There certainly are not many ways to positively spin Jacksonville’s loss to Seattle. Coming off a bye, the team looked lost on defense and incredibly sloppy on offense. That’s not an encouraging sign at all, but this game wasn’t entirely devoid of positives, at least when it comes to individual performers.
Several players had very solid games, headlined by guard Andrew Norwell, who was the Jags’ highest-graded player, per Pro Football Focus, in Week 8. He earned an 87.7 grade, and he continues to be one of the few bright spots on the team.
He was followed by another offensive lineman in Ben Bartch, who graded at 77.8. Bartch is only playing in place of the injured A.J. Cann, but he’s been capable and would give the Jaguars some security for the future if it chose to move on from Cann.
The third player on the list came as a bit of a surprise, as he only appeared on 17 snaps and wasn’t even targeted in the passing game. But tight end Chris Manhertz is known for his blocking acumen, and he finished with a 76.6 grade because of it.
Just behind Manhertz is the highest-rated defensive player, linebacker Damien Wilson (76.0). He had some help with Myles Jack back at his side, but he had the more impressive performance on Sunday, per PFF. He finished second on the team in tackles with eight, behind Jack.
Next up is receiver Jamal Agnew (71.9), who finished behind tight end Dan Arnold and running back Carlos Hyde in receiving with six catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. He was mostly signed for his returning abilities, but he has stepped up in DJ Chark Jr.’s absence and is playing well at receiver.
Following Agnew is another player who didn’t see many snaps but made the most of them. Edge rusher Jihad Ward (71.5) has arguably been better than K’Lavon Chaisson this season, and despite only totaling one tackle on 18 snaps, PFF liked his play on Sunday.
Finally, we have Jack, who led the team in tackles with nine in his return to the field but didn’t grade as highly as his counterpart Wilson. Still, Jack had a 71.1 grade, and the Jaguars should be pleased to have one of their top players on defense back in the fold.
Other than Norwell, no one in this group had an elite performance, but there was still some solid play hidden deep within a disaster of a game.