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The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to 4-8 on the year with an embarrassing, 40-14 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 13 that was never really close.
Detroit’s offense couldn’t be stopped, scoring no less than a field goal on their first eight offensive possessions. The only Lions drive that didn’t end with points was its last that consisted of two kneels to wind out the clock.
On the other side, Jacksonville’s offense had a rough day that started with a Travis Etienne Jr. fumble on the opening drive and was plagued by drops and miscues.
The only good news for the Jaguars on Sunday was that a sack of Trevor Lawrence that appeared to injure the second-year quarterback proved not too serious. Lawrence was able to return after halftime and put together another solid performance, even if his receivers didn’t do him many favors.
Here’s how the Jaguars’ lopsided road loss went down:
Jaguars MVP of the game: WR Christian Kirk
There were plenty of drops to go around (primarily from Zay Jones), but Kirk was a reliable target for Lawrence.
The slot receiver finished with six receptions and 104 receiving yards, continuing his career-best season. Through 12 games, Kirk has 62 receptions, 829 yards, and seven touchdowns.
Lions MVP of the game: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jared Goff had a huge day, D’Andre Swift had a huge day … hell it feels like half the Lions roster had a huge day. There’s no wrong choice for this one.
St. Brown finished with 11 receptions, 114 yards, and two touchdowns.
Jaguars play of the game: Lawrence leaving the tunnel after halftime
— Laurie Fitzpatrick (@LaurieFitzptrck) December 4, 2022
I could pick one of Lawrence’s completions to Kirk, or maybe Evan Engram’s touchdown grab, but the only notable highlight for the Jaguars was the news that Lawrence wasn’t injured.
It was over when D’Andre Swift scored a one-yard touchdown on the Lions’ first drive of the second half. The Jaguars couldn’t get a single stop in the first half and the beginning of the third quarter made it clear that wasn’t about to change. The touchdown gave Detroit a 24-point lead. While the Jaguars later scored to cut it to 16, it was pretty clear any chance of a rally was dead.
Stat that says it all: Lions scored on their first eight possessions.
It’s a problem that the Jaguars offense managed only one touchdown and two field goals against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. It’s much, much worse that the Lions defense looked 10 times better than the Jaguars defense.
Detroit never punted, never turned the ball over, and only finished its victory formation drive without points.
Up next: The 4-8 Jaguars will travel to face the 7-5 Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday afternoon. The race for the AFC South title could get interesting if the Jaguars right the ship and pull off the upset, but it’s feeling more like it’s time to think about 2023.