NFL 2023-24 Week 7 Thursday Night Football Review - Jaguars Hang On Against Late Rally to Hold Off Saints

            

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Jacksonville 31, New Orleans 24

Moit of this game seemed to be dominated by the Jaguars. They owned a commanding 17-6 lead after a dominant first half, and it seemed like they were running out the clock on New Orleans.

The Saints were down 24-9 in the third quarter, and pretty much looked dead in the water. Carr was looking frustrated that his receivers were seemingly not in tune and giving up on routes. The New Orleans offense looked stagnant.

And then, they came roaring to life. The offense was in synch, and scored two touchdowns in three possessions, and also got the two-point conversion, which tied the game in the fourth quarter. The Saints were very much alive. The crowd was enthusiastic and loud, and everyone was very much into this game all of a sudden.

But it was the Jaguars who ultimately responded when Christian Kirk caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence to stun the hometown Saints with a touchdown. With only a little over three minutes left to play, New Orleans once again faced an uphill battle.

Here's the thing: the Saints actually drove the ball down the field, and gave themselves a chance to win. They were deep in Jacksonville territory, effectively in scoring position. There was less than thirty seconds left, yet time was not so much a factor, since the Saints were in the red zone. On third down, Carr found tight end Foster Moreau for the game winning touchdown...but he dropped it. 

On fourth down, the Saints were unable to convert, as the Jaguars defense held strong to preserve the road win, earning their fourth straight win.

Just like that, the Saints were handed another disappointing loss that set them back this season. The television cameras showed images of Moreau betraying his devastation, his heartbreak on the sidelines once the outcome was clinched. 

Missed opportunities proved to define this game for New Orleans, as they fall to 3-4 on the year. Jax, meanwhile, improves to 5-2, and suddenly are looking like one of the relative elites in the AFC.

What a game!

My pick: Accurate