When the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts last week, players, coaches, front office staff and, of course, fans breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Not only was it the group's first win of the 2024 season, but it also gave the Jaguars their first taste of victory in nine games starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence, for whom the Jaguars paid him a $55 million season extension this offseason. Ta. .
For legendary Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, that first win was monumental because of the pressure the team had heading into the 2024 season.
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NFL Network commentator Maurice Jones-Drew during the NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
“Owners come out and say, 'This is the year we have to win. We have a lot of talent.' That's very, very true,” Jones-Drew said of the Chicago Bears. He spoke to Fox News Digital after meeting and training with U.S. military personnel at RAF Lakenheath Military Base in London ahead of the match.
“But I think it just puts more pressure on the players to go out and play. Getting that first one is the hardest. Once you get that first one. It feels like a lot of that pressure is taken away.'' OK, you solved the first one. Now you can calm down and do your job. ”
Jones-Drew pointed out that even though the team is 1-4 this year, it has remained close with the exception of Jacksonville's blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. Current and former NFL players know that it takes just a few plays to win a game by one score.
Jaguars defeat Colts for first win of 2024 season
The Jaguars weren't able to do that, but that could lead to what Jones-Drew called “pressing.”
“For them, it was like, 'Hey, what's going on? We're closing in.' And we felt like they were putting too much pressure on us, so we got this win.” If we do that, I think we can use London as a springboard and get back to the season like we did last year.”
The NFL's annual London game is something to look forward to every year, especially for players who have never been there before. However, while it was supposed to be a neutral game for both teams, it wasn't, and the Jaguars consistently travel overseas each year and have built a strong fan base.
“I think the Jags decided to use this as home-field advantage, which I thought was a great and smart thing to do,” Jones-Drew said. “A lot of teams end up saying, ‘Oh, we have to go overseas.’ The Jags embraced that, and knowing that they’re going to go over there for two weeks every year and play games. I think that's half the battle, the Jags have a great fan base here, and again, I think half the battle is just accepting what's going to happen.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Rau)
“This is becoming a second home for them.”
Led by No. 1 overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears are currently on a winning streak, and one more win would put them in a great position at 4-2 on the year.
So what exactly does the Jaguars need to do to extend their winning streak?
“One is they have to keep the football going. They have to run the football at a clip, which means clipping it two or three times per series,” Jones-Drew explained. . “You've got to run the football. If you can run the football, the pressure will be off of Trevor because he's just going to play the ball and not have to think about it. It allows the offense to attack.''Then the third thing is to set the tone of the game by running the football, and the last one is to set up play-action passes if the Jags can continue.'' To run football. ”
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver #7 Brian Thomas Jr. scores a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Everbank Stadium. (Nathan Ray Seebeck Iman Images)
Jones-Drew also said having Williams in the pocket defensively was a big factor in this game, with Josh Hines-Allen off the edge having a breakout game as the Bears' offensive tackle is questionable to start the game. He said there is a possibility of doing so. year.
After digging a hole in such a short period of time, the Jaguars still have pressure to come back this year. But as Jones and Drew figuratively put it, the quicksand they were in before has apparently dissipated after that victory.
Perhaps now Lawrence and company will be able to travel to some very familiar locations overseas to play the game.
Spending time with service members
Before Jones-Drew enjoyed watching his former team, he made new military friends in Bears legend Charles “Peanut” Tillman at RAF Lakenheath. So they ran USAA's NFL Salute to Service boot camp for both men and women to test their footballs. skill.
Testing the 40-yard dash, shuttle, long jump, and more, Jones-Drew said that as someone who already had the utmost respect for those who sacrificed their lives to keep us at home, the competition gave her the greatest respect. I explained the impact.
Maurice Jones-Drew and Charles Tillman meet with military personnel at RAF Lakenheath Military Base. (USAA)
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“These are the people who are willing to pay the ultimate price for our freedom,” he said. “So you want to know about them, ask questions. I saw Raiders fans there, which was great. I saw Jags fans there, too, and there were a few Jags fans there. That was big. Just talking about the game, and again, they're called on duty every day to cheer on your team and talk about the Jags and other teams that we were talking about. You can give them a little bit of respite and a little bit of comfort – why they got off to a bad start and why they got off to a good start – that's why. It was the least I could do to show my appreciation for what they did and what they were doing.”
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