Good, bad, and ugly from the Jags’ loss to the Bengals

The Jacksonville Jaguars sustained their third loss of the season thanks to the Cincinnati Bengals, closing the first quarter of their season on a sour note. It was a game in which the Jags were up 13-10 heading into the half, but the wheels …

The Jacksonville Jaguars sustained their third loss of the season thanks to the Cincinnati Bengals, closing the first quarter of their season on a sour note. It was a game in which the Jags were up 13-10 heading into the half, but the wheels completely fell off in the third and fourth quarters thanks to the defense. As a result, the Bengals ended up coming back and winning the game by a score of 33-25.

As we reflect on the Jags’ third loss of 2020, here are the good, bad, and ugly moments from Sunday’s game:

The good: The Jags rookie class continues to contribute and DJ Chark’s return

The Jags’ rookie class once again showed up for the team Sunday. Running back James Robinson and receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. specifically were standouts from the class, aiding Gardner Minshew II and the offense in a big way.

Robinson had 107 total yards on the day, with 75 coming on the ground and 32 coming through the air. He also had a 40-yard gain negated by a holding penalty from tight end James O’Shaughnessy that would’ve been one of the top plays of the day. Even without that play, though, Robinson clearly brings something to the table that the team needs overall — and that’s consistency.

Shenault has also been pretty consistent for the Jags, although he had a predominately quiet Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins. He was second on the team in receptions with five catches for 86 yards, which is a career-high for him. He also had a five-yard rush, further displaying his versatility for the Jags’ offense.

Lastly, enough can’t be said about the return of receiver DJ Chark Jr. and how much better he made the offense. After missing Week 3 with chest and back injuries, Chark led the team in receiving with eight receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns.

Of his two trips to the end zone, his first touchdown was the most impressive and showcased how special Chark’s connection with Minshew is. It was a nice bread basket pass where Minshew hit him in the back of the end-zone. Had the Jags won, it would be a bigger deal, but fans shouldn’t let the overall loss overshadow his impact and connection with Minshew.

The bad: Coaching blunders

There were some puzzling decisions made from the sideline Sunday. The first and possibly the most notable was the Jags’ decision to go for a 2-point conversion with just over six minutes remaining. With the score at 30-22, the Jags failed on the attempt, which meant they would have to bank on another 2-point conversion to tie the game. After the game, Marrone stated that the analytics backed up the decision, but a lot of fans were left wondering why the team would put their faith in a second 2-point attempt to tie it up.

Additionally, there was some questionable clock management in the Jags’ last drive as the team was down 33-22. With a minute and 46 seconds left the Jags began driving the ball down the field, but ultimately ended the drive with just eight seconds left after a successful field goal attempt.

Many wondered why Minshew wasn’t told to spike the ball at some point in the drive as the Jags wasted precious seconds trying to get their offense set up for ensuing plays. Sure, it was a long-shot for the Jags to win the game anyway, but the principle of poor clock management just added on to an already bad showing from the Jags.

The ugly: Todd Wash and the defense

The Jags’ defense allowed the Bengals to put up a season-high of 505 total yards on them. Additionally, they got very little pressure on Joe Burrow, who was behind an offensive line that was a catastrophe prior to Sunday. Coming into the game, he had been sacked 14 times (and NFL-high) and hit 31 times. However, the Jags only registered five quarterback hits and no sacks on the day. That’s simply is inexcusable for defensive coordinator Todd Wash and company.

Ultimately, the Jags’ lack of ability to get to Burrow allowed the first overall pick to put up 300 yards, a passing touchdown, and a pick. He was allowed to drop back, survey the field, and pick the Jags’ defense apart, just as veterans Ryan Tannehill and Ryan Fitzpatrick did before him.

Simply put, it doesn’t appear to be working out with Wash and that’s long been the case in Jacksonville. Now that he doesn’t have an elite veteran on the unit, however, his flaws are really showing up and it’s hard to see the group getting better under him.