Jaguars' Biggest Issue Defined in One Play Against Dolphins

Travis Etienne's brutal second-half fumble in the end-zone helped the Jacksonville Jaguars fall to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, but it is a much larger issue than just one play.

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland (8) punches the ball away from Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) causing a fumble that was recovered by the Dolphins in the end zone during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Year after year, team after team, it always appears as if there is one thing standing in the Jacksonville Jaguars' way: themselves.

The Jaguars have righted the ship in many ways under Doug Pederson. Entering Week 1, the Jaguars were 18-16 under the last two years under Doug Pederson.

In that span, they had allowed 21.2 yards per game and scored 23 points per game while having a winning record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2004-05.

This, of course, is compared to the Jaguars going 4-29 in 2020-2021, scoring just 16.9 points a game and allowing 28.8 points per game.

The Jaguars, as a whole, have gotten better. They have grown up. But they still haven't stopped stepping on their own feet.

Travis Etienne's second-half fumble at the one-yard line in Sunday's 20-17 loss will be remembered all season as a critical play.

A few moments later, Tyreek Hill scored an 80-yard touchdown to turn what should have been a 24-7 lead into a 17-4 lead, which the Dolphins eventually took control of.

But Etienne's fumble, as bad and critical as it was, is not the Jaguars' problem. It is merely the symptom of a much larger issue.

Throughout the entire Pederson era, the Jaguars have been a team that keeps itself from being great.

This was true before Pederson ever got to Jacksonville, but with expectations and stakes now raised, the self-inflicted wounds now cut that much deeper.

Turnovers at the worst possible moments, failing to put good teams away after a good first half, and an inability to bounce back from adversity.

Despite some late comeback wins in 2022, the Jaguars have had far too many games play out like today.

Things are better for the Jaguars than they have been for a long time, but they are still a franchise that needs to learn how to win.

That is a lesson they should have already learned in Pederson's first two years. In fact, today's game played out a lot like the Jaguars' 2022 loss to the New York Giants when Etienne fumbled near the end zone.

Etienne will likely be seen as the scapegoat for Sunday's loss. It makes sense; his fumble was a genuine 14-point swing in a three-point loss. But the Jaguars have deeper issues that, until resolved, are going to keep them from getting to where they need to be.

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