losses this season. It was great to turn the tables on their foes, if at least for one game, and in front of their own home fans as well.
Of course, Jacksonville faithful hope that this wouldn't be a one-off. They hope this will be a watershed moment for the squad, as they overcame a poor start and controlled the second half behind a virtually flawless performance from second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Things won't be easy in their next assignment, though, as the Jaguars will face the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.
Let us look at Trevor Lawrence and three other Jacksonville Jaguars heroes most responsible for their Week 9 win vs. the Raiders.
4. WR Christian Kirk
Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk had a solid outing. He recorded eight catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
He also scored in the third quarter on a seven-yard throw from Lawrence as part of their comeback. It was a very good outing for Jacksonville's skill players as Kirk and Travis Etienne, Jr. both had productive performances. We'll talk more about Etienne later.
This was the second time in three games that Kirk recorded more than 75 receiving yards, and that bodes well for him and the squad. He'll certainly need to be just as potent when they face the Chiefs next.
3. DE Dawuane Smoot
Jaguars defensive end Dawuane Smoot had two sacks in this game. That broke a tie with LB Josh Allen and allowed Smoot to take over the team lead with five for the season. He was also the anchor of a Jacksonville defense that defied expectations and stood stout in the second half of this game.
“We had to finish and that's what we did,” Smoot said post-game. “We had to get over that hump and we definitely did that today. We did whatever we had to do to get that done.”
Smoot said the Jaguars came in with a solid game plan to stop Raiders RB Josh Jacob on the ground (he had 67 yards on 17 carries) and get after Las Vegas QB Derek Carr. Take note that Carr is likely the least-mobile quarterback the Jaguars have faced this season aside from the Colts' Matt Ryan. The Jaguars also assigned cornerback Tyson Campbell to stay as close to Davante Adams as possible.
And while Adams torched Campbell for the first touchdown, the defense still won the day for Jacksonville.
Second-largest comeback in franchise history.#LVvsJAX | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/Mj0PE97Nvy
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 7, 2022
2. RB Travis Etienne Jr.
Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne Jr. became the Jags' first 100-yard rusher this season. He carried the ball 28 times for 109 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and two TDs.
He also laced that stat line with two 17-yard receptions. Etienne was definitely firing on all cylinders in this one, and he's still the No. 1 option out of the backfield. He has now scored at least once in each of his last three games.
Having said that, he will be challenged in Week 10 against a Chiefs unit that has improved against the run in recent weeks. The Jags will need to be creative in how they utilize Etienne if they want another rousing win in Week 10.
1. QB Trevor Lawrence
Star quarterback Trevor Lawrence continues to progress, both in terms of passing and running, as seen by his performance on Sunday.
Lawrence ran for a career-high 53 yards on six carries. That broke his previous total of 39 yards rushing in a defeat to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11 of the 2021 season. He also completed 80.8 percent of his passes for 235 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.
After some difficulties and lapses in October, Lawrence is off to a good start in November. In fact, he already has more air yards, a higher completion rate, more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, and more running touchdowns than he did in 2021.
If you're a Jaguars fan, you love seeing that form your second-year quarterback, and you surely hope to see more in the coming weeks.
Follow Us
Subscribe