JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Not the start the Jaguars had in mind. It was an interesting game that the Jaguars should have won but that’s not how the cookie crumbled on Sunday against the Dolphins in a 20-17 loss. Here’s my Four Cents from the season opener.
Momentum
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It is a four quarter game. The Jaguars started fast but the Dolphins finished faster. It was a game of momentum. The Jaguars had it. Then they fumbled it away and the Dolphins took control. It really never felt like the Jaguars were about to get back on track. It was like quicksand; the more the Jags tried to get out the deeper they sunk. Good teams know how to stop the slide. The Jaguars are a team that can be good but maybe they just aren’t quite there yet. There are still problems that exist. Overall, the pass blocking for Trevor Lawrence was solid against the Dolphins but the short-yardage running game left a lot to be desired.
Short-yardage problems
It was a problem last year and showed it still isn’t fixed. Mitch Morse was billed as the solution on the O-line. He was solid on Sunday, but when a guard is in the backfield on third and 1 it’s going to be tough to move the chains. It wasn’t all bad. The Jags played well on defense and it kept them in the game until the end. If I told you on Saturday that the Dolphins would only score 20 points and then ask you who won the game, I bet the answer would be the Jags. Well, the Dolphins did only score 20. One of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL scored only 20 points. There is always enough blame to go around after losses but none of that blame should be pointing towards the defense.
Sky isn’t falling
I know the way the whole thing fell apart will have some Jaguars fans acting like “Chicken Little,” and claim that the sky is falling. Don’t be that person. It is Week 1 and it is one loss in a game that honestly I didn’t expect the Jags to win in the first place. But there were some good things that are positive signs. The sun will come out tomorrow. Brian Thomas Jr. had a big day. His 14-yard touchdown catch was legit. Travon Walker had a two-sack game to start the year. Darnell Savage looked great flying around on defense. Tank Bigsby had his best game as a pro.
Finish
These should be signs of good things to come. Week 1 was rough. But if the lesson from the game is to “finish strong,” that should also apply to the full season. Just finish.