JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars had to take a tough loss on the chin on Sunday, but there were still some flashes of impressive play.
So, which Jaguars performed the best in the 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos and deserve some post-game recognition as a result? We break it down below with this week’s game balls.
Offense: RB Bhayshul Tuten
This one could have come down to either Bhayshul Tuten or Parker Washington. Washington led the Jaguars in catches and yards from scrimmage and looked like a genuine No. 1 receiver throughout the day, but I think the most consistently effecient and effective player on the Jaguars’ offense was Tuten. The second-year running back finished the day with 13 carries for 65 yards and likely could have done even more damage had the Jaguars leaned on him more.
Tuten broke tackles, showed good burst, and was able to keep the Jaguars out of negative plays more often than nnot. He has yet to completely dominate the running back position in terms of snaps and general role, but that could change in the weeks ahead if he keeps putting together solid performances. The offense is at its best when Tuten is leading the charge in the rushing attack, and that was again the case in Sunday’s loss.
Defense: LB Dennis Gardeck
It was not exactly a stellar day for the Jaguars’ defense. They let the Broncos score 17 points in the second-half after limiting them to just three points in the first half, and the Jaguars did not sack Bo Nix a single tike in the contest. The lack of pressure from Travon Walker, Josh Hines-Allen, and Arik Armstead was a real issue for the Jaguars, and it felt like the only player who was consistently wrecking some havoc was Dennis Gardeck,
Gardeck finished the game with two of the Jaguars’ three quarterback hits and one of their two tackles for loss. On a day without many impact plays from the defense, it was Gardeck who was able to give the unit a boost. Many of the Jaguars’ defenders did not play to their potential on Sunday, but that was hardly an issue for Gardeck.
Special Teams: LS Ross Matiscik
There was not much to say about the Jaguars’ special teams units; Cam Little missed a field goal, there were no real standout returns, and the coverage seemed just OK. With that said, Jaugars long-snapper Ross Matiscik continued to show off his value with an impressive tackle on special teams. With the special teams tackle today, Matiscik has 24 in his career. That is the most among
long snappers in the league since he entered the NFL in 2020.
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