Jets vs. Jaguars Game Sept30Jets_Digitaly | Page 81

JAGUARS WRAP THREE-GAME HOMESTAND
AGAINST THE NEW YORK JETS
JACKSONVILLE – It is much too early in the
season to talk about “must-win” games.
Those only come up when playoff berths are on
the line or in the postseason.
After what happened last week in a 9-6 loss to
the Tennessee Titans, the Jacksonville Jaguars
(2-1) could sure use a winning result today
against the New York Jets (1-2) in a 1:00 p.m.
kickoff at TIAA Bank Field.
The Jags need this one in more ways than
one: to get right and look like a Super Bowl-
contending team again, to fi nish the fi rst
quarter of the season with a winning record,
to fi nish a three-game homestand with a 2-1
mark…
All of that would be great for this football team
to overcome an underwhelming performance a
week ago and get right.
It is also an important result today considering
what lies ahead over the next couple of weeks.
Next week, the Jaguars head to one of the most
hostile environments in the NFL, Arrowhead
Stadium in Kansas City, to face quarterback
Patrick Mahomes and the red-hot Kansas
City Chiefs (3-0). The week after, it is a trip to
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to face the
Dallas Cowboys (1-2). Two tough road games
are on the horizon, so a win at home today to
improve to 3-1 would take a little bit of the edge
off those plane rides. A 2-2 record heading into
those environments could make those games
a crossroads as to how the 2018 season feels
moving ahead.
First things fi rst, though… The New York Jets,
a team that knocked off the Jags last season.
Last season the Jets topped the Jaguars 23-
20 in overtime at MetLife Stadium in East
Rutherford, New Jersey. This was the game
when Jets running back Bilal Powell ran for a
75-yard touchdown when he avoided a tackle
from Telvin Smith, was not touched down and
then sprinted the rest of the way. Elijah McGuire
had a 69-yard rushing score for the Jets.
Jaguars Linebacker Paul Posluszny was called
for unsportsmanlike conduct for the fi rst time in
his career. Myles Jack had an 81-yard fumble
recovery return for a touchdown. The Jets
won the game in overtime with 28 seconds
remaining on a 41-yard fi eld goal by Chandler
Catanzaro.
It was just an all-around frustrating and weird
day in New Jersey last October 1. Time to right
that wrong and get back on track all at the same
time.
Last week against the Titans the Jaguars
offense struggled to fi nd any consistency, only
passing the 50-yard line twice in the game
and never reaching the red zone. Quarterback
Blake Bortles misfi red on occasion, had a few
balls tipped at the line of scrimmage and had
receivers drop critical throws. The running
game could not fi nd any consistency with