By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire
JACKSONVILLE – Breathe easy, Jaguars fans, all is alive and well again in Jacksonville. Those lingering thoughts of high anxiety have been dispelled. It’s still a viable playoff push.
It was a Sunday stacked with smiles in the Jacksonville sun from the game itself to the dog derby at halftime. To cap it off, there were some records set in the process.
The Jaguars’ four-game slide came to an abrupt end with a convincing 26-0 shutout over the hapless Carolina Panthers at Everbank Stadium. Jacksonville lived up to the expectations by holding the visiting Panthers to 124 yards and sacking quarterback Bryce Young six times.
After being outmanned and outplayed against the Bengals, Rave, and Buccaneers in the three of the past for weeks – they had a tight loss against the Browns – the Jags took control against the Panthers with the three necessary components – their defense, Travis Etienne, and Brandon McManus.
All three weren’t effective enough over the past month for the Jags that saw their shift from top AFC contender at 8-3 to a near pretender at 8-7. The Jags also have a better feel for Baltimore and Cleveland, the latter who they could face in a home playoff game.
As for their defense, the Jags eventually won the line of scrimmage and began to wreak havoc on Young. Their constant pressure silenced any semblance of a Panthers’ threat.
Josh Allen had two of the team’s three sacks in the opening half, and set the team’s new individual record in the process, surpassing Calais Campbell mark of 14.5. Allen added another one in the second half with the game out of reach and raised his total to 16.5.
Etienne began the game running hard, but he was then corralled before halftime and had 22 yards at the break.
But he burst free on a 62-yard scamper down the sideline – the longest run of this career – that basically iced the game. He had a one-year plunge late in the fourth quarter and finished with 102 yards on 18 carries. His two touchdowns brought him to 10 for the season, and he became the first Jaguar running back to hit that mark since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2009.
McManus appeared to have regained his touch with four solid field goals after he converted just one in his previous five attempts. He remains a key to the Jag’s postseason aspirations.
Quarter CJ Beathard drove them down the field, but he wasn’t able to find the end zone in his 14-for-21, 115-yard performance in the opening half. He finished the game 17-for-24 for 178 yards and managed the game well.
With Carolina coming into town with a 2-13 record and obviously struggling, the choice to play Beathard over the injured Trevor Lawrence was a safe choice, and the Jags’ defense stepped up to fill the void.
Now, the Jags control their destiny as they head to Tennessee to try and win their second straight AFC South crown. Fortunately for them, they will know what’s at stake as Indianapolis and Houston play each other Saturday night, the loser out of the division race.
If he is somewhat healthy, Lawrence will be back Sunday in Tennessee, If he can’t go, it will be back on Beathard, Etienne, McManus, and the defense again to keep their lives where they should be.
