After the Houston Texans dismantled the Buffalo Bills, the Jacksonville Jaguars found themselves needing to beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12 if they didn't want to fall behind in the race for the AFC South crown.
Just before the Cardinals game, the Indianapolis Colts had lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, so the Jags had an extra incentive to come out on top. They did, even though they made things more difficult than they should've been.
With this in mind, here are four critical observations from the 27-24 win over the Cardinals.
The Jaguars cooled down baldly in the second quarter
The Jaguars got off to a hot start in the first half, and based on how things played out in the win over the Chargers, it looked like they were going to be outright dominant for the second straight game. However, the offense cooled down eventually in the second quarter, and the defense couldn't stop Arizona's passing game. If it weren't for the fact that the Cards missed a field goal just before halftime, they would've been 17-10 to start the third quarter.
The good news is that the Jacksonville offense hit its stride right after halftime, and if Trevor Lawrence hadn't thrown an ill-timed interception on the first possession of the third quarter, the Jags would've gotten the lead. Then again, the defense forced a third-and-out, and with another chance to visit the end zone, No. 16 found Jakobi Meyers for his first touchdown as a member of the Jags.
Now, you could argue that it doesn't matter that the Jags came out from a deficit, but they may not be able to pull it off against better teams, so they need to be more consistent moving forward.
The Jaguars were able to bring the heat without Travon Walker
No Travon Walker? No problem! The Jags managed to put pressure on Jacoby Brisett without the former Georgia Bulldog, forcing him out of the pocket often. Dennis Gardeck registered two sacks against his former team, while defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton, Devin Lloyd, and even safety Antonio Johnson had one each. The Jags ended up logging 36 pressures.
Walker may not be back for Week 13, so it's a good thing that the Jags are finding ways to replace his pass-rush prowess.
Having Brenton Strange back was huge for the Jaguars (and Trevor Lawrence)
Jakobi Meyers rightly got the spotlight because he scored his first touchdown as a Jaguar. That said, he wasn't the only Jacksonville skill position player who stood out. Brenton Strange made his return after spending the past five games on Injured Reserve with a quad injury. Right off the bat, the third-year tight end made his presence felt as a blocker. Moreover, he hauled in four receptions for 87 yards.
With more time to get acclimated, Strange should have an even bigger impact in Week 13.
Penalties and Trevor Lawrence held the Jaguars back
The Jags were able to move the ball well at times, but they shot themselves in the foot several times. Granted, some flags were questionable, such as the one Devin Lloyd got for roughing the passer even though he couldn't have done anything better. But even if you leave that penalty aside, the Jags ended with six penalties. That's too much.
Couple that with the fact that Trevor Lawrence had three interceptions, along with a fumble returned for a touchdown, and it's fair to wonder just how much better the Jags would've been if they had cleaned up the fundamentals and had kept mistakes to a minimum.