The Jaguars won! After seven straight losses, it was beginning to feel like the Jaguars would never win another one. This win was not a beautiful one. It was anything but beautiful to be frank; BUT it was a win nonetheless!
The defensive battle between the Jacksonville Jaguars and their AFC South Division rivals, the Indianapolis Colts, was decided by two field goals on Sunday. While the defense played well, pitching a complete-game shutout, the Jaguar of the Week Award must go to the only man who put points on the board for either team.
Kicker Josh Lambo, a.k.a. “Mr. Ice in his Veins.”
Josh Lambo was signed by Jacksonville in October of 2017 and he has been a consistent producer for the Jaguars ever since.
Last season, in the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, Lambo set the record for the longest postseason field goal made by a Jacksonville Jaguar in its 23 year history, a 54-yarder. Since he donned the black and teal last season, Lambo has made 92.7% of his field goals (38-41), nailing his career-longest 57-yard field goal in Week 8 of this 2018 NFL season.
This Sunday, Lambo was a perfect 2 for 2 as he sent the pigskin perfectly through the goal posts from 30 yards and 37 yards away. Even though Jacksonville’s defense made it interesting, Lambo’s two field goals were enough to hold Andrew Luck and the Colts to a grand total of zero points on the scoreboard.
The Jaguars’ defense forced fans to hold their breath several times throughout the game, but they finished strong and came through when the team needed them to.
The defense drew costly penalties on the Indianapolis’ third drive of the game. This allowed the Colts move the ball all the way into the red zone before kicking a field goal. But hold the phone, because there is yellow laundry down on the field. Unnecessary roughness on Jacksonville’s 2018 first-round pick, DT Taven Bryan. The Colts now had the ball on the Jaguars’ five-yard-line. First down, goal to go.
After three stops, the Colts opt to go for it on fourth and goal. Andrew Luck drops off a quick pass to RB Jordan Wilkins at the 5 yard-line, who makes a run and dive for the endzone. Wilkins reaches out the football but is stopped by the Jaguars defense, just short of the endzone and the Jaguars regain possession of the ball. If it was not for this fourth down stop, the Colts would have likely won the game 7-6.
But then again, if it was not for Josh Lambo’s two field goals, the Jaguars would have scored zero points. We can play the hypothetical game all day, but you cannot change the past, and Josh Lambo made sure that the past included Jaguars victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13.
Congrats Josh, on your first, but hopefully not your last, JOTW Award!
