The first week of the NFL gave us one of the tightest games of the day. Unfortunately for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it was the Miami Dolphins who secured the win with a last-second field goal. Following the game, star quarterback Trevor Lawrence addressed the media about his team’s performance.
In a game where the Jaguars were clear dominators in the first half, they struggled to close out the match in the final two quarters. It was the Dolphins who ultimately secured a narrow victory with a last-second field goal, winning 20-17.
Regarding the performance shown by Doug Pederson’s squad, it was none other than their starting quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, who made strong statements to Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union after the game: “We preach taking care of the ball, not doing it, but I’ve been in that same position, and that’s what I told Travis,”
“I’ve done it before, too. So no one is pointing the fingers. We still had plenty of time in the game, and we have to be able to handle the adversity and go score in the next series, and that’s the only good drive we had the whole half. It’s on all of us when something like that does happen. We’ve got to gather around and make the next play, and we didn’t do that.”, Lawrence finally concluded.
Jaelan Phillips #15 of the Miami Dolphins sacks Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The fumble by RB Travis Etienne could have determined the outcome of the game for the Jaguars. However, as Lawrence stated, it’s not fair to blame the final result on a single play. The team had several opportunities to extend their lead but failed to capitalize on them.
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The Jaguars and a false start to the season
The situation at Hard Rock Stadium was perfectly set up for the Jacksonville Jaguars to gradually secure their first victory of the season and start the year on the right foot.
However, a series of poor decisions and key plays meant that Pederson’s squad only picked up six first downs in the second half, with five of them coming on a single drive.
Jaguars didn’t score a point in the second half and left Miami as 20-17 losers after Jason Sanders hit a field goal as time expired. With these statistics, it was nearly impossible to maintain the lead, which is why the team’s frustration stems not only from the final result but also from the missed opportunities throughout the game.
Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars talks in his team’s huddle during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
What’s next for the Jaguars?
With the immediate goal of reversing the image displayed in Miami this past weekend, the Jacksonville Jaguars face a series of tough matchups ahead that will determine the fate of the franchise.
- Week 2 – vs Cleveland Browns, September 15th
- Week 3 – vs Buffalo Bills, September 23rd
- Week 4 – vs Houston Texans, September 29th
- Week 5 – vs Indianapolis Colts, October 6th
- Week 6 – vs Chicago Bears, October 13th
