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
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
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
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
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.
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