By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire
In a postgame interview, Jaguars linebacker /edge rusher Travon Walker succinctly summed up one of the team’s main issues all season.
“We just have to finish,” he stressed. “That was the main thing today. We finished.”
The Jags did. And it was their much-maligned defense that didn’t break in their 10-6 victory at Tennessee Sunday.
Finishing will help them win again. Sounds simple, but the Jags had forgotten how to win.
The defense certainly helped the case of much-maligned head coach Doug Pederson, who obviously relished the moment.
Pederson has kept pointing to the team’s final five games as an avenue to regain their composure and confidence.
“It feels great to get back in the win column,” he gushed. It has been a while.
“Nobody pointed the fingers. We just had to tighten some things up and make a few subtle adjustments.”
It certainly wasn’t pretty, but it mattered as much as a playoff win for a team that broke a five-game losing streak and notched just their third win of the season (3-10).
The Jags grinded it out on offense despite Mac Jones’ two interceptions and his overall inadequate 23 of 31, 220-yard day.
But Jones did guide the team down the field on a seven-play, 81-yard drive that sealed the win on Tank Bigsby’s eight-yard touchdown scamper with just over six minutes left in the game.
Jones hit Brian Thomas Jr. for receptions of 40, 31, and five on the drive, and Thomas finished the day with eight catches for 86 yards. Thomas continues to establish himself every week.
Tennessee’s Will Levis had his chances to win it late in the fourth quarter, but he again proved that he isn’t the franchise quarterback or even a reliable starter, failing to hit his receivers in the final minutes.
There was a team-wide sigh of relief that could be felt back to Jacksonville.
This wasn’t about wins and losses, but a sense of respect regained and a possible igniter for the final four games.
More importantly, the Jags may have taken the first back to winning again.
They will welcome the hapless New York Jets (3-10) to Everbank Stadium next Sunday, losers of four straight and nine of their last 10.
The Jets have forgotten how to win. They let a late lead against Miami slip away and result in a game-tying field goal, and then the Dolphins marched right down the field in overtime for the win.
Yes, both teams have the same records, and they both can be considered hapless.
Yet, the Jags can take another step and bring some more life and respectability back with a win.
