Sports Column
Jaguars Collapse In Second Half, Drop Sixth Straight
By Lorenzino Estrada
It was another tough effort, but the Jaguars once again couldn’t get it done at New
Era Field in Buffalo.
The Jaguars were unable to capitalize early against the Bills, losing 28-21.
For the first time in 25 games, the Jaguars broke the longest active streak of not
scoring a touchdown on an opening drive, which was ended by Chris Ivory. The
Jaguars offense came out strong, but they were unable to score for the rest of the
first half. Despite Blake Bortles’ struggles in the passing game, he ran for 81 yards
and still managed to tack on two touchdowns without throwing an interception.
“Albino Tiger” Marquise Lee continued to show reliability when Pro Bowl wide
receiver Allen Robinson could not. The second half was different for the Jaguars
offense, where they managed to score twice, always answering back.
The Jaguars defense was a tale of halves, looking dominant and Seattle-like in the
first, but imploding in the second. Star-studded running back LeSean McCoy was
held in check in the first half by the front seven, but on the opening play in the third
quarter, McCoy sprinted for a 75-yard touchdown and the collapse began. Tyrod
Taylor and the Bills offense took advantage of player errors and coaching mistakes,
scoring 22 points in the second half. While the defense disappointed late, this is a
good learning experience for a young and talented defense.
Despite another loss, the Jaguars were able to go into enemy territory, and keep the
game close, with a chance of winning it every time they possessed the ball. It’s
imperative for the Jaguars to learn how to win games when the stakes are high. The
final stretch of games doesn’t get easy for the Jaguars, where they will face the great
defenses of Denver, Minnesota and Houston. It will be a test, but one the Jaguars will
be ready for.