Jags not NFL lapdogs after third straight win.
Jacksonville shows its fortitude in third consecutive victory
JACKSONVILLE – You don’t have to be The Dog Whisperer to know if the Jacksonville Jaguars won on Sunday. Just check out the look of love from Doug Marrone’s two Labradoodles.
Dad dotes on them if they win. Dad pretty much ignores them if they lose. Consider it a great dog day afternoon after Marrone’s Jaguars toughed out an ugly 20-17 overtime victory against the San Diego Chargers.
Marrone admitted exhaustion after the game, but Jacksonville’s coach had the perfect after-party planned.
“I’m going to take a shower, call my wife,” he said. “Get some baloney and cheese, go out the back way. I’m going to get in my car. I’m going to drive home and
listen to some music. I’m not going to listen to the NFL. Go home, pet my dogs because we won.
“... and then I’m just gonna pffft,” Marrone said, letting out his breath and making a sigh of exasperation. “It’s not ‘woohoo,’ you know what I’m saying?”
The perfect way to decompress after much stress on Sunday. The Jags won in overtime to reach six victories for the first time since 2010. They won eight that year, followed by six consecutive losing seasons. But the Jags are no longer the Jags, if you will.
A year ago, they lose this game. All the cosmic karma was stacked against them.
Quarterback Blake Bortles threw two late interceptions, any one of which could have crushed this team. Bortles threw 51 times, including 11 consecutive passes on one drive. That is never good in an offensive game plan that relies much more on Bortles’ handoff abilities to Leonard Fournette. And the Chargers’ rush nicked Josh Lambo’s 30-yard game winner with 3:12 left in the extra quarter, but the ball still managed to push through the uprights.
“It doesn’t matter how they go through, just as long as they do,” Lambo said. “They all count the same.”
There is every reason to be disappointed about everything that transpired, and just as much reason to celebrate. Go ahead and exhale, Jaguars. You won.
“An ugly win,” said running back Corey Grant. “You don’t want it, but a win’s a win.”
Yes it is. Jacksonville has now won three consecutive games and is tied at 6-3 with the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South. And the schedule sure looks sweet moving forward. The next three opponents are Cleveland, Arizona and Indianapolis. All have losing records, and Cleveland is winless.
To reference another historical maker, the Jaguars have not reached the playoffs since 2007, when they qualified for the wild card round.
How they got to 6-3 in 2017 is emotionally conflicting for all involved, including many of the 60,835 fans who probably thought this was over way before one down of regulation.
Bortles threw a pick just after the two-minute warning and the Chargers leading 17-14. The defense forced a turnover two plays later. Bortles regifted by throwing another pick with 1:24 left in the fourth quarter. The defense then forced a threeand-out, setting up Lambo for a game-tying 34-yard field goal with three seconds left in regulation.
Onward to overtime, where A.J. Bouye’s tippedball interception and return set up the winning field goal.
“If this happens two years ago we fold and it’s over,” Bortles said. “The type of guys we have in the locker room right now, able to overcome adversity, overcome mistakes, overcome turnovers, penalties and do all that and still win a football game is pretty impressive.”
Most certainly not an artistic success; rather doggish to be honest about things. Still, two paws up from two happy Labradoodles and their very tired coach/dad.