By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire
(Photo courtesy Indianapolis Colts)
Because of Hurricane Milton, the Jaguars flight to land was delayed a few hours.
Doesn’t matter. It’s still a good thing. The Jags have to get to London to play the Bears Sunday morning.
They have won three of their last four games across the pond. Last year, they beat the Falcons, 23-7, and then shocked the Bills, 25-20, in the second consecutive week there.
The Jags are looking for history to repeat itself in the first of two games where their football is our soccer.
That was the beginning of a five-game winning streak that looked like it turned the season around.
Jacksonville needs that kind of turn now. Overall, they have a 6-5 record where many consider their second home or once almost their relocated home until owner Shah Khan committed to a new stadium.
On Trevor Lawrence’s birthday, the Jags found their path to their first victory last week when they hung on to a 37-34 victory over the reeling Colts at the Bank last Sunday in which 39-year-old nemesis Joe Flacco looked like his old self with a 33 of 44, 359-yard, three touchdown performance.
Even with their first victory, head coach Doug Pederson is apparently still under fire for a postseason appearance. When it looked like the Jags would get a break with Houston trailing Buffalo last week, the Texans found a way for a last-second victory that could swing their season into another gear.
Lawrence looked great in the first half, and he didn’t really lose his touch in the second half, as he finished arguably with his best day this season, going 28 of 34, 371 yards with a touchdown, an 85-yarder to rising Brian Thomas.
Tank Bigsby is starting to emerge as the back the Jags envisioned with his 101-yard performance, a 65-yard touchdown rumble. Bigsby is now the team’s leading rusher with 273 yards.
So, can the Jags take another big step against the Bears Sunday? Hopefully for them, that British band of good luck needs to surface again.
Before the season, this looked like a “W” in the Jags season win-loss total. That was then, and this is now. Chicago suddenly is 3-2 and looking legitimate.
Chicago rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is looking like the franchise quarterback the Bears thought he would be. The Bears’ defense is ranked seventh overall, 18th against the run and sixth against the pass. Chicago will be without starting safety Jaquan Brisker, who is a force on their defense.
On the other hand, the Jags’ running game is ranked 11th and their passing game is 20th, their defense is ranked eighth against the run and 32nd against the pass.
Williams – maybe finally a break-through USC quarterback – threw for 304 yards against the Panthers last week, and he hit 363 two weeks ago against the Colts.
On paper, it looks like the Jags will have to spring Bigsby loose. According to Pro Football Focus, Bigsby ranks first in rushing yards over expectation, third in overall grades, has a 50 percent success rate, and is first in yards per carry (8.0). Yes, that’s 8.0 per carry.
Bigsby likely will be the lead back with Travis Etienne’s status in question with his shoulder injury.
What’s worrisome is the Jags’ passing defense, which apparently still hasn’t put it all together in spite of having some new pieces in place.
If Bigsby can grind it out, if Lawrence can find a consistent passing game, and if the secondary can have a shutdown game, the Jags can register a much-needed second win.
It won’t be easy, yet the Jags have New England next week in the second part of their two game stay.
They could bring themselves back to respectability at 3-5 and then host the Packers at the Bank.
It will all come down to a balanced offense, an stiffened defense, and some London luck.
