Fallen Patriots wave white flag in mauling by hungry Jaguars
Hoh the mighty have fallen. The New England Patriots, a name that once struck fear in the core of the opposition, can only strike now as their razor-thin defense allowed the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars to pull off a stunning 32-16 win full of scorching runs from the impressive stand- in. running back Tank Bigsby. He can now definitely move up the depth chart after punishing the Patriots with two touchdowns and 118 yards on the ground.
Stunning not because of how brilliantly quarterback Trevor Lawrence performed, even though the former No. 1 overall pick played well enough with one touchdown, no interceptions and 193 yards passing, but because of how easy it was after the Patriots took the lead. Jacksonville could do whatever they wanted while the Patriots defense waved the white flag in a loss that all but ended their season at 1-6. Conversely, the Jags’ postseason chances remain razor-thin at 2-5, but not done yet. Of the 163 instances where a club is 2-5 after seven games since 1990, 10 have made the play-offs.
Lawrence’s opposing rookie QB Drake Maye, in only his second start, was solid at avoiding turnovers while delivering risk-averse short passes that set the chains in motion, while Jacksonville’s mauling of the Bears in Tottenham last week still looked to be smarting, as the defense allowed Jamycal. Rushing to shuffle for a score and a field goal.
The Patriots were cruising, the simple offensive scheme full of screen passes doing enough until the Jaguars found out that was all New England had to offer. Jacksonville adjusted smartly to stack the scrimmage and break up any easy gains from Maye with suffocating pass coverage. Over to you, Trevor.
Under the pressure of the scoreboard and the shock of a rapidly sinking season, Lawrence shrugged. A 24-yard dart to Christian Kirk on Jacksonville’s second drive set the wheels in motion for a comeback that the Patriots couldn’t contain. Bigbsy and D’Ernest Johnson, filling in for the injured Travis Etienne, sliced through New England’s soft underbelly time and time again, while rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. capped the drive with the easiest six-yard touchdown grab.
A quick punt later, Lawrence sent a blazing spear through the heart of New England with a huge 58-yard pass. An incredible catch by Thomas came under extreme pressure from cornerback Christian Gonzalez and showed exactly why the star receiver was so highly coveted by the Jaguars in the draft. “I knew I was going to be open,” Thomas said. Open he was as he burned through the backfield, his catch allowing Bigsby to run over for a one-yard score. A lead was regained in just six plays.
Jacksonville’s brick wall held firm as the inevitable punt sailed into Parker Washington’s willing grasp. He gambled what others would call the fair catch to achieve the longest punt return in Jaguars history. In a swirl of black and teal, Washington sprinted through all the Patriots’ special teams defenders for a 96-yard score. The Patriots’ inaction, summed up by Washington – “they won’t tackle, so I ran through them” – apparently so pervasive that, not content with giving just one gigantic gift, they saw fit to add more to give another gift, because a penalty made an easy two-point win possible. conversion from Lawrence to Thomas to end a quarter in which the Jags scored 23 unanswered points.
As the second half began, the Jags marched ahead with an early field goal from Sly. The lead was extended, but this marked a significant improvement for New England after giving up three consecutive touchdowns before halftime. The defense found a crucial stop on fourth down near the goal line to keep the sizable group of Patriots fans interested.
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The meeting may have been a fictional home game for the Jags, but the roar that erupted when Maye sent a 33-yard rainbow to Kayshon Boutte was the loudest of the day. That is until the guttural scream that greeted Maye’s second passing attack, this time against KJ Osborn. A one-score deficit was in sight, the comeback began, so to speak, when a fluffy two-point conversion put them irrecoverably nine points behind with eight minutes remaining.
Bigsby would put a complete stop to the Jacksonville offense on a beautiful afternoon with a four-yard touchdown run. If Lawrence and the Jaguars can keep this lightning in the bottle, there may be a glimmer of hope left for the most unlikely of playoff runs this season.