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What we learned about Jaguars, Travis Etienne, Parker Washington in win over Raiders
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- What we learned about Jaguars, Travis Etienne, Parker Washington in win over Raiders
Four questions and attempted answers from the Jacksonville Jaguars' 30-29 overtime win over the Las Vegas Raiders :
First Down
Question:Is the Jaguars ' season off life support with a 5-3 record?
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Answer:Heck yeah. It's better than going to Houston next week with a 4-4 record and a three-game losing streak.
Losing to the Raiders would have been a big step back, especially after the Jaguars had leads of 13-9, 20-16 and 30-23. But Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll made the right call in going for the two-point conversion and Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton batted down Geno Smith 's pass.
JUST FOR KICKS: Cam Little breaks NFL record with 68-yard field goal vs. Las Vegas
The schedule doesn't get any easier. After playing the Texans , the Jaguars host the Los Angeles Chargers . Get a split, guys, and head to Arizona the week before Thanksgiving with a 6-4 record. Then the Jaguars get the Cardinals , Tennessee and the New York Jets .
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What the win should impact is the Jaguars' approach to Tuesday's trade deadline . They're banged up at receiver, safety and cornerback. They should look to add a player on an expiring contract, maybe more than one player.
Second Down
Question:Two-parter about the offense — how gutsy was running back Travis Etienne and how good was receiver Parker Washington ?
Answer:Very gutsy and very good.
Etienne took a ton of punishment in carrying 22 times for 84 yards (long of 20) and catching five passes for 31 yards (long of 16). I really liked the new look of having him receive the "Wildcat" shotgun snap. We may be seeing the final two months of Etienne's Jaguars career, but a re-commitment to the run game (151 yards on 42 attempts) was encouraging.
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Washington caught eight passes (on nine targets) for 90 yards (long of 22). Minus Travis Hunter , it looked like the things the Jaguars had drawn up for Hunter were simply moved to Washington's game-plan plate. The passing game went through Washington, not Brian Thomas Jr.
Third Down
Question:Did the Jaguars win despite not having the best player on the field?
Answer:Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was targeted 13 times and caught 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. What a terrific player who was coming off missing a month with a knee injury.
The Jaguars simply had no answers for him. He caught touchdowns of 7, 27 and 2 yards. On the third touchdown (in overtime), he used a subtle out-and-in move to lose safety Andrew Wingard .
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The Jaguars survived despite Bowers' performance.
Fourth Down
Question:How did quarterback Trevor Lawrence respond after his first-quarter interception?
Answer:Well, the Jaguars won the game and he didn't commit another turnover so all is well … I suppose.
First, the interception. What a dreadful decision on Lawrence's part and it meant no points on a season-long drive in terms of possession (10:27). Lawrence passed on a shovel pass to Etienne and forced a pass into traffic that was easily picked off.
From there, though, Lawrence finished 23 of 34 for 220 yards (no touchdowns) and rushed nine times for 24 yards and two touchdowns.
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Lawrence's 7-yard touchdown, which gave the Jaguars their first lead (13-9 with 14:50 remaining in regulation) showed what coach Liam Coen said during the bye week. The Jaguars wanted Lawrence to lean into using his legs and there was instant conviction in him leaving the pocket to run.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: How Jacksonville Jaguars broke two-game skid with OT win over Raiders
