Jacksonville’s third-straight loss to open the 2021 season was a bit of a mixed bag. In many ways, the team showed signs of progress, especially on defense. It mostly slowed down a high-powered offense led by an MVP candidate in Kyler Murray, and it even led at the half. But to get there, it required a kick-six, and the same old problems plagued the Jags in the second half: mainly, turnovers.
Trevor Lawrence gave the ball away four times, including a pick-six while the Jags led by two that surrendered the lead for good. It’s clear Jacksonville still has a long way to go, though it did at least look competitive for much of this game.
Here’s what the Jaguars’ snap counts from that game tell us about how the team is progressing and who it is looking toward for contributions as the season goes on.
Offense
Analysis
- Marvin Jones Jr. has pretty much fully asserted himself as the team’s No. 1 receiver. He’s led the team in catches in each of the first three games after being Lawrence’s favorite preseason target, and he only left the field for two offensive plays on Sunday. D.J. Chark Jr. did catch a touchdown, though, and he will likely see more targets as Lawrence gets more comfortable.
- With James O’Shaughnessy out, Jacob Hollister saw the bulk of the playing time at tight end. He struggled a bit, reeling in just two catches while also dropping one that resulted in Lawrence’s first interception of the day. Chris Manhertz (37% of snaps) and Luke Farrell (25%) didn’t see as many chances.
- Andrew Norwell and Cam Robinson had to leave the game with injuries, but both returned and should be good to go moving forward. Will Richardson entered for Robinson at tackle, while Ben Bartch once again saw some reps at guard.
- James Robinson had his most productive day of the season, and he was on the field for 59% of offensive snaps. Carlos Hyde also did a good job with his limited opportunities, going for 44 yards on eight carries.
Defense
Analysis
- Andrew Wingard was one of Jacksonville’s better defenders for the second week in a row. He was once again a top-five team performer, per Pro Football Focus, and he notched an interception against Kyler Murray, which was Jacksonville’s first takeaway of the season. He never left the game, and Andre Cisco didn’t see the field on defense for the first time this year.
- Tyson Campbell started in place of the recently traded C.J. Henderson, who was injured on Sunday. His play was a bit of a mixed bag, as he did give up a few plays, but all in all, helped keep the passing offense in check. Alongside Shaquill Griffin, he didn’t leave the field on Sunday defensively.
- For the second week in a row, Jihad Ward saw more reps at edge rusher than second-year player K’Lavon Chaisson. Chaisson was still listed as the starter, but Ward has outplayed him for most of the season and now seems to be playing a bigger role. Neither had a particularly standout performance on Sunday, though.
- Taven Bryan continues to play a reserve role in the defensive line rotation. Though he did have a nice play by bringing down Murray in the backfield for a loss, guys like DaVon Hamilton and Malcom Brown are seeing more playing time.