Jaguars Have Interesting Strategy For Must-Win Game

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in need of as many wins as possible. They must do whatever is necessary to make that happen.

Oct 17, 2024; Watford, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) carries the ball against offensive coordinator Press Taylor during practice at The Grove. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-5 and need improvement in almost every area of the field. However, they have won two of their last three games.

Part of what has helped the Jaguars offense play better over the previous few weeks has been their ability to play well once offensive coordinator Press Taylor is no longer calling plays from their predetermined list of plays. 

An offense using a script to start the game is far from uncommon in the National Football League. It allows coordinators to take what they have learned from opponents' tendencies on film and game plan for it throughout the week.

However, that benefit only lasts for so long, until offensive coordinators must make adjustments, as opposing teams know their tendencies and often change things when facing a new opponent.

Multiple times this season, the Jaguars' offense has played well when calling plays from the script to start the game.

This can be seen by the early leads they have built in multiple games this season. However, once the Jaguars get past those set plays, they begin to falter, as can be seen by the leads they have blown in multiple losses this season.

Taylor says the team can only mix things up if their original plan is working efficiently. Otherwise, it is much more difficult to be successful. 

“That's just the way it goes,” Taylor said. “I mean, again, we're not going to do that if we're not being efficient. I mean, it started with two 12-yard runs, a nine-yard run, a five-yard run, six. If it's all one, two, three, you're probably not going to keep doing it. It just doesn't make sense. It doesn't lend in your favor.”

“Or you're down two scores, you're not going to do that. So, that's why it's great when you're able to because our guys were feeling it, and Tank’s [RB Tank Bigsby] feeling it. He kind of gets eased into the drive and starts seeing things even better. A lot of it was repeat concepts, things we were running throughout the course of the game that were just favorable looks for us.

Against the New England Patriots, the Jaguars were able to figure out what approach would work best for them for that specific matchup.

Taylor noted that the Jaguars have played different styles of football with varying success. Taylor says the offense’s mindset is to do whatever it takes to win weekly.

“So, our guys fed off that and did a good job,” Taylor said. “But I think in this league, you've got to be able to win any way possible. I think we won a couple of weeks ago, throwing for 380 yards or whatever that was. Then we won this week with 16-straight runs. What can you do to win that game that week? And it changes. 

“The first quarter, you're going to play it differently than you do in the fourth quarter. So that's just the way the game goes. We're going to continue to try to do what we think is working at the time. We're not just going to do something because we ran it 16 times one time, and that was cool. So, let's do it every game. That doesn't make sense. So, our goal is just to win the game. We'll do whatever it takes to do that.”

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