In a season of embarrassing lows, the Jaguars keep topping themselves.
Jacksonville allowed Detroit to score touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions and endured a humiliating 52-6 loss on Sunday. It was a franchise-worst for points allowed and the largest loss in Jaguars history. The 644 yards allowed was the second-most in Jaguars team history.
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It wasn’t an unexpected defeat — the Lions are a Super Bowl contender and were 14-point favorites — but the size of it and the listlessness shown on both sides of the ball could be the final straw for sweeping changes in the organization.
The Jaguars (2-9) are entering their bye week as the team holding the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Owner Shad Khan has typically been patient when it’s come to personnel moves, but the disappointment is pronounced. Since an 8-3 start last season, Jacksonville is just 3-14 and getting worse. Head coach Doug Pederson’s seat has never been as hot as it is now, especially after such a low-point loss.
“You know what, I can’t control that and you know — listen, I’ve been around this league a long time and if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen obviously, but at the same time, I still have a job to do and that’s to get ready for a good division opponent here in two weeks,” Pederson said of the possibility of him being fired.
The 46-point defeat is the most lopsided in franchise history, eclipsing a 44-0 beating by the Lions in the 1995 expansion season. Detroit famously took knees on third and fourth down in field goal range in that game to avoid making that defeat even worse. It was a similiar finishing scenario on Sunday, with Detroit scoring seven consecutive touchdowns and then a field goal on its eighth drive. The Lions took knees in the final two minutes at the Jaguars 21 to bleed the remaining clock.
“It’s difficult to find words because everybody is so disappointed, frustrated, angry. It’s the emotion of how much you put into the week and then playing like we did, so it’s just frustrating. Our break, obviously, comes at a right time,” Pederson said. “Our guys need some time away, they need to refresh, recharge.”
Pederson hasn’t been able to fix the growing number of issues across the team, notably, the offense. The defense of Ryan Nielsen has been one of the league’s worst, with no better indictment of that than on Sunday. The Lions looked like a college team playing a high school team.
General manager Trent Baalke’s tenure is also up for discussion. Since becoming the Jaguars permanent GM in 2021, the team is 23-39 with just one playoff appearance. Khan’s belief that this was the “best team assembled” in Jacksonville history looks laughably bad, especially since the Jaguars are in line to hold the No. 1 pick for the third time in five years. Baalke even admitted during a predraft luncheon in 2022 that “this will be the last time that I’ll be making the first pick.”
Even before quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a shoulder injury in a loss to the Eagles, Pederson and Press Taylor’s offense was disjointed and out of sorts. With backup Mac Jones in charge and players like Christian Kirk and Tank Bigsby out, it has barely looked functional.
“Bye weeks are always important for your body and your mind,” Jones said. “Each year you don’t get to pick where your bye week’s at. For us, we didn’t put a good production on the field today. Honestly it’s time to reset, get back to what I’m good at, what the offense’s good at and move forward.”
Offense still can’t move it
With Lawrence out a second consecutive game with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, Jones got the start. He was better than a week earlier against the Vikings where the Jaguars mustered the fifth-lowest yardage total in franchise history (143). The Jaguars put together two solid drives, their first of the game which ended in a career-long 59-yard field goal from rookie Cam Little, and the final one before half and a 35-yard field goal by Little.
Beyond that, it was miserable everywhere for the Jones-led offense, including injuries to receiver Gabe Davis and center Mitch Morse. Jones turned it over just once against Detroit, an interception by Kerby Joseph late in the third quarter. The game was decided long before that time.
“Yeah, it just wasn’t our day today. Got to keep working,” Jones said. “That’s the NFL, you get one week at a time. I didn’t put my best effort out there today, and you’ve just got to keep moving forward.”
Jones finished 17 of 29 passing for 138 yards and an interception. The team has scored just 13 points the last two games with the former Bolles School star leading the offense. Jacksonville managed just 170 yards against Detroit. Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had 82 yards on five catches.
Detroit wrecks defense
Detroit’s offense is elite and it certainly showcased that Sunday. One week after holding Minnesota to four field goals, the Jaguars came back to the team that they’ve been for much of Nielsen’s first season as defensive coordinator. Detroit had scoring droves of nine, 13, eight and four plays in racing to a 28-3 lead that erased any sort of hope for the Jaguars midway through the second quarter.
Most of those were set up by the ground game and the powerful running of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Goff’s best throw of the half was a short right toss to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who outran the Jacksonville defense for a 27-yard touchdown. Goff was coming off a five-interception game in a 26-23 win over Houston in Week 10.
He was near-perfect against Jacksonville, including a 64-yard touchdown to Jameson Williams to open the second half and a 5-yarder to Brock Wright with under five minutes to play in the third quarter for a 42-6 lead. Goff’s fourth touchdown pass went to St. Brown early in the fourth quarter. He was 24 of 29 passing for 412 yards and four touchdowns before being pulled for Hendon Hooker.
With a lost season and six games left, Pederson said he’s not worried about the Jaguars checking out.
“I mean there’s always that possibility, but I don’t think so, not with this group,” he said. “I think this group will continue to respond and do the things necessary to prepare for a football game. I don’t — I’ve never sensed that with this group and don’t anticipate that.”