The Jaguars lost their 11th consecutive game, 27-24 in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings. It’s the fifth loss of the season by four points or less and the fourth such loss in the last five games. Here are my four biggest takeaways from the game.
Jags nearly moved into the lead in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes
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The day included a rollercoaster of emotions for Jaguars fans who watched the Jaguars score a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game in the final minutes as the New York Jets were on the doorstep of their first win of the season.
Had the Jets won and the Jaguars lost, Jacksonville would have moved into the lead for the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. Instead, the Jets gave up a 46-yard touchdown to the Raiders’ Henry Ruggs to hand the Jets their 12th straight loss. The Jaguars continue to hold the No. 2 pick in the draft with four games remaining.
It’s a game the Jaguars could have won
Any game that goes to overtime will have missed opportunities by both teams and this one is no different. The Jaguars missed an extra point after their first touchdown, when Chase McLaughlin’s kick went wide.
The Jaguars also turned the ball over four times. Two of the turnovers were Mike Glennon interceptions. The second of which came in overtime and led to the Vikings game-winning drive. Glennon also lost a fumble. Going into the game, Doug Marrone talked about the importance of taking care of the football as one of the reasons why he was going to stay with Mike Glennon. Marrone said he is going to stick with Glennon this week against the Titans.
Some sacks
The Jaguars entered the game with a league-low 11 sacks. That’s an average of just one per game. On Sunday in Minnesota, they totaled four sacks, two of them by Dawuane Smoot. Smoot now leads the team with 4.5 sacks this year. I’m not going to start calling them Sacksonville, but in the final stretch of a lost season, the Jaguars have shown some improvement in the pass rush lately. They had six sacks in their first seven games and have seven sacks in their last five. Baby steps.
What’s next?
The Jaguars have four games remaining. They host Tennessee on Sunday, then travel to Baltimore, host the Bears and finish the season at the Colts. The combined record of those teams is 27-20. The Bears have lost six straight at this point. If the Jaguars lose out, they will have the worst record in franchise history. By the way, the Jets’ remaining games are at Seattle, at the Rams, home against the Browns and they finish the season on the road at the Patriots.