Jaguars Lose to Packers 24-20 as Upset Bid Falls Just Short - Sports Illustrated

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In what has become a weekly pattern for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the young team played their absolute hearts out as the underdogs on Sunday but once again came up just short.

Considered by most to be the easiest pick to lose of Week 10, the Jaguars (1-8) had the Green Bay Packers (7-2) on the ropes on the road. But on a day where so many things went right for the hard-fighting Jaguars, they couldn’t make the pivotal plays on offense at the end of the game to win.

The Jaguars had the ball at midfield on the game’s final possession, taking the ball at their own 47-yard line after stopping the Packers on third-and-1. But seven plays netted just one yard, with the Jaguars taking back-to-back sacks on third and fourth down to end the game, resulting in another narrow loss.

Jacksonville has gone from a team facing weekly blowouts to a team facing weekly heartbreaks. Over the last three games, the Jaguars have lost by a combined 16 points; by 10, 2, and 4 points.

Jacksonville’s offense didn’t convert a first down and scored just three points in the first half, but this didn’t prevent the Jaguars from finding the end zone. Following the Jaguars forcing a three-and-out due to tackles for loss from cornerbacks Tre Herndon and Chris Claybrooks, the Packers boomed a punt to Keelan Cole near Jacksonville’s own goal line.

What ensued can be only be described as special teams hysteria, with Cole weaving his way through space and gaps in the return coverage before forcing punter J.K. Scott to miss the touchdown-saving tackle due to a vicious dead leg move. The 91-yard punt return was the first for the Jaguars since Dec. 18, 2018 and the first of Cole’s career.

Cole’s big day wasn’t over, however. The fourth-year receiver redeemed himself for a second-down drop earlier in the game by catching a dart from Jake Luton for a 12-yard touchdown, a ball fit into an extremely tight window.

The elation of the entire Jaguars sideline could be summed up by Cole and receiver DJ Chark doing a double-Lambeau Leap. For Cole, he became the first Jaguars player to ever score a receiving touchdown and a punt return touchdown in the same game.

The touchdown to Cole was Luton’s best throw of the day. The rookie passer completed 18/35 passes (51.4%) for 169 yards (4.8 yards per attempt) and a touchdown with an interception. The wind, with gusts of reportedly 30 miles per hour at times, likely played a big role, especially pushing the ball downfield. But as Luton said, each team had to play in the wind.

“At the end of the day, this is the national football league and we get paid to win games,” Luton said. “Both teams had to play in it. ... I don’t think it was a huge factor. You have to go out and execute no matter the conditions are.”

But as much as elated as the Jaguars were for the big plays, they were as frustrated with missed opportunities. Tyler Eifert slipped on a route and led to a Luton interception just before halftime. Luton had Cole wide-open for a big gain on the game’s final drive but a deflected pass prevented the ball from getting to him.

And most notably, the Jaguars had a late touchdown run by James Robinson called back due to a holding penalty on A.J. Cann. The Jaguars had to settle for a 31-yard field goal, a four-point swing that would prevent the Jaguars from taking a bigger lead. This play would especially come back to hunt them as the Packers scored on a Davante Adams touchdown the next drive to go up 24-20.

The Adams play summed up the Jaguars’ defensive day. They played hard, forcing two turnovers (CJ Henderson forcing a fumble of Davante Adams, Sidney Jones intercepting Rodgers), but gave up too many big plays in key moments. They held the Packers to 5/13 on third down but allowed 6.6 yards per play, with most big plays coming through the air.

On the first play of the second quarter, Rodgers completed a deep pass down the right sideline to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who had gotten open against Sidney Jones. Valdes-Scantling had some open grass in front of him, but the back judge was unable to avoid the play as the ball-carrier cut through the middle of the field. Because of this, the referee got in Jarrod Wilson’s path to the ball and allowed the score, a 78-yard touchdown.

"My job is to get him down, but obviously we don't even want the explosive to begin with," Wilson said after the game.

The Jaguars had their chances to beat the Packers. Henderson, Jones and Josh Allen all made big plays for the defense. The offense was moving with Robinson (23 carries for 109 yards) and Cole and DJ Chark made plays when called upon.

But once again, the Jaguars came up just short. By just a few points, just a few yards, just a few key moments.

Jacksonville fans can take solace in the fact that their young team nearly upset the Packers and look to have a bright future. But for those on the field and the sidelines for the Jaguars, the only thing felt is the pain of another loss in what has been a season of close losses and dismay.

"Every time you play and you lose ... for me, I am not going to talk about anybody else. There is something that is in my soul that just gets (expletive) ripped out. So that is how I feel," a solemn Doug Marrone said after the game. 

"So it doesn't matter whether it was this game or the other seven before it. And it is something that you can't replace. At least that is how I feel."

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Jaguars Lose to Packers 24-20 as Upset Bid Falls Just Short - Sports Illustrated
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