Jaguars Thumped at San Diego

The Jacksonville Jaguars showed some promise in last week’s performance against the Green Bay Packers. In Sunday’s 38-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers, that promise seemed like a distant memory.

Philip Rivers was in complete control throughout, while Blake Bortles missed throws, had no running game and dealt with guys not being where they were supposed to be. With Chris Ivory out again with a medical ailment, T.J. Yeldon was in his spot and for the second straight week and was almost invisible for the second straight week.

With no running game to speak of, Bortles was forced to throw 50 times. The more you throw, the more chances you have to make mistakes and Bortles did, early. 

With San Diego up 7-0 in the first quarter, Bortles started the third offensive drive for the Jaguars and it was like déjà vu. Bortles threw a pass over the middle, intended for Marqise Lee, he was unable to reel it in and the pass was tipped and intercepted. It was a carbon copy of the Jaguars first turnover last week against the Packers.

San Diego (1-1) had to go 34 yards on the ensuing drive and Rivers finished the job with a six-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin, giving the home team a 14-0 lead, just as the second quarter got underway.

The Jaguars (0-2) got a 15 yard run from Yeldon on their next possession and Bortles hit Allen Hurns for 19 yards, putting the Jaguars in position for a 54-yard field goal, but Jason Myers hooked just enough and it went wide right. That set the Chargers up with another short field and they took advantage.

Rivers threw A 43-yard strike to Benjamin on the first play of the drive and a 2-yard pass to Antonio Gates finished it off., giving the chargers a commanding 21-0 lead. The San Diego defense forced a fumble after sacking Bortles, giving the Chargers another shot just four plays later, at the Jacksonville 18.

The Chargers got the ball to the one-yard line, before a fumble by Rivers, who like Bortles was sacked. Bortles was unable to take advantage, throwing his second interception of the day on the drive. San Diego did not score, but led by 21 at the half.

The Chargers scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter. Rivers connected with Tyrell Williams on a 44-yard pass with 10:54 left in the quarter and he hit Benjamin from 45 yards out, making it 35-0 with 2:48 left. They went 93 yards in seven plays on that drive.

This was an all too familiar site for Jaguars fans, who have seen games like this throughout the Gus Bradley era. It is hard to say that panic has set in after two weeks, but maybe Gus Bradley should be a bit nervous, because this was supposed to be the year the Jaguars made big strides. In two weeks of football, they have looked like the same old Jaguars in many respects.

The team did score twice in garbage time, with Bortles leading a 12-play drive following the San Diego score. Marcedes Lewis caught a 4-yard pass from Bortles with 12:54 to go, making it 35-7.

San Diego answered with a field goal and Jacksonville got their last touchdown of the game on their final drive, when Bortles hit Corey Grant from 15 yards out, capping a nine-play, 60-yard drive with 1:04 left in the contest.

For more info: Jacksonville @ San Diego Box Score

Bradley took responsibility after the game. “We got stung, we got punched in the mouth,” he said. “There were some things that took place out on the field defensively, that we did not do at any time during practice. We got out of whack a few plays and they had some explosive plays, with the run and the pass,”

This team needs to get things turned around and it doesn’t get any easier, with Joe Flacco and the 2-0 Baltimore Ravens coming to Jacksonville next Sunday. If there is such a thing as a must-win game in week three, this would be it, especially with a division game against Indianapolis looming in week four.

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