“Gus Bradley has never talked about the playoffs in his time with the Jaguars” – Random CBS Z-List Announcer
When two 5-9 teams meet, one thing is all but certain.
One of those teams will end up 5-10.
Less certain: one quarterback throwing for over 400 yards. And the other one (who had 368 yards himself)?
Hit in the groin with a shotgun snap.
The final score and final box score (larded with garbage time production) might lead one to believe this was a competitive game.
Don’t buy it. The outcome was not in doubt.
As the game started, the CBS announcing crew announced that the Jaguars officially had been eliminated from the playoffs, removing any suspense.
The Saints came out and disrespected the Jags on offense, converting a fourth down in Jaguars’ territory with a 23-yard strike from Drew Brees to Brandin Cooks that set up a touchdown strike to Michael Hoomanawanui, putting New Orleans up by a touchdown with 4:27 elapsed.
It was 70 yards from Brees on that first drive, as he cut through the Jags’ defense like it was preseason.
After a Jags’ punt, the Saints had the ball again, at their own 2.
That set up a 98-yard drive.
Brees, hobbled by his chronic plantar fascia injury, was targeted by the Jags’ blitz. The defense brought pressure up the middle, which New Orleans countered with jet sweep running plays and quick strikes to secondary receivers.
All of that set up a Brees-to-Cooks strike for 71 yards, putting the home team up 14-0 at the end of one quarter with 169 passing yards from Brees. DB Nick Marshall was utterly clowned by Cooks on that bomb, but if he hadn’t been, Davon House would have been.
Bortles was picked on the next drive; Allen Robinson couldn’t bring in the pass, but a Saints defensive end did.
From there, you could see some give in the Jags’ defense. Tim Hightower found space running up the middle, and, after yet another Jags’ penalty in the secondary, Hightower took a screen pass for 27 yards to the Jacksonville 1, then, after a Jags’ timeout, jumped over the pile for the score.
21-0. Jags answered with a 3 and out.
The Jags managed to force a punt from New Orleans; Bortles gave it right back with his second pick of the game.
Mercifully, improbably, Jacksonville stopped New Orleans short of touchdown No. 4, holding the Saints to a field goal.
Down 24, the Jaguars’ offense drove the ball down the field, culminating a hurry-up drive with a touchdown toss to Marquise Lee to bring the Jags within 18 on what would be the last score of the half.
The Jaguars got the ball to start the second half. If Bortles was going to get it done, the time was then. And he had a weapon, finding Allen Robinson for a 38-yard catch and run, then Denard Robinson for another first down, putting Jacksonville in field goal range.
Bortles, working primarily out of the shotgun spread, was able to see and create mismatches moving Jacksonville down the field, finishing the drive with a strike to Allen Hurns for a touchdown.
With the extra point good, 24-13 was the score, and the road team had momentum with 13 straight points.
The momentum was short-lived, with Brees slinging it to Travares Cadet, the second Saints’ free agent pick up at tailback in recent weeks, for a 44-yard catch and run that gave Brees 315 yards through the game’s first 40 minutes.
The Jags’ player clowned on that play? Sergio Brown, who missed a tackle in that kind of way that looks more like pantomime than a football move.
Bortles came right back, hitting Pro Bowl Alternate WR Allen Robinson for the pass catcher’s 14th TD of the year on a 90-yard catch and run.
The 2-point conversion attempt? Picked off.
Down 31-19, Jacksonville still had a chance.
Then Brees put on his surgical gloves to make the highlight play of the drive. He threw into double coverage to Cooks to set up first and goal, which set up Hightower’s second rushing TD of the afternoon.
It was then 38-19, and somewhere, a Jags fan started to work on his Jacksonville answer to Frederick Exley‘s “A Fan’s Notes.”
The Jags answered back, with Bortles dropping a shotgun snap that appeared to hit him in what Gordon Solie would have called the solar plexus.
Bortles and the gang did pad their stats with a garbage time drive and a converted 2-point play to make it 38-27.
