Tag: Joe Schubert

Winners and losers from the Jags’ 41-17 loss vs. the Bears

The Jags may have lost big to the Chicago Bears, but they won big in terms of the 2021 draft.

Just as they have since Week 2, the Jacksonville Jaguars came out on the losing end Week 16. The loss marked their 14th straight game, this time to the Chicago Bears by the score of 41-17. With the loss, the Bears now have won the last three out of four matchups against Jacksonville and have helped cement the Jags with having the worst record in the NFL.

With their latest loss, the Cardiac Cats have not tasted victory since their season opener against their AFC South rivals in the Indianapolis Colts. Through multiple quarterback changes and key injuries, the Duval County faithful have not seen a win for quite some time and it’s been pretty hard to watch. The team allowed 40 points for the second time this season and have lost their last three games by double-digits.

In another demoralizing blowout, it’s hard to tell who truly stood out, however, there were the good spots along with the bad. Here are the winners and losers from the Jaguars Week 16 matchup against the Bears:

Winner: LB Joe Schobert

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Jaguars linebacker Joe Schobert had an active day in the midst of an offensive onslaught from the Bears. He finished the game with eight total tackles, one sack, a pass deflection, and an interception on a poorly decided throw by Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

Schobert provided a solid day in helping to slow down the run as Bears running back David Montgomery averaged 4.1 yards per carry. While that’s a good figure, much of his yards came off a big 26-yard rush.

On a day where the entire defense was completely gashed, the former Pro Bowl linebacker did well in making his presence felt during the game.

Loser: DT Taven Bryan

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

With a defense filled with injuries, 2018 first-round pick Taven Bryan has not been heard from much.

An absolute afterthought on defense at this point, Bryan finished the game against the Bears with only one tackle and has not had more than 20 snaps in a game in the past three weeks. With the defense needing some kind of spark, the Jags have used undrafted rookie free agent defensive tackle Doug Costin in his place who has been much more effective as he finished with four tackles including one for loss.

As Bryan’s snap share dwindles, it could mean the end of his tenure soon in Jacksonville.

Loser: safety Josh Jones

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

We went with a second loser here because we wanted to save the best for last.

As for Josh Jones, Sunday was a rough day for him. In the first half, tight end Jimmy Graham was able to beat him for a touchdown pass on a slant route. Graham also beat him in the second half on a wheel route (loss his footing) that resulted in a touchdown, too, and there were moments in between where the veteran safety struggled.

Jones started his career in Jacksonville on a high note and was one of the standouts of their Week 1 victory, garnering a 70.3 Pro Football Focus grade. That came after a strong training camp that made the team confident enough to trade safety Ronnie Harrison to the Browns. However, since that moment it hasn’t been pretty and he currently holds a grade of 47.3 via PFF.

Winner: The Jacksonville Jaguars and their fanbase

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

How can a team that has done so much losing be winners? Well, the answer to that question was revealed this Sunday after the brutal loss from the Bears.

The No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has been a huge topic this year as it has been regarded by many experts as one of the most quarterback-talented drafts in a long time. The race for the highly-coveted pick came down to the Jaguars and the New York Jets and was decided after the Jags’ loss against the Bears.

Both are teams that are trying to press the reset button on their current quarterback situation. That made the 2021 draft the perfect one to get the No. 1 pick, as Clemson Trevor Lawrence seems to be on the verge of declaring. As many know, that’s a huge deal because many draft pundits have deemed him the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.

Despite their loss Sunday, the Jets handled business on their end and won their second consecutive game. As a result, the Jags will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

If Lawrence declares, Jacksonville could soon have their franchise quarterback in due time. Needless to say, that would be an incredible boost to a fanbase that has seen nothing but despair and failed quarterback selections over time.

Outside of an incredible 2017 season, the Jags fans have seen nothing but constant losing as they are 53-122 since 2010. If the Jaguars are able to successfully have Lawrence in a teal uniform, the fans will hope that he can finally be the one to turn around the misfortunes that have constantly plagued the franchise.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Postgame analysis: Jags get demolished by Bears, but win Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes

The Jags endured another beatdown Sunday but the sting didn’t last long as they acquired the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars kept it competitive in the first half against the Chicago Bears as they entered the half with the score at 13-10. However, the wheels fell off in the second half, and the result was a 41-17 beatdown.

The third quarter, in particular, was when the Bears came to life. With the first drive of the second half going to them, the Bears started things off with an 11-play drive of 77 yards. The drive was one that mostly featured former Jags receiver Allen Robinson, who was on fire for most of the game and finished the day with 10 catches for 103 yards. Once they found themselves in the end zone, quarterback Mitch Trubisky then took matters into his own hands and ran one in for six.

The next two Bears drives were also good for touchdowns. The drive that followed Trubisky’s touchdown mostly featured running back David Montgomery, who touched the ball five times in the eight-play drive. When the Bears got in striking range, he scored with a tough 6-yard score, which put the score at 27-10.

During the next drive, it only took Jags veteran quarterback Mike Glennon two plays to give the Bears the ball back as he threw a pick to linebacker Roquan Smith. The pick was his second by Smith, who played lights out on the defensive end.

Two plays later, Trubisky was able to hit tight end, Jimmy Graham, on a wheel route where he was able to get behind safety Josh Jones. The score then moved to a 34-10 figure with over two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Jags couldn’t get much going in their next drive, either, and ended up punting the ball once again. The Bears then answered with a nine-play drive for just under 50 yards. Running back Artavis Pierce was the one to ultimately end it by getting in on the success of the run game with a 3-yard score. Kicker Cairo Santos then connected with the point after attempt late in the fourth quarter to put Chicago up 41-10.

A few drives later, Glennon would connect with receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. with a nice pass where he split the safeties to put the game at its final score of 41-17.

Ultimately, the Bears finished with 391 total yards on the day while the Jags had 279. Glennon finished the process 24-of-37 for 211 yards, two touchdowns, and two picks. Running back Dare Ogunbowale, who started with James Robinson out, led the team in rushing with 14 carries for 71 yards.

In terms of receiving, D.J. Chark led the way with four catches for 62 yards. He also snagged one of the Jags’ two touchdowns in the first half with a highlight toe-tap reception on Bears rookie Kindle Vildor.

Defensively, cornerback Greg Mabin led the way with 10 tackles but they mostly came as a result of Robinson having his way with the secondary. Linebacker Joe Schobert wasn’t too far behind him with eight total tackles, a sack, a pass breakup, and a pick.

In the end, the score marked another embarrassing loss at home for Jacksonville, but the sting of getting ran out of their own stadium for the fans would only last for a little while. Moments later, the New York Jets, who played the Cleveland Browns, would eventually win their second consecutive game and hand the Jags the No. 1 overall pick.

With the Jags losing to the Bears and the Jets winning, the Jags could tie Gang Green’s record at the end of the season, but they won’t be able to surpass them as one game remains. If both the Jags and Jets finished with 2-14 records, the league’s tiebreaker rules would reward the Jags the No. 1 overall pick.

Of course, that put the Jags in the driver’s seat to draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is thought to be the next Andrew Luck-type prospect. Now, fans of the Jags will have to endure the wait as he makes his decision, but many believe he will enter the draft.

As for the current Jags roster, one game remains and it will be against their divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts. The game will be a must-win for Indy as they try and land a wild-card spot, which means the Jags could potentially spoil things with a win. Kickoff for that game will be on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m. EST.