Ryan O’Halloran: Jaguars lock up left tackle by extending Van Lanen
The Jaguars signed left tackle Cole Van Lanen to a three-year contract extension, but will face other decisions along the offensive line.
Here is the Times-Union report card from the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ 41-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 4 at EverBank Stadium.
The Jaguars finished 13-4 for the regular season and clinched the AFC South title. They now enter the NFL playoffs with home-field advantage in the first game, scheduled for either Jan. 10, 11 or 12.
Offense: A
After a horrendous first possession, quarterback Trevor Lawrence settled into another one of his grooves and threw only one incomplete pass for the rest of the first half, finishing with 16 of 19 completions for 181 yards and three TD passes.
As usual, the Jaguars ran just well enough to keep the Titans honest and the offensive line blocked Jeffrey Simmons reasonably well after he sacked Lawrence on the first play of the game. Lawrence broke franchise records for career passing yardage and total touchdowns in one season and finished 22 of 30 passing for 255 yards.
Defense: A
The Titans carved up the Jaguars on their first possession, with quarterback Cam Ward completing four of four passes for 52 yards, then scoring on a 7-yard run. Ward injured his shoulder on the TD when Foye Oluokun fell on him, and the defense then shut down the Tennessee offense under backup quarterback and former Jaguar Brandon Allen, allowing only 135 yards and two first downs the rest of the game.
Safety Antonio Johnson had his second interception in two games, his fifth of the season, and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown. Despite being a much less movable target than Ward, Allen was sacked only once
Special teams: A
Kicker Cam Little’s 67-yard field goal on the final play of the first half gave him the longest in NFL history in an outdoor stadium. He has the NFL record in all venues with his 68-yarder on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, indoors. What’s next? The NFL record on ice? Little later added a 52-yarder to give him a streak of 20 field goals in a row, seven of them 50 yards or longer.
Little also put five of his six kickoffs into the end zone, minimizing the attempts for Titans rookie returner and former Florida Gator Chimere Dike. When he did make a return, it went for only 20 yards.
The Jags needed punter Logan Cooke only three times, and he had a 60-yarder and another that was out of bounds at the Titans’ 15.
Intangibles: A
The Jaguars never took their eye off the ball and were well-prepared for the chance to win the AFC South title. They showed no signs of a letdown against a markedly inferior team.
The first two possessions aside (the Jaguars had -8 yards and a holding penalty on offense, and allowed Ward to breeze down the field on defense), the game wasn’t in doubt once Lawrence threw TD passes on three of four possessions.
The Jaguars first took the AFC South lead by beating the Colts 36-20 on Dec. 7. With Houston also on a winning streak, the Jags could have surrendered the lead with a loss in any of the ensuing four games. They never gave the Texans a chance, winning those four games by an average margin of 20 points.
This is a team that knew how to step on the gas and keep it floored.