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Jacksonville Jaguars turn in another effort filled with self-inflicted penalties, mistakes
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- Jacksonville Jaguars turn in another effort filled with self-inflicted penalties, mistakes
It never seems to be the loss as much as the way the Jacksonville Jaguars lost.
Sunday's 19-14 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium was another example ... another one-score loss, another litany of turnovers, penalties, mental errors, faulty execution and mind-boggling plays, another step towards a higher draft pick but also another reason why someone else might be making that pick and coaching the 2025 team.
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The Jaguars are 3-12 for the season and 4-17 since a 34-31 overtime loss to Cincinnati on a Monday night game Dec. 4, 2023, after the Doug Pederson Era began with an 18-12 record, including a 1-1 record in the 2022 playoffs when it seemed as if the team was on the right track.
It's been derailed since an 0-4 start, and the Jags have lost seven of eight.
"It's not for lack of effort," Pederson said, repeating a familiar refrain. "The mistakes, penalties, things that just held us back all season. We've got to get that fixed."
Well, there are two weeks left in the season and the Jaguars have yet to take that sad song and make it better.
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Bill Peterson, the former Florida State football coach and the Yogi Berra of his profession for his malaprops, once commented on a mistake-filled effort by the Seminoles , "we set football back 100 yards today."
The Jaguars might have doubled that against Las Vegas .
Jaguars piled up self-inflicted penalties
The Jaguars had eight penalties for 60 yards, and it could have been worse because the Raiders had good enough yardage on those plays to decline three of them.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars leaves the field after losing to the Las Vegas Raiders 14-19 at Allegiant Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead was flagged on two plays in a row in the first quarter for lining up offside (the Raiders declined them because they had plays that hit for 13 and 24 yards). Apparently not taking a hint, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker were hit with the same flags on back-to-back plays in the second quarter.
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There were two illegal formation penalties (one was declined) on the offense, center Mitch Morse was called twice for holding and Cole Van Lanen , playing left tackle after an injury to Walker Little , nullified a 12-yard gain by Travis Etienne on fourth-and-one from the Jaguars 48 when he bear-hugged defensive end Charles Snowden.
"We can make this types of mistakes and expect to win," Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said. "That probably goes without saying."
Raiders force unexpected turnovers
The Raiders entered the game with only one recovered fumble all season. They doubled that number and each one ruined a promising play for the Jaguars.
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After the Raiders scored with 4:00 left in the second quarter to take a 13-7 lead, Tank Bigsby broke off a 10-yard gain on first down. But strong safety Isaiah Pola-Mao punched the ball out and Raiders safety Trevon Moehrig recovering.
When the Jaguars defense got a stop, quarterback Mac Jones moved the team to the Las Vegas 43 and on the brink of being in kicker Cam Little 's range. But with 15 seconds left, Brenton Strange fumbled after a 9-yard completion, with Pola-Mao again forcing the ball loose for safety Thomas Harper to recover.
Mac Jones throws a costly pass behind the sticks
If the Jaguars offense has been called out for one thing most of the season by media and fans, it's been for pass completions "behind the sticks," or with the catch coming short of the yardage required for a first down.
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Sometimes the Jaguars backs and receivers get the first down. Sometimes not.
Dec 22, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (8) scores on a 7-yard touchdown run in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
But it certainly shouldn't have happened on the team's final offensive play of the game.
Facing a fourth-and-11 after Van Lanen's penalty, Jones faced a minimal pass rush but almost immediately flipped the ball to running back D'Ernest Johnson, who caught the ball 8 yards short of the first down. Johnson was able to fight his way for an 8-yard gain but was gang-tackled by four Raiders 3 yards short of the first down.
Two players were open past the first-down marker: Brian Thomas Jr., who caught nine passes for a career-record 132 yards, on the right side and tight end Josh Deguera over the middle.
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Jones said that Johnson was not the primary read on the play but neither did he seem to look elsewhere after the snap.
"I have to watch it on film," Jones said after the game. "The last thing you want to do is take a sack. So you've got to put it in play. If he makes the play we'll have a new set of downs and everyone will be saying different."
Jaguars call an odd time out
Perhaps the most head-scratching moment came late in the second quarter when the Jaguars got the ball back with 2:46 left.
The first play was a 3-yard gain by Travis Etienne . Initially, it appeared the Jags were in no hurry to call a timeout (they had all three left) but with 2:02 left, two seconds before the two-minute warning, the team called a timeout.
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The need for the time out became irrelevant, but only because of Strange's fumble. Still, it was another example of strange decisions at strange times.
What happened to Jaguars' special teams?
Regardless of how bad the offense or defense played this season the Jaguars were still getting near-flawless play from their special teams.
Not against the Raiders and the main culprit was punter Logan Cooke . He averaged 39.3 yards, his lowest total in a game in which he had more than two attempts since Oct. 17, 2021 against Miami , and he had kicks of 20, 31 and 36 yards.
The 20-yarder was a dead-cold shank.
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"That one surprised me," Pederson said. "Obviously we know Logan is a great punter. Just uncharacteristic of him and his ability."
Devin Duvernay had a 26-yard punt return to set up Bigsby's first-quarter TD but he averaged 3.6 yards on three other returns.
Jaguars can't sustain momentum
Once again, the Jaguars defense seemed to be hesitant to accept the transfer of momentum from the offense.
After Thomas' electrifying 62-yard TD reception from Jones to give the Jaguars a 14-13 lead late in the third period, the Jags defense scarcely appeared to have noticed.
The Raiders went on a 10-play, 70-yard drive in which they converted two short third-down plays and quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed five of eight passes for 52 yards.
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The killer was a play on third-and-three at the Jaguars' 47. O'Connell was rushed hard up the middle by Maason Smith and Davon Hamilton , then escaped the rush outside by Walker and Hines-Allen.
Somehow O'Connell escaped and heaved the ball off his back foot to Ameer Abdullah , who caught the ball despite tight coverage from linebacker Devin Lloyd . Abdullah scored on a 7-yard run three plays later.
The one-score losses pile up
The Jaguars lost their ninth one-score game. If they had won less than half, a 6-9 record would have them in the AFC playoff conversation.
The Jags also helped the Raiders snap the NFL's longest losing streak this season, 10 games. The Jaguars also became the first team this season to not lead the Raiders by a double-digit margin at any point in the game
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars write a familiar script with turnovers and mistakes
