Jacksonville couldn’t get a winning streak going after an impressive and emotional win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, falling 23-17 on the road to the Indianapolis Colts.
At one point, it looked like the game was heading for a blowout. The Colts jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, and the Jags had to fight the whole game just to get back in it. Still, the team had a chance to win in the final minutes with the ball in quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s hands. But the rookie fumbled on a sack, and that sealed the loss.
Jacksonville played very well once again defensively in this game, but now it’s the offense that’s lagging. With the team now sitting at 2-7, here’s what we can learn from the snap counts this week.
*The following info was obtained by (NFLGSIS).
Offense
Analysis
- Dan Arnold continues to see the most reps of any tight end, and for good reason. He’s become arguably the most reliable target for Lawrence in the passing game, totaling five catches for 67 yards on Sunday. Neither Chris Manhertz nor Luke Farrell were targeted, and their roles have almost been entirely centered around blocking in recent weeks.
- James Robinson returned to the field on Sunday, and though he didn’t technically get the start, he saw the most reps of any running back. He saw 12 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, while Carlos Hyde got just two carries. With Robinson getting healthier, expect him to see a lot more carries against San Francisco next week.
- Receiver depth continues to be an issue, and even though the starting group hasn’t been particularly reliable in recent weeks (Jamal Agnew was targeted five times with no catches on Sunday), they aren’t rotating much. Laquon Treadwell and Tavon Austin saw a bit of action, but they were targeted just once each, and only Treadwell made a catch.
- Malcom Brown got in on the action offensively, lining up as an eligible fullback on Robinson’s touchdown run. The Jags don’t have a fullback on the roster, and it will be interesting to see if Brown sees more offensive action in situations like this the rest of the year.
Defense
Analysis
- The Jags seem to be pretty comfortable with their starters in the secondary, as none of them left the field for even a single defensive snap. Rudy Ford, who has been a major contributor the last few weeks, continues to see his snaps increase in the nickel spot. Tyson Campbell and Shaquill Griffin each had a pass breakup in the loss.
- As good as Josh Allen has been this year, especially in recent weeks, finding the right guy to play opposite him has been a challenge. It seems the Jags have their answer in Dawuane Smoot, who had five tackles on Sunday. Allen, meanwhile, had another great game, hitting Carson Wentz three times in the backfield. K’Lavon Chaisson and Jihad Ward have seen their reps decrease with the emergence of Smoot.
- The Jags are starting to get better play out of the defensive line’s interior, as Brown had five tackles (two of which were for a loss). Meanwhile, Taven Bryan, who had two sacks last week, had two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss this week. DaVon Hamilton, who saw as many snaps as Bryan, notched a sack on Wentz. Coach Urban Meyer has talked about the importance of getting a push inside, and the team seems to be improving in that regard.