Quick thoughts on the 2024 Jaguars' Week 9 loss to the Eagles

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and team reporter Kainani Stevens provide brief thoughts Sunday on the Jaguars' 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 9, 2024 game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

John Oehser, Jaguars senior writer…

1. More fight, same result. Jaguars center Mitch Morse summed it up late Sunday when he called the last few weeks a “record break.” He was right and could have added that it is a frustrating broken record after the fifth loss this season by five points or less. Credit the Jaguars for this: You can forget the story from a few weeks ago that this team lacks heart and fight — or that there's “a lot of determination” on this team. The Jaguars have rebounded dramatically and resiliently over the past two weeks, nearly upsetting two NFC postseason contenders. Yes, they did it in a strange way on Sunday – rallying to have a chance to win late after registering just one first down in the first half, with the help of a strange fumble. Returns for a touchdown by defensive end Travon Walker. But the bottom line is that the Jaguars had a very real chance at one of the most memorable victories in franchise history on Sunday until Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean intercepted Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the end zone with 1:38 left. The good news for the Jaguars is that there are no heart or tendon issues. Of course, the bad news doesn't really make the good news important – and that means that at 2-7, the playoffs are all but over and the season is as disappointing as any of the Jaguars' seasons in recent memory.
2. That doesn't work. They figured the Jaguars needed a fast start Sunday against a good Eagles team — and that they needed to protect the ball. Hopes in those areas faded early in the first half, where the Jaguars again made crucial mistakes at crucial moments. First, punt returner Austin Trammell — who was called up from the practice squad on Saturday — failed in his first regular-season game for the organization, a turnover that occurred before the offense even made a play and that led directly to a 20-yard touchdown The Eagles' pass led quarterback Jalen Hurts to running back Saquon Barkley. Later in the half, after an impressive defensive performance in the first half, Lawrence's pass was thrown into the air by running back Travis Etienne Jr. and linebacker Zack Baun intercepted at the Jaguars' 40th line. Barkley's 19-yard run on a third-and-17 tied the game, increasing the Eagles' lead to 16-0 at halftime. The Jaguars need to somehow start faster and stop getting hurt early. If not, the frustrations of the last few weeks will continue.