The Jacksonville Jaguars were defeated by the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday by a score of 28-11, marking their fourth straight loss. The game marked the Jags’ first home game at TIAA Bank Field since late October and it wasn’t close to what fans were hoping for.
At the least, the home crowd got to see Gardner Minshew II behind center. Veteran Nick Foles got off to another terrible start Sunday against the Bucs, giving up three turnovers in the first half. There was a drive by the veteran in particular where he looked to have garnered some momentum and got the Jags in the red zone, only to fumble the ball (his second of the day) and give it to the Bucs again. Ultimately, he finished the game 7-of-14 for 93 yards and a pick.
When Minshew entered the game in the second half, he did his best to erase a 25-0 deficit and sparked the team with a touchdown pass and two-point conversion in the fourth. He ultimately aided the team to a point where the Jags were two touchdowns away from tying the game (25-11), but ultimately the tasked proved to be too big for him as well. Still, despite throwing a pick on the day, Minshew gave the Jags much more elusiveness in the pocket and clearly sparked the team. One would have to think he’d get the nod as starter Week 14, but time will tell.
The Jags’ defense had their issues, too, but they played hard in the second half. They limited the Bucs to just three second-half points, but again, the 25-point deficit from the first half was simply too large for the offense to make up. In the end, the unit gave up 315 total yards, 241 of which were passing yards.
Surprisingly, some of the standouts on the defensive side were reserves Donald Payne, who was playing in Myles Jack’s place, and Andrew Wingard, who was playing in Ronnie Harrison’s place. Both were first and second on the team, respectively, in tackles with six tackles apiece and both also had a sack to their names. As a result, both could get more looks down the road as the Jags won’t be making the postseason.
The Jags’ next game will take place at TIAA Bank Field against the Los Angeles Chargers, who will also be 4-8 after losing to the Denver Broncos. Kickoff for the game will be at 4:05 p.m. EST on Sunday, Dec. 8.