The Jacksonville Jaguars did it again.
After smacking around the Indianapolis Colts in a 24-0 shutout last week, they blew out the Los Angeles Chargers in 38-10 win. The Jaguars started relatively slow, punting on their first two possessions, and settling for short field goals in the red zone in the first half. But eventually Jacksonville put the pedal down and the Chargers couldn’t keep up.
Last week, I chose five studs and zero duds as there weren’t many negatives to pick from in the shutout win. It only feels appropriate to do the same after another dominant win.
Here’s a second straight all-studs edition of studs and duds:
QB Trevor Lawrence
It all starts here. When Lawrence goes, the Jaguars offense goes. He was a little shaky with accuracy early in the first quarter, but once Lawrence settled in, Jacksonville was unstoppable.
At the end of the game, Lawrence had 262 passing yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 115.5 passer rating.
It helped that the Jaguars offensive line managed to keep the Chargers pass rush at bay, but Lawrence also helped himself in that regard with his mobility outside of the pocket and his lightning fast decision making. According to Next Gen Stats, Lawrence got the ball out of his hand at an average of 2.39 seconds per play, the fastest of his career.
LB Devin Lloyd
Travon Walker looks every bit worth the No. 1 overall pick, yet it’s Devin Lloyd who’s probably the Jaguars’ most valuable rookie at this point.
On Sunday, Lloyd got his second interception of the season when Chargers running back Sony Michel bobbled a pass. But that was hardly Lloyd’s best play of the game. He was a force against the run and made incredible plays in coverage too.
This is some Bobby Wagner-level stuff by Jaguars rookie LB Devin Lloyd. Not many rookie linebackers can follow a tight end (Gerald Everett) 25-yards upfield in Lockdown Mode. pic.twitter.com/zaLD37O4n6
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 26, 2022
Through three games, Lloyd leads the Jaguars in tackles (24), passes defended (six), and interceptions (two).
OTs Cam Robinson/Jawaan Taylor
The Jaguars played against NFL sack leader Khalil Mack on Sunday. Did you notice? Me neither.
Mack, who had three sacks against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 and another sack against the Kansas City Chiefs, didn’t come close to Lawrence in Week 3.
I guess it’s more like six studs and duds with both Robinson and Taylor getting nods, but it feels deserved as Mack didn’t find much success rushing from either side. Sure, it helped that Joey Bosa was out of action for most of the day, but the Jaguars’ offensive line dominated, regardless.
WR Zay Jones
Jones is clearly one of Lawrence’s favorite targets.
On Sunday, he had a career-high 10 receptions for 85 yards and made himself a very friendly target for his 22-year-old quarterback. That was especially evident on a 14-yard touchdown pass when Jones broke off his route and ran parallel with a scrambling Lawrence to make himself available in the back of the end zone.
You cold for this one @zayjones11 all love lil bro lol pic.twitter.com/FUyLiB4phs
— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) September 26, 2022
Jones entered the NFL as a second-round pick after posting huge numbers at East Carolina University and strong numbers at the 2017 NFL Combine. Those credentials didn’t yield spectacular results during his stints with the Buffalo Bills and Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, but Doug Pederson appears to be getting the most out of Jones.
RB James Robinson
A productive day from Robinson is beginning to feel routine and commonplace, but it shouldn’t. Nine months ago, he suffered an Achilles tear, the type of injury that has derailed the careers of other running backs.
Not only is Robinson back on the field, he looks better than ever. His 37-yard touchdown in Week 2 was the longest of his career and a week later he topped it with a 50-yarder against the Chargers.
Through three games, Robinson has three rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown, and has 263 yards from scrimmage.
