Jaguars report card: Just an aw-FFFul day on multiple fronts against Detroit Lions

Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette grades the Jaguars’ performance against the Detroit Lions based on execution, effort and game circumstances.

Offense: F

After three games where Trevor Lawrence put together his best stretch of football, the quarterback and his offense never did anything impactful.

The only good thing was Lawrence, whose left leg got twisted up on a sack by James Houston to end the first half, was not hurt seriously enough to be taken out of the lineup, though backup C.J. Beathard played the final series.

The tone was set on the game’s second play when running back Travis Etienne got stopped by safety DeShon Elliott after a 13-yard run, got the ball stripped from him and Lions’ linebacker Alex Anzalone recovered at the Jaguars’ 38. Seven plays later, a Jamaal Williams 1-yard TD run gave Detroit a lead it never relinquished.

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Lawrence (17 of 31, 179 yards, 1 TD, 82.6 rating) was plagued by five dropped passes, including three by Zay Jones. Not that it would have mattered since the running game was a non-factor, playing uphill all game.

There was a brief flicker of hope when the Jaguars got a TD and a nifty 2-point PAT off a Jamal Agnew pitch from Lawrence to make it 30-14.

Still, only getting 266 total yards and 14 points on a Lions defense that was yielding 414.5 yards and 28.2 points per game is a complete failure.

Defense: F

This grade should be a G, H or Z, something below an F.

Yes, it was that bad.

Going against the NFL’s worst defense by all pertinent statistical standards, the Jaguars had a complete meltdown from start to finish.

Mike Caldwell’s unit continues to regress since its early season success.

The Jaguars looked totally lost all day, surrendering points on the Lions’ first eight possessions (4 TDs, 4 field goals) before they took a knee at the end. It marked only the second time in the last 30 games — lost 50-10 at New England in 2021 — that an opponent scored 40 points.

Lions QB Jared Goff (31 of 41, 340 yards, 2 TDs), who was rarely pressured, owned the Jaguars from the outset.

LB Chad Muma had 1.5 sacks, but the scoring margin made it a non-factor.

The Jaguars’ pass coverage, whether in man or zone defense, struggled badly.

One simple swing pass to running back De’Andre Swift went for 24 yards because nobody accounted for him.

A chance for a big takeaway was missed on Detroit’s first series when a Goff throw went off the hands of cornerback Darious Williams, who gave up too many easy completions, and was caught at the Jaguars’ 1 by Amon-Ra St. Brown.

A particular embarrassment was the Lions eating up 7:33 off the clock on their last TD drive.

Special teams: D-plus

You know it’s a bad all-around day when this unit doesn’t get at least an above-average grade.

Except for two Riley Patterson field goals from 31 and 42 yards, there was nothing terribly positive.

Heath Farwell’s unit gave up valuable field position on kick returns of 32 and 39 yards by Justin Jackson, the second of which opened the second half.

It led to a De’Andre Swift touchdown for a 30-6 lead that ruined any thoughts of a big comeback.

Since the Lions never punted and only two of Jack Fox's nine kickoffs were returnable, and Jamal Agnew didn't do much with them, the Jaguars got nothing out of their return game.

Logan Cooke had three punts for a net average of 39.0 yards, which is significantly below his 44.3-yard average.

Coaching: F

When a team collectively lays an egg all around, then Doug Pederson and his staff have to shoulder the blame as well.

It’s inexcusable that the Jaguars lost an NFL-record 20th consecutive game to an NFC opponent in such disturbing fashion.

For the first time this season, Pederson’s team looked ill-prepared and totally out of sync on multiple fronts, especially the defense.

The Jaguars gave up way too many easy yards and the offense was only marginally better.

One strange call came late in the first quarter on a third-and-5 situation across midfield.

The Jaguars tried running up the middle with Etienne that gained just 1 yard. Pederson then elected to punt on fourth-and-4 from the Lions’ 45, trailing 14-3.

If you didn’t intend to go for it on fourth down, the third down should have been a pass. Sure, it’s nit-picking, but that play-call sequence didn’t help matters.

Gene Frenette Sports columnist at Florida Times-Union, follow him on Twitter @genefrenette

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars grades from loss to Detroit Lions