When the Jacksonville Jaguars ' offense managed just 4 yards on eight plays in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins , it reinforced a disturbing trend that proved costly in the team’s 2023 collapse: big-moment failures.
The Jaguars too often come up empty when games hang in the balance. That happened in four of their five losses down the stretch last season, then again after Miami flipped the momentum on an 80-yard touchdown pass by Tua Tagovailoa to cut the Jacksonville lead to 17-14.
For myriad reasons, the Jaguars stagnated at the worst possible time.
Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby couldn’t move the chains on back-to-back plays when only one yard was needed to keep the offense on the field. Christian Kirk dropped a third-down pass that also gave the ball back to the Dolphins.
On the Jaguars’ final possession, Trevor Lawrence got sacked twice before Miami converted three first downs to set up Jason Sanders ’ 52-yard field goal to win it.
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After Etienne’s fumble into the end zone and the TD pass to Tyreek Hill , the Jaguars repeated the trend of not handling adversity well. The game got tight as it neared closing time and their playmakers came up small.
Jaguars’ Taylor tells it like it is
Offensive coordinator Press Taylor was spot on Thursday about the importance of handling those key moments.
“We felt like we were two yards away from potentially putting that game away, and then all of a sudden. ... But you have to overcome that,” Taylor said of Etienne’s fumble. “That's the NFL. Every game is going to find a way to come down to one score. Seventy-five percent of the games are going to come down to one score.
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“You've got to find a way to, when you have an opportunity to put somebody away, put them away. But then respond and be resilient when things aren't going your way, or you feel momentum is flipped, or whatever the challenges are, you've got to be able to execute every single situation.”
It was the same Jaguars we saw down the stretch last season. With a No. 1 AFC seed on the line on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals, they went three-and-out after taking a 28-21 lead and let backup quarterback Jake Browning beat them in overtime.
One week later, the Jaguars went four-and-out after cutting the Cleveland Browns’ lead to 28-21. Then against the Baltimore Ravens, trailing 10-7, the offense managed just 64 yards on its final 22 plays in a 23-7 defeat.
The Week 18 disaster against the Tennessee Titans cost them the AFC South title, with the big sequence being the failure to get into the end zone from one yard out on back-to-back plays in a disheartening 28-20 loss.
It’s impossible for the Jaguars to have a successful season if they keep failing in game-deciding moments. They can’t always rely on jumping out to big leads and playing as frontrunners.
Yes, it’s not often the Jaguars blow a double-digit lead to Miami or anybody. But once games come down to executing one or two more plays to win, the Jaguars have to find a way to make it happen.
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Tyreek Hill, police both fumbled
The body-cam footage from Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill being stopped before the Jacksonville Jaguars game on Sunday outside Hard Rock Stadium for careless driving, which led to him being pulled out of his car to the ground and handcuffed, leaves nothing to the imagination.
Both Hill and Miami-Dade police officer Danny Torres , a 27-year veteran, played a part in escalating what should have been a minor traffic stop without incident.
Instead, it erupted into a verbal back-and-forth, then Torres later using unnecessary force to take Hill back down to the ground after he was standing up in handcuffs.
To his credit, Hill acknowledged Wednesday he could have handled the situation better, specifically rolling his window back up when the officer repeatedly asked him to keep it down.
He also didn’t help his cause with some of the language he used in frustration. Hill, who doesn’t have a squeaky clean reputation in terms of behavior over his NFL career, calling for Torres’ firing was something better left unsaid until that matter is resolved.
“I’ve got to follow rules. I’ve got to do what everyone else would do,” Hill said. “Now, does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not. But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently.”
It’s too bad we didn’t hear that same sentiment coming from Torres, who was placed on administrative duties, or anyone connected with the Miami-Dade police.
Hill was wrong for not following the officer’s directive, but he did little to exacerbate the situation once he was pulled from the car. The police also detaining and handcuffing Dolphins teammate Calais Campbell , who was driving into the stadium and trying to de-escalate the situation, was also a bad look.
In the end, the best thing for both Hill and Torres is to take an "L" on this incident, accept whatever consequences happen, and move on.
