Buccaneers 30, Jaguars 12: 5 Observations on Blowout In-State Loss
The Jacksonville Jaguars are free-falling, and it doesn't look like it is changing anytime soon.
The Jaguars were dominated from the first snap on Sunday, losing 30-12 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game that was 20-0 at halftime and 30-0 at some point in the second half.
"I would say yeah. I mean, four-game skid, crisis. You know, our goals are still in front of us. Nothing has changed there. But somewhere we have to stop this dam from busting wide open," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game.
So, what all did we see in the loss? We break it down below.
Jacksonville's offense has become the most one-dimensional offense in franchise history
The entire Jaguars' identity as a franchise has been thrown off track the last two years, at least on offense. A lack of a franchise quarterback for the first quarter-century of the franchise's history is a big reason the team's DNA became synced with running the ball, but that has simply always been the Jaguars have been, even in the worst of days. But the Jaguars are maybe the worst rushing attack in the NFL in 2023, something that was amplified vs. a good Buccaneers run defense.
It didn't help that the Jaguars quickly went into a double-digit hole, but the Jaguars had -7 rushing yards at halftime. In the final minutes of the game, the Jaguars' running backs combined for seven carries and 14 yards. The Jaguars not only can't run the ball, but they don't even want to show that they can't run it. Add that up, and the Jaguars' running game has come a mess of historical proportions
This was the worst game of the Doug Pederson era ... again
It feels like this has been said a few times this year. Week 3 against the Houston Texans is up there considering the offense, defense and special teams were all awful. The San Francisco loss was brutal in terms of how effortlessly the 49ers outplayed them, but the 49ers are elite. Last year's Lions loss has to be up there too, and I would personally put this year's loss to the Cleveland Browns up there as well considering the game was only close because of garbage time.
Today's loss, though, was worse. It came against the worst team of all of those teams, for starters. It also came with the most on the line, with the Jaguars needing a win in the worst way to separate themselves in the AFC South. Instead, the Jaguars' defense got absolutely torn to shreds for the third time in the last four weeks, Trevor Lawrence looked like a shell of his usual self, Brandon McManus missed another kick, and simply nothing went right. Considering the context of the opponent and just how the loss happened, it feels fair to call it the worst loss of the Pederson era -- again.
Trevor Lawrence's turnovers have reached a boiling point
The best chance the Jaguars have week in and week out normally rests on Trevor Lawrence's right arm. But considering how much the Jaguars rely on Lawrence to raise the floor and the ceiling of the offense each week, it is fair to say the offense is genuinely unplayable when Lawrence is off. And boy, has he been off.
Over the last three games, Lawrence has eight turnovers himself: three picks vs. the Browns, two fumbles vs. the Ravens, and then his multi-pick and fumble effort vs. the Buccaneers over the first 2.5 quarters of the game. When Lawrence is that careless with the ball, the Jaguars simply have no chance. For the Jaguars to get out of this funk, they need Lawrence to wake up and stop hurting the team.
Even if the Jaguars make the playoffs, who are they scaring?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are obviously still playing for the playoffs and an AFC South title. That is the goal for every team. Get in the dance, and you normally have a shot. I am not so sure you can say that for this Jaguars team, though. Over the last month -- and really in most weeks since their bye week -- the Jaguars have looked like the least intimidating team in the AFC playoff picture.
The Cleveland Browns? Already beat the Jaguars. The Cincinnati Bengals? They already beat them, too. The Buffalo Bills? They are playing significant.y better football than the Jaguars are right now.
This time last year, the Jaguars were the team that nobody wanted to play in January. This time around, though, the Jaguars are the team that everybody wants to play. No other team in the AFC playoff picture is floundering quite as badly as the Jaguars are right now.
The Jaguars got much-needed help this week, at least
Quite literally the only good thing to happen to the Jaguars this week is that they finally got some help from the rest of the NFL. The Jaguars saw the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts both close in on them at the top of the AFC South after improbable wins last week, but this week they got some assistance from the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons.
Now, this doesn't mean much if the Jaguars can't figure out a way to win a game and end this losing streak, but it does at least show that the Jaguars aren't out of it, yet. They, somehow, are still leading in the AFC South. In the grand scheme of things it might not matter much, but the Colts and Texans losing on Sunday was the only real win the Jaguars have gotten this month.
