Benn Bails Out the Jaguars

The Jaguars offense was listless for the better part of three quarters on Sunday, but the defense kept them in the game long enough for Arrelious Benn to come up with a 51-yard touchdown catch, helping Jacksonville to a 17-16 win at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Jacksonville (2-3) were down 13-0 in the second half and had a stretch where they ran 13 plays for 14 yards. Jaguars quarterback  Blake Bortles had two key turnovers including an interception in the end zone on the Jaguars first offensive drive and a fumble in the fourth quarter on s strip-sack from behind.

Chicago (1-5) led 10-0 at the half and held the Jaguars to 97 total yards. It was as ugly as the numbers indicate for the Jaguars, who finally got on the board with 10 seconds gone in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Chris Ivory. The drive was helped immensely by a roughing-the-passer call against the Bears on third-and-7 at the Bears 47.

It was a play that they should have run in the first quarter, with a second and goal from the one. Instead Bortles threw one into the end zone, intended for Allen Robinson. As has been the case a couple times this year, despite a good through, the receiver was unable to hang on and the ball popped up in the air and was intercepted.

Following the strip-sack, the Bears looked to lock the game up with the ball at the 28, but they couldn’t get it into the end zone and instead had to settle for a field goal, making it 16-7. Jacksonville kicker Jason Myers answered with his only field goal of the day, cutting the lead to 16-10.

The Bears needed to take time off the clock on their next drive, instead they ran three plays, gaining three yards, taking 1:41 off the clock. That would prove costly, as the Jaguars went to work with a chance to take the lead and 3:18 to do it.

Bortles found Julius Thomas for 13 yards, it was the only catch of the day for the big money tight end, but it got things started. Marqise Lee followed that with a 14-yard catch over the middle, to the Jaguars 49. After an incomplete pass, Bortles found Benn at the 36, as he was falling down. Untouched, Benn got up and ran the rest of the way, giving the visitors a 17-16 lead.

The drive took just 29 seconds and left 2:49 on the clock, plenty of time for Brian Hoyer and the Bears to get the field goal they needed. Alshon Jeffery, who torched Jalen Ramsey in the first half, to the tune of 90 yards receiving, was targeted on the fourth down play that ended with Ramsey knocking the ball down and preserving the victory for the Jaguars.

For more info: Jaguars @ Bears Box Score

This was the second straight victory for the Jaguars, following their win in London two weeks ago. 

Bortles took a while to get going, but made the play he needed to make on the throw to Benn. He finished 20-of-33 on the day for 271 yards, with one touchdown, one interception and a lost fumble.

He was forced to throw more than he should have, as the Jaguars rushed for 54 yards on 20 carries. 

Ivory had 32 of those and scored his first touchdown as a member of the Jaguars. It was a far cry from last week, when T.J. Yeldon’s 71 yards led a rushing attack that picked up 136 yards on the ground.

Hoyer threw for 302 yards in the losing cause, completing 30 of his 49 passes.

Things don’t get any easier for the Jaguars, as they will travel to Oakland next week to take on the Raiders at 4:05 p.m. EDT.

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