Parker Washington's on-the-ball recovery
It became a footnote from the Jaguars’ loss to the Dolphins because no damage was done. However, kick returner Parker Washington made an impressive recovery after Elijah Campbell poked the ball out on the kickoff following Hill’s 80-yard touchdown catch.
As the ball bounced forward from the Jaguars’ 18 into traffic at the 24, it appeared Washington had no chance to recover. He dove into the pile where Dolphins linebackers Chop Robinson and Duke Riley were in good position to grab it.
Somehow, Washington reached in and wrestled the ball from Riley to avoid another Jaguars disaster.
Here was CBS play-by-play man Kevin Harlan on the call, saying: “Oh, he fumbled the ball. Miami’s got it! Miami’s got it! Calamity! ... Oh, Jacksonville’s got it. Washington vacuumed it in. Oh, my goodness.”
Give Washington credit for showing terrific resolve to make up for his mistake.
“In that moment, just let my instincts kick in and get the football back for our team,” said Washington. “You don’t want to let the bleeding get worse. You have no chance if you don’t dive in.
“I’m surprised I got an opportunity to get to it just from the situation it was. I was at least glad to get the ball back for our offense.”
Other than a muffed punt that he quickly fell on last year against the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington said it was the first time he could remember fumbling a return on any level of football.
Stakes getting higher for Norvell
While every week has become a referendum for how long Florida coach Billy Napier can last, things are getting a bit uneasy at Florida State for fifth-year head coach Mike Norvell .
Saturday’s home game against his former employer, Memphis — one of the better Group of 5 programs coached by former Bolles School player Ryan Silverfield — looms much bigger for the Seminoles after an 0-2 start in the ACC.
Memphis (2-0) has one of the nation’s more underrated offenses with Seth Henigan , an accomplished three-year starter, at quarterback. He’s got proven weapons in receivers Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee , plus South Carolina transfer Mario Anderson at running back.
FSU had a much-needed bye week for a disjointed offense and underachieving defense to get their acts together. The Noles can’t have a three-game losing streak for the fourth time in Norvell’s five seasons because the feel-good vibes from last year’s 13-1 record have evaporated.
FSU needs QB DJ Uiagalelei to start showing consistency as a passer, but more importantly, it must find a way to own the line of scrimmage.
Lose to Memphis and not only is FSU likely eliminated from the 12-team College Football Playoff, the possibility of not going to a bowl game also becomes a viable topic.
This is as close to a must-win game for Norvell that he’s had since taking over the program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quick-hitting nuggets
Seeing Tagovailoa exit Thursday night's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills with a concussion after a hit by safety Damar Hamlin , and Mike McDaniel kissing him as he left the field, it's impossible not to wonder if the Miami Dolphins head coach might possibly be kissing his quarterback goodbye. Given Tagovailoa's concussion history, and saying last year that he considered retirement after the 2022 season due to injuries, it's something the 26-year-old quarterback has to at least think about. As jarring as the thought of retiring might be, Tagovailoa's health is far more important than football. . . .
What’s the point of Napier likely playing both quarterbacks, fifth-year senior Graham Mertz and true freshman DJ Lagway , in Saturday’s SEC opener against Texas A&M? Napier knows he’s playing for his job this season, so better to go down swinging with the 5-star quarterback who brings excitement and far more upside over a steady veteran with a limited skill set. Since Lagway is viewed as a potential program savior, why not start him and see if he can pull it off? It’d certainly give the Gators a real chance to make the game more entertaining for UF fans. It's not like Napier has a lot to lose since he's already sitting on the hottest seat in the country. ...
Pigskin forecast
Jaguars over Cleveland Browns by 10 (troubleshooters); Houston Texans over Chicago Bears by 6 ( Joe Mixon rebirths); New York Jets over Tennessee Titans by 1 (AARP-ready quarterback); Indianapolis Colts over Green Bay Packers by 1 (Love-less offense); Kansas City Chiefs over Cincinnati Bengals by 3 ( Patrick Mahomes improvisations); Texas A&M over Florida by 3 (Go-Fund-Napier-Buyout appeals); Florida State over Memphis by 4 (panic buttons); UCF over TCU by 1 (legit CFP push). Last week: 5 right, 2 fourth-down wide runs.
Gfrenette@jacksonville.com : (904) 35904549; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars must stop going limp in big moments | Gene Frenette
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