The Jacksonville Jaguars are on a rock. Or perhaps some kind of spot or raised mound. It’s definitely not any kind of rock. The Greatest Show in Teal continued on Sunday in London as the Jaguars were defeated by the Bears by a 35-16 margin. Head coach Doug Pederson said afterward that his 1-5 team is on the verge of making something happen. greatness? Apocalypse?
“We are on a slippery slope, or right on top of that slope,” Pederson said. “At some point we have to (say) enough is enough, and you have to be proud enough and find a way.”
I’m not entirely sure what type of rock structure Pedersen is talking about, but it doesn’t look promising. But there is a point! Maybe there’s relief in it, like some kind of foothold that keeps you climbing, or leading you toward some certain destruction.
Foolish penalties and dropped passes told part of the story Sunday, including two targets to receiver Gabe Davis in scoring position. On the Jaguars’ first play of the second half, tight end Evan Engram caught a 24-yard pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Only to fumble the ball at Chicago’s 42.-yard line; Bears defensive end Elijah Hicks made it back for 19 years. On the ensuing drive Bears rookie Caleb Williams threw for his third score of the day, finishing with four touchdowns in the air. Lawrence would eventually connect with Davis for two touchdowns, going 23 of 25 with one interception on the day.
Williams is now just three games away thanks to the Jaguars Breaking the Bears record for passing touchdowns by a rookie. And 11 games remain on the schedule. Jacksonville started the season with four consecutive losses, the only win coming in a game last week in which they allowed a Joe Flacco-led Colts team to score 24 points in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars had to kick a field goal in the final minute to come out on top.
Perhaps that’s why London Game Jaguars owner and mustache wax enthusiast Shad Khan was at the forefront Answering a question from a local journalist On whether he still supports Pederson, especially after saying in the offseason that “winning right now” was his expectation for his team:
“I still believe in them. I believe in the players, I believe in the coaching staff. I believe in Trent (Balke). Obviously, the results are disappointing for all of them, as well as me or “Same for any other Jaguars fan.” But, the main thing that one has to understand is that we have evolved and have really reached a level.
I believe that one man’s level is another man’s peak. Still, there’s a reason Jaguars have taken on the mantle of “cardiac cats” over the years. The team started the 2022 season at 2–6 and clinched the AFC South at 9–8. They went 6–2 in the first half of the 2023 season before finishing 9–8 and missing the playoffs. We can at least say with some confidence that the AFC South is a dumpster fire that allows for any number of hypothetical scenarios. It’s certainly possible that Jacksonville could start as early as next week’s game against the Patriots in London. Pederson’s team may be on some kind of rough and tumble surface, but he said Sunday he believes they have plenty of fight left in them for the remainder of the season. “I feel like the guys…they don’t give up,” Pederson said. “They keep fighting. We’ve got to figure out how to get out of our own way and play football.”
in a different post game Interview with a local Jacksonville TV stationFacing the question “Was it as bad as it looked out there,” safety Andre Sisco said: “It was really, really bad,” he began. “I just…I feel like it was…how should I say this…giving up a lot. The last line of defense in a situation like that. You can feel when we’re playing as one And when not.
There could be more slippage on that slope.