Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) intercepts the ball past Jacksonville Jaguars running back D'Ernest Johnson (2) late in the fourth quarter Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. [Bill Streicher-Imagn Images]

Jaguars Fall To 2-7 After Close Loss To Eagles

Chance Barber November 4, 2024 Football, Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL 66 Views

Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars sit at 2-7 and share the worst record in the NFL with six other teams following Sunday’s 28-23 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles.

First Quarter

The Jaguars started the game in a way you would almost expect a losing team to start. The defense stopped the Eagles (6-2) on their opening drive, forcing them to punt. The Jaguars fumbled the punt return to set up Eagles at the Jags'[ 20-yard line.

Philadelphia immediately took advantage of the great field position by scoring a touchdown two plays later. Quarterback Jalen Hurts connected with running back Saquon Barkley for a 20-yard touchdown pass.

 

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Second Quarter

The quarter started with a jaw-dropping play on third-and-6 by the Eagles. Hurts found Barkley on a pass out of the backfield on what initially looked like a play that would only gain one yard.  Barkley slipped the first tackle attempt and then spun out of the next, already earning the first down. Then, Barkley hurdled backward over a defender, gaining an extra eight yards.

The Jaguars’ defense eventually stepped up on this drive, however, and force the Eagles to kick a field goal.

Later in the second quarter, after both teams defense forced punts, the injury bug would bite the Eagles. Wide receiver A.J. Brown was reported to have suffered a knee injury after his only reception on the day. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said they are still gathering information on Brown’s knee, but he did not return to the game.

With less than two minutes left in the quarter, the Jags had possession of the ball again. Starting their drive from the 30-yard line, the Jaguars were looking to wake up the offense, which had been nonexistent. It did the opposite. Lawrence targeted Trevor Etienne on a first-and-10 play and Etienne was unable to hold onto the ball, popping it up into the air after bobbling it. Zach Baun made the interception to again give the Eagles great field position to start the drive.

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The Eagles found themselves on the 20-yard line looking at a third-and-17, but Barkley scored from there. The Eagles went for a two-point conversion but failed, making the score 16-0 going into halftime.

Third Quarter

The Jaguars got the ball first after the half and did nothing with it.

The Eagles started their drive from the 20 and wasted no time moving the ball. Barkley ran for about 13 yards. This led to a highlight-reel play on a pass from Hurts to wide receiver Jahan Dotson for a 36-yard gain. This led to an 18-yard touchdown run by Hurts, but the Eagles followed with another failed two-point attempt.

The Jaguars offense finally woke up in the third quarter with Lawrence leading them all the way down the field for a touchdown. Lawrence scored on a run and then a successful two-point try to make the score 22-8.

On the following possession, Barkley fumbled and it was recovered by Travon Walker, who returned it for a 35-yard touchdown. The Jags converted the two-point conversion to cut the Eagles’ lead to 22-16.

Fourth Quarter

After the Jags failed to score at the start of the fourth quarter, the Eagles take over at their 10-yard line. Philadelphia broke off three huge plays that led to a touchdown. First a 21-yard run by Barkley, followed by a 30+-yard gain on a pass from Hurts to Devonta Smith. Then on third-and-22, Hurts connected with Smith again for a 25-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 28-16.

Lawrence and the Jags answered, driving down the field to cut the margin to six. The Jags defense stepped up again, giving the offense the ball back with less than two minutes left in the game. After orchestrating an impressive drive, Lawrence sealed their fate by throwing a pick in the end zone on a first-and-10.

Takeaways

The game highlighted the strengths that the Jags defense has, consistently stepping up when needed. While it did allow 28 points, the Jaguars poor offensive performance consistently kept their defense on the field.

This game also showed how important Barkley and Smith are to the Eagles. It also showed how effective Hurts can be when he is performing well. However, the Eagles defense did show signs of struggle by allowing the Jaguars to drive down the field without any opposition three times.

Up Next

The Jaguars host the Minnesota Vikings at 1 p.m. (Fox) Sunday.

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