(12-26-2017, 11:18 AM)Jest101 Wrote:

(12-25-2017, 08:19 AM)Bullseye Wrote: First off, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all of you. Please be safe.   This divisional championship-our first since 1999 and the first ever in the AFC South-felt a lot like 1998.  If you recall, the Jaguars won the division title-the team's first-due to other teams losing that week.  Minus Brunell, who was injured the week before in a home game to Detroit, the team went up to Minnesota and lost 50-3 or something like that.  It was great to have won the division, but to get beat like that was not good.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

1.  I am unsure whether it was the news that the Titans lost, the team really has a problem playing on the West Coast, the team simply ran into a buzz saw in the 49ers or what, but to me this was clearly the worst performance by the team, top to bottom this year.  Generally, it's not what you want going into the playoffs.  We had a slim chance of possibly getting a bye, but I can not see Pittsburgh losing these last two regular season games, barring a slew of devastating injuries these last two weeks.  Of this team's five losses, three were to teams with losing records (Jets, 49ers, and Cardinals) and at least one was to a tack team that is hovering just above .500.  Hopefully, this team learns not to take any team lightly.

2.  The obvious takeaway from the game is that Bortles regressed, throwing three picks and could have thrown another.  I believe the pick 6 on the crossing route wasn't completely his fault, as Coles got a case of alligator arms/heard footsteps.  Still, it was Bortles' responsibility to not lead Coles into that hit and throw it to mitigate the damage Coles would have taken.  I am not sure if it was Blake's fault on the deep pass down the sideline where it looked as if he was trying a back shoulder fade and the receiver ran a go or what.  What I do know is those three picks killed this team against the 49ers.  The question now is does it kill this team going forward in the remainder of the season?  First, can Bortles overcome these bad plays this bad game, or will this linger?  Even if Bortles can, did Marrone and Hackett lose confidence in Bortles to the point they revert to early season game plans?  I believe in conservative football, but if it gets to the point where other teams are saying the team has no faith in Bortles based upon the game plan, then that's a problem.  I think the receiving corps without Robinson has shown enough improvement where a repeat of the early season game plans where the team did not attack deep should not happen

3.  This was also an ugly game for the defense.  Giving up all of those points to the 49ers was not good.  The sideline squabble between Malik Jackson and Aaron Colvin was not good.  The stupid personal foul penalties-including two in one drive-gave the 49ers offense forty five (45) additional yards on a day they certainly did not need it.  While there was incentive for the Jaguars to win to keep pace with Pittsburgh and New England, from a playoff seeding standpoint, realistically, nothing was at stake.  Pittsburgh and or New England losing these last two weeks was not likely.  If the team will lose poise during this game where comparatively little was at stake, what will happen in the playoffs when things are do or die?  I sure hope this game was a lesson in poise.

4.  Somehow I knew Jeff Triplette would screw us someway. But that quick whistle on the forward progress fumble left me shaking my head in disbelief (aside from the loud string of profanities I spewed).  That call hurt us, but it didn't cost the team the game.  Nevertheless, does anybody have any faith that the Jaguars-not being one of the league's glamor franchises-can possibly avoid rectum wrecking calls like that if we go up against Pittsburgh or New England?

5.  Special teams generally played well. Mickens and Colvin teamed up nicely on the blocked extra point and 2 point conversion to give us some momentum in the first half.  Mickens came close on a couple of other attempts.  Lambo's on sides kick was brilliant, especially when you remember Scobee's horrible attempt against the ravens a few years back.  But Lambo's missed extra point likely doomed any comeback attempt.

6.  I like Poz, but the game showed why so many are ready to replace him.  How in the world does a FB get that far behind you on a wheel route to end up with a Forty four (44) yard gain?  A half back or 3rd down back?  I get it.  I even get a TE doing that to him.  But a FB?

7.  Rookie Watch:

• Leonard Fournette-had minimal impact, though he had a great blitz pickup.  The Seattle game aside, his production has fallen off a cliff.  We will need much more from him if we are to advance in the postseason.
  
• Cam Robinson-had some sort of Ab injury that took him out of the game.  He was dressed in his game uniform when they showed him on the sidelines a few series later.  It didn't hurt us too bad during the game because the 49ers did not have a particularly good pass rusher.  But the tacks are good enough rushing the passer that Robinson's absence would be felt.  I hope he is okay.  Ian Rapoport is saying it likely won't keep him out of the playoffs.  The phrase he used is "more of an annoyance..."
  
• Dawaune Smoot-did not notice him at all.
  
• Dede Westbrook-had some nice catches, and I thought he scored on that deep pass down the left sideline.
  
• Blair Brown-left the game with what was thought to be a concussion, but I did not see him get hit on that play.
  
• Jalen Myrick-blocked that extra point, but I did not notice him much beyond that.
  
• Keelan Cole-statistically had a nice game, but his short arming that crossing route led to the pick 6. 
  
• Jaydon Mickens-had mostly a quiet game
  

8.  I sure wish we can get some healthy WRs.  Jaelen Strong looked decent in his first action with us, but then he got hurt.

9.  Bottom line:This game epitomizes "Pyrrhic Victory."  Yes, we won the division, and considering where we've been the past few years, that is reason to cheer.  But we all want more for this team, and none of us want to see this team limp to a one and  done finish in the playoffs.  None of us want the tacks to sweep us, much less beat us three times in a season again.

My biggest concern is that I think the team was/is losing focus.  The Pats grind every week in a business like mentality.  They do everything required to win each week.  The Jags had kind of done that for most of the season but then they took the 49ers lightly (I think the Cardinals too with Gabbert at QB).  I just hope they learn from their mistake.  They were not mentally prepared for the Niners and I don't think they put in the work last week to be ready (making assumptions here of course).

Not knocking Coughlin, but it seemed his Jags teams seem to "play down" to competition.  We would be so much better than another team on paper and end up losing to someone we had no business losing too.  But almost always stepped up against big opponents.  I hope Marrone can get these guys focused and properly prepared.

NFL officiating (especially what constitutes a catch) is the biggest joke in all of sports.  "Completing the process" and "surviving the ground" are flat out stupid.  I hope the NFL does away with these phrases and changes the definition of a catch to what we all know it looks like across America.  If the ball is in your hand for a moment, boom, it's a catch.
Triplette also sounded like a pissy little school girl all game.  Talk about no professionalism at all!  If I was Goodell, that dude would have been fired mid-game.

I feel like you’re not watching the game. Play down to the competition? Destroyed Texans twice. Destroyed Colts twice. Beat Bengals.


Yea Jags lost to the 49ers and Cards but plays down to competition? Not true. West coast games are always tricky.

They’re not losing focus. They got beat by a hot QB and a hot team. They battled back from 16 down to lead 19-16. They battled back to 33-37. We had some bone head mistakes which will certainly be cleaned up.

Some people on here take one game as gospel but forget the other 15. If the Jags come out and smoke the Titans then what? They’re focused and good again?

---