JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When the Jaguars entered the bye, they sat among the league’s worst at converting third downs. Drops and penalties had severely impacted their ability to convert first downs. For much of the first half of the season, they led the league in both categories.
At the bye, the Jaguars ranked 31st with an average of 10.23 yards to gain on first down and 30th with an average of 7.83 yards to gain on third down. It’s hard to imagine much success on third down when you start out so far behind the sticks so often.
Through the first eight games, the Jaguars converted just 33% of their third downs. Over the course of the season, that figure would have ranked 30th in the NFL. Amazingly, the team was still 5-3.
Digging a little deeper, the Jaguars ranked 23rd in Comp % (55.4%), 15th in yards per attempt (7.1), 16th in EPA per play, and 26th in Success % (36.5%) on third down passing. It wasn’t much better running the ball as the Jags averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, 24th best in the NFL.
As with every other offensive statistic, the Jaguar’s third down rate would skyrocket after the bye and the awakening of Trevor Lawrence and Parker Washington.
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After the bye, the Jaguars’ third-down conversion rate rose 11%, all the way to 44%. If they had held that across the season, the Jags would have ranked fifth-best in the league. From the bottom five to the top five, just like that.
The Jaguars’ passing numbers were night and day, ranking 12th in Comp % (61.7%), 1st in yards per attempt (10.1), third in EPA per play, and 2nd in Success% (55%) on third down. Oh yeah, the Jaguars ranked first in explosive rate (23.3%) as well.
At the root of it all is the man who chops wood and carries water, Parker Washington.
After the bye, Washington seemingly attained football enlightenment. Despite ranking 59th in third-down snaps, Washington ranked 3rd in yards (243), 1st in yards per reception (27.0), 1st in yards after catch (109), 3rd in YAC per reception (12.1), and 1st in explosive plays (7) among receivers.
Oh yeah, he also missed a game as well.
While Washington was the third-down warrior, it was still very much a group effort. Jakobi Meyers wasn’t too far off, as his 122 yards ranked 27th. Meyers actually had three more receptions than Washington and the same number of first downs following the bye.
Trevor Lawrence’s legs also played a crucial role. His 110 yards rushing and 12 first downs were both Top-3 among all offensive players, quarterback or not. That rushing value on third down can’t be overstated. Of Lawrence’s 14 rushing attempts on third down, 12 earned the Jaguars a first down.
A lot changed for the Jaguars at the bye: a midseason trade for Jakobi Meyers, an offensive reconstruction, and the rise of Parker Washington helped birth an 8-1 run that would lead the Jaguars to a divisional championship. In the midst of it all was an offense that turned third-down stagnation into dominance.
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