Winners and Losers From Jacksonville's Comeback Victory in Oakland
The Jacksonville Jaguars (5-9) won't be playing in any postseason games in 2019, but they at least got a bad taste out of their mouth during Week 15's 20-16 win over the Oakland Raiders.
After five-straight losses by 17 or more points, Jacksonville's morale was at rock bottom. The locker room was somber and as quiet as a Monday morning church following a Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Simply put, they needed a win bad not to salvage the season but for their own dignity.
Thanks a 17-point comeback victory on the road, and the team's first west coast win since 2005, Jacksonville got the feeling of victory that had eluded them for so long this season. Which Jaguars helped make the big win happen? We examine below.
Winner: Gardner Minshew II
Rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II had a pretty bad first half, throwing 3-for-10 for 69 yards and no touchdowns. This was in part because of the gameplan Jacksonville came into the game with, often throwing the ball downfield despite the absence of downfield monster DJ Chark. This didn't work and Jacksonville turned to a different passing plan in the second half, instead asking Minshew to get the ball out of his hands quickly.
Minshew was fantastic in the second half, completing 14-of-19 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He had ice in his veins on the game-winning drive, completing all but one pass and rushing for a first down. He could have collapsed after a terrible first half, but he came back in the second half firing and marched the offense down the field for a much-needed victory.
Winner: Doug Marrone
When Jacksonville went into the locker room at halftime facing a 16-3 deficit, they could have mailed the second half in and simply let another blowout take its course. With head coach Doug Marrone likely fired in a few weeks, it wouldn't have been shocking to see Jacksonville not go all out under their coach's leadership in an adversity-filled game.
But instead of quitting, Marrone's team once again showed the second half resilience that helped get them to a 4-4 record earlier in the season. This season has gone off the rails for Jacksonville for a number of reasons, but the players are still playing hard under Marrone. He likely isn't going to be in Jacksonville much longer, but his legacy will not be one of a coach abandoned by his team.
Loser: Brandon Linder
Marrone said last Friday before the game that he thought sixth-year center Brandon Linder was actually playing better in recent weeks despite the losing streak. This development took a step back with a poor game vs. the Raiders, however. Linder was hit for two big penalties and also lost quite a few battles on the interior, leading to Leonard Fournette having little room to run. Linder is a solid center but he will have the occasional stinker of a game. This was one of them.
Winner: Yannick Ngakoue
For someone in a contract year who wants to get paid, fourth-year defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has done as much as he possibly can to prove he is worth a big extension. He turned in his best performance of the season on Sunday, totaling to sacks, four tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a pass deflection. Ngakoue now has eight sacks on the season and has come dangerously close to notching several others. Against Oakland, Ngakoue was often the most dominant player on the field, giving Oakland's impressive offensive line fits all day long vs. the run and the pass.
Loser: Austin Calitro
It isn't Austin Calitro's fault that he is basically forced into a starting role due to injuries to Jake Ryan, Quincy Williams, and Najee Goode. But Calitro showed Sunday why he is primarily a special teams player and a reserve linebacker, struggling mightily vs. both the pass and the run. Calitro struggled to make plays in space and was a liability in coverage, often being targeted by Derek Carr on key downs. In a perfect world, Calitro isn't being asked to do more than he can handle, but this wasn't the case Sunday.
Winner: Chris Conley
We have criticized Chris Conley often this season, but he came up big in the clutch on Sunday. He caught each of Minshew's touchdowns, first a six-yard score with 5:40 left and then a four-yard touchdown in tight coverage with 0:34 left for the game-winning score. Conley has had drop issues this year but his hands were rock solid at the point Jacksonville needed them to be the most.
