Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) celebrates with Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Tim Jones (15) after scoring a touchdown during an NFL football game at Wembley Stadium, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in London. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
Published on October 20, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Jacksonville Today seeks to include a diverse set of perspectives that add context or unique insight to the news of the day. Regular opinion columnists are independent contractors who are not involved in news decisions. Want to submit your own column on a matter of public interest? Email pitches to jessica@jaxtoday.org.
The Jaguars left London with a win and, perhaps, a better idea of what kind of a team they are after a 32-16 win over the New England Patriots.
Tank Bigsby ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL start, and Trevor Lawrence completed 15 of 20 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown as the Jaguars (2-5) earned a second victory of the season. For now, the questions about the future of the team’s football leadership will cool.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
The first quarter was a reprise of some of the Jaguars’ most common problems. A porous defensive backfield allowed the Patriots’ rookie quarterback to march New England downfield and score a touchdown on the opening drive. Unforced errors included three offsides calls on the Jaguars’ defense, two on Josh Hines-Allen.
In the second quarter, something changed.
The Jaguars’ offense started to push the ball down the field including on a 59-yard Trevor Lawrence-to-Brian Thomas Jr. heave. Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ defense started to figure it out. Jacksonville allowed just 13 yards to the Patriots in the second quarter.
Then, after stopping New England on a drive with just under two minutes remaining in the half, Parker Washington fielded a punt at the 3-yard line and took it all the way back for a touchdown, the longest punt return in Jaguars history. From 10-0 down to up 22-10 after a 2-point conversion to Thomas.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
It was, perhaps, the best quarter of football the Jaguars have played this season, certainly since the first half of the season opener.
The second half included more from Bigsby, who carried the ball eight times on a 17-play drive, including a fourth-and-1 call that resulted in a turnover on downs. New England’s stop seemed to energize the Patriots’ offense, who drove downfield and scored for the first time since taking a 10-point lead.
At one point in the second half, the Jaguars ran the ball on 17 consecutive plays over the course of two drives. This was all with Travis Etienne sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The victory should not be interpreted as the Jaguars’ arrival. Winning against a rookie quarterback-led team with one win on the season should be expected. The win avoided the possibility of big leadership changes for the Jaguars for another week.
There is still much more to do as the Jaguars return to Jacksonville to prepare for a challenging stretch of the schedule. Jacksonville hosts Green Bay this coming Sunday before traveling to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. Then the Vikings, Lions and Texans. The combined record of the Jaguars’ next five opponents coming into the weekend was 21-6. All of them are in a position to make the playoffs. If the Jags are going to salvage the season now, they will have to become the hottest team in football.
Cole Pepper has covered sports in Jacksonville since 1996, most recently for News4Jax. He is currently broadcast director for Sporting Club Jacksonville and has called play-by-play for a number of teams, including the Suns, Tomcats, Jacksonville University, Sharks and The Bolles School football. He also served as the studio host for the Jaguars Radio Network.
