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Four takeaways: Some improvement, but not enough as losing continues

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws a pass as he is rushed by the the Denver Broncos including linebacker Von Miller (58) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton) (Stephen B. Morton, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars struggled once again in a 23-13 loss to the Denver Broncos, dropping their record to 0-2 on the season. While the Jaguars showed improvements in some areas compared to last week, the result was the same. Here are my four biggest takeaways from the loss:

More growing pains for Trevor Lawrence

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After a three-touchdown, three-interception game last week, Trevor Lawrence was picked off again when veteran cornerback Kareem Jackson baited Lawrence into a throw intended for Luke Farrell. In the fourth quarter, Lawrence was picked off by Pat Surtain II on a deep ball. By that point in the game, the Jaguars were reduced to taking deep shots to try to come back. The biggest issue with the passing game was the lack of open receivers. On too many occasions, the Jaguars receivers didn’t give Lawrence much to work with. On a day when the Jaguars did a decent job against Von Miller, and while he was in the game, Bradley Chubb, they couldn’t get open.

Mechanics

One week after nine offensive penalties, the Jaguars looked cleaner in their alignments and substitutions. That’s a positive. Without the self-inflicted errors, the Jaguars marched downfield and scored on their first possession. After that, Denver’s defense dominated and the Jaguars didn’t score again until the fourth quarter. The Jaguars had two chances, but Josh Lambo missed field goals of 52 and 48 yards. Lambo has missed three field goal attempts in the first two games of the season.

Running game

This week, Urban Meyer said he preferred to have a more balanced offensive approach, something more like a 50-50 balance. Apparently, that message did not land with the play calling plan. The Jaguars attempted 33 passes and ran the ball just 16 times, including two runs by Lawrence on pass plays. If James Robinson isn’t the best player on the Jaguars’ offense, he’s near the top. He needs to have more of an opportunity to get into a rhythm running the ball. Robinson — again — was rarely given the chance to do that.

Deep hole

An 0-2 start doesn’t end the Jaguars season, but with the Arizona Cardinals coming to town next week doesn’t bode well for the Jaguars. It’s going to be a challenge for Meyer to keep the Jaguars mentally focused on the task at hand.


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