Ten months ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars crowded three players into the backfield behind Trevor Lawrence on a must-have fourth down play against the Los Angeles Chargers. With the defense expecting a quarterback sneak or a run up the middle, the Jaguars fooled them with Travis Etienne Jr. racing off the right side for a 25-yard gain that sealed the game.
On Sunday, the Detroit Lions used the same concept to burn the Chargers on a fourth down of their own.
“We got that play to end the game in Jacksonville,” Chargers safety Derwin James said after the Lions’ 41-38 win, via The Athletic. “It was that same play, and they hit us on it.”
Both 4th & 1 situations. Compare and contrast what the Lions and Jaguars did. https://t.co/xVgUZH717K pic.twitter.com/L4X7f3W2fl
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 13, 2023
It’s not the first time the Jaguars offense has inspired other NFL coaches. The Kansas City Chiefs scored twice against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl with a play they saw the Jaguars use to get Jamal Agnew into the end zone in Philadelphia earlier that year.
It’s a copycat league and the Jaguars’ breakout success on offense in 2022 is still proving to be a pain in the Chargers’ neck.
