Jaguars vs. Panthers: Halftime Thoughts
The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering halftime with a 9-0 lead over the Carolina Panthers.
So, what did we see in the first half? We break it down below.
Josh Allen's sack record was earned in every way
It is tough to say that Josh Allen wouldn't break Calais Campbell's sack record over the next two weeks, but Carolina made it easy for him. Few offenses allow their quarterbacks to get harassed more than Carolina's, and the Jaguars' four sacks in the first half made it clear that they smelled blood in the water. Even with a lackluster Jaguars' pass-rush, the Panthers couldn't keep them blocked.
With the Panthers having to throw their way out of this deficit, it was hard to bet against Josh Allen finally breaking through and grabbing hold of the sack record. Allen has had a special season, and breaking the record in front of a home crowd at the end of the first-half was a well-earned and much-deserved cherry on top.
Evan Engram deserves his flowers
Kudos to Evan Engram. He has arguably had the two best seasons ever by a Jaguars tight end in back-to-back seasons, with his second catch of the day giving him 100 catches for the year. His 101st catch then gained 22 yards and helped put the Jaguars in position to make a chip-shot field goal and take a 6-0 lead over a struggling Panthers team.
Engram's usage has meant that his high catch total does not always match his impact, but the fact that he can now join the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark, Jason Witten, Zach Ertz, Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and Mark Andrews can't go understated. For an inconsistent squad in 2023, Engram has been one of the rare models of consistency.
The Jaguars — finally — stay committed to the running game
There were only five games this season where the Jaguars attempted nine or more carries in the first quarter: Week 3 vs. the Texans, Week 4 vs. the Falcons, Week 5 vs. the Bills, Week 8 vs. the Steelers, and today vs. the Panthers. And considering the Jaguars only handed it off a whole seven times in last week's game, it was important to see the Jaguars lean on the running game to open the game.
Ultimately the Jaguars ran it 12 times for 28 yards. Not much, but at least they tried. There were no truly explosive gains, but Travis Etienne did find a little breathing room here and there, while rookie running back Tank Bigsby had two nice carries after weeks of being an afterthought. The Jaguars haven't stuck with the running game all year, but they have so far today.
