By CJ Carlson
Browns 31 – Jaguars 27
The Jacksonville Jaguars were upset by the Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals last weekend. In the process, quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered an ankle injury and receiver Christian Kirk got core muscle surgery. This week was supposed to be difficult, yet they just didn’t look good at all in a 31-27 loss against the Cleveland Browns. A loss that saw Lawrence suit up and play even with that ankle sprain bothering him.
However, Lawrence was clearly not in a rhythm, and you could tell early on. He completed only 56 percent of his passes for 257 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. The turnovers were incredibly costly for a team that found themselves behind for the entire game. Giving the ball up on key drives set them back one too many times. But the issue that I saw once more was on the ground.
Jacksonville has had difficulty getting the run game some momentum lately, with this week being no different. Travis Etienne paced the backfield with 14 rushes for 35 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 2.5 yards per carry, and that includes a 16-yard run he had. Without that run, he would have 13 rushes for 19 yards on the afternoon. D’Ernest Johnson had three rushes for 12 yards behind Etienne. It was just another bad rushing day for the Jaguars.
Not All Was Bad In Jacksonville
In the passing game, Evan Engram had a beautiful day. He had 11 receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Without a doubt, he was the standout player on a losing Jaguars team today. Calvin Ridley was behind him with four catches for 53 yards, and Etienne had four receptions for 37 yards. Overall, this offense didn’t live up to their potential once more, and the door remains open for the division title to be somebody else’s. Luckily, the Houston Texans lost, keeping Jacksonville firmly in front for now.
Lastly, I should mention their defense. Even though they gave up 31 points to a Joe Flacco-led Browns offense, they forced multiple turnovers to stay alive. They had an interception and two forced fumbles along with a sack. Without these key turnovers, the game might have turned into a blowout rather quickly. Now, Jacksonville has a bye week to correct some of their issues and get fully healthy before taking on a dominant Baltimore Ravens team in Week 15.
