SPORTS | Bad start, bad finish. Jaguars fall to Eagles | Jacksonville Today

The Jaguars had no business being in a position to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, but with 1:42 to play in the fourth quarter, Jacksonville trailed by five with the ball on the Eagles’ 13-yard line.

That’s when the most often repeated issue for this year’s Jaguars team reared its ugly head.

When the game was on the line, the Jaguars didn’t make one key play. Or rather, they made one major mistake.

Trevor Lawrence’s pass to the end zone intended for third-string running back D’Ernest Johnson was intercepted by Eagles’ linebacker Nakobe Dean, ending the Jaguars’ chances to pull off a come-from-behind victory.

Had the Jaguars won, it would have been the kind of performance that could save a coach’s job—or at least buy him a few weeks of grace. Instead, the Jaguars lost for the seventh time in nine games this season.

The Jaguars may not finish with a historically bad record, but for stretches of almost every game, they are playing some historically bad football.

The latest chapter came in Philadelphia, where Doug Pederson once raised the Lombardi Trophy, where the Jaguars fell to 2-7 on the season in a 28-23 loss to the Eagles.

Offensively, the Jaguars were as bad as they have been all year in the first half, finishing the opening 30 minutes with just 31 yards on a meager 18 plays.

 They earned one first down before halftime. One.

The defense struggled to stop Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts. Barkley had 101 yards from scrimmage in the first half (61 yards rushing and 40 yards receiving). Hurts completed all but three of his 16 first-half passes, including a touchdown to Barkley.

Players looked beaten in the first half.

The Jaguars did not run a play in Eagles territory until midway through the third quarter. By then, Philadelphia had built a 22-0 lead. For a few moments, it looked like Jacksonville might have a chance after a touchdown drive and a Travon Walker fumble return for a touchdown.

But Philly responded with a 91-yard touchdown drive capped by a highlight catch by DeVonta Smith.

The Jaguars answered with a nine-play, 70-yard drive to pull to within five. After the Eagles missed a field goal, Jacksonville had their chance.

There were a few positive moments. Josh Hines-Allen played his best game of the season and recorded two sacks after totaling only three sacks in the first eight games.

The Jaguars twice stopped Philly’s famous “tush push” play, also known as the “brotherly shove,” on a two-point conversion. The Eagles are rarely stopped on short-yardage plays.

Travon Walker’s third-quarter fumble return for a touchdown was terrific.

Jacksonville’s second half offensive performance was a substantial improvement over the first half. And despite the struggles, the Jaguars had a chance to take the lead with less than two minutes to play before Lawrence threw his second interception of the game.

This is almost certain to be the end of the current regime. When that decision comes is anybody’s guess.

Will Shad Khan make a move now? Probably not. With a home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, I expect the fans will show their displeasure with a great number of no-shows or tickets sold to Vikings fans hungry to see their team continue a push to the playoffs.

The Jaguars’ 2-7 start is one game better than the franchise’s worst record through nine games. In 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2020, the Jaguars started 1-8. This season’s 2-7 start matches the 2021, 2016 and 2003 seasons. Among those slow starts to seasons, only 2003 occurred before Shad Khan purchased the team.

In a dozen years as the Jaguars’ owner, Khan’s team has started 2-7 or worse seven times.

This brings up a significant question for Khan to answer before next season. Who does he listen to on football matters? Is it general manager Trent Baalke? Pederson? Someone else? There has been talk that Khan needs to find a trusted, experienced NFL man to provide the proper perspective. He needs someone to tell him the truth, not what he wants to hear or what will buy another year of someone’s job.

Even without getting sage football advice, he should know this season is cooked.