After the primary half Saturday evening, it seemed just like the Jacksonville Jaguars have been going to see their season finish by the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers. Trevor Lawrence threw 4 first-half interceptions, and the Jaguars trailed on the halftime break by a rating of 27-7.
But within the second half, Lawrence and the Jacksonville offense obtained on observe, and due to some well timed performs on the defensive aspect of the ball, the Jaguars climbed again into the sport.
And with underneath two minutes left, the Jaguars confronted a vital 4th and 1 on the Los Angeles 41-yard line. With 1:28 left within the sport, and the Jaguars trailing 30-28, they might have settled for an extended subject aim try.
Pederson, nonetheless, had a distinct thought.
The coach put his offense again onto the sector, and pulled one thing out from deep within the playbook.
T-split Right, 28 Lead:
That’s proper, the T-Formation.
While that may not be the precise identify for this play in Jacksonville’s playbook, it was that identify for it in among the playbooks I grew up utilizing. This formation dates again to the early days of soccer, and was utilized by groups comparable to Notre Dame and Oklahoma through the Nineteen Forties and Nineteen Fifties. It additionally made its strategy to the NFL, with the Chicago Bears utilizing the T-Formation through the Nineteen Thirties and Nineteen Forties.
In the Bears’ struggle track, Bear Down, Chicago Bears, there may be even a reference to the formation: “Bear down, Chicago Bears! Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly. We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.”
Returning to Saturday evening, with their season on the road the Jaguars flip to the T-Formation, with Lawrence turning and handing off to Travis Etienne Jr., who picks up blocks from the opposite two backs within the formation, tight ends Luke Farrell and Chris Manhertz. The different vital block comes from huge receiver Zay Jones, who’s cut up from the formation however cracks down, serving to seal the sting.
That provides Etienne a lane to the surface, and the operating again picks up the primary down, and extra.
Two performs later, Riley Patterson would cut up the uprights, and the Jaguars have been headed to the Divisional Round.
The gorgeous collapse from Los Angeles would possibly name into query Brandon Staley’s future with the group. But for now, we are able to rejoice the epic comeback from Jacksonville.
And the throwback design that helped seal the victory.