Calvin Ridley shines in Jaguars’ sloppy season-opening win over Colts-ZoomTech News

INDIANAPOLIS — In his Gamers’ Tribune piece printed in March, Calvin Ridley wasn’t quick on confidence. He defined how he is the strongest he has ever felt mentally and bodily. 

He let the NFL world know that he’d dominate in his return after lacking final season because of a violation of the league’s playing coverage. 

“On my daughter’s title, if I am wholesome? With Trevor Lawrence?” Ridley wrote. “I am giving Jacksonville 1,400 yards a season, interval.”

He is off to begin. 

In his Jaguars debut, his first regular-season recreation in 23 months, Ridley had a team-high eight catches for 101 yards and a landing in Jacksonville’s 31-21 season-opening victory at Indianapolis, trying just like the No. 1 receiver he was anticipated to be.

He confirmed no apparent indicators of rust, even though his final regular-season motion was in Week 6 of the 2021 season. He caught fireplace in Jacksonville’s second drive, catching 4 passes for 41 yards and a landing. He had seven receptions for 92 yards by halftime, the majority of his manufacturing for the sport. 

Ridley was all the pieces Jacksonville had seen in him all through the spring and summer time. Artful. Quick. An electrical route runner. Indianapolis could not cease him. 

“Not a shock to me and I do not suppose it was to anyone,” Lawrence stated. “He performed nice.”

It was the Ridley who makes the Jaguars a significant contender within the AFC this season. His addition to an already dynamic passing recreation, with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram — all of whom had 70-plus receptions final season — provides the offense a pick-your-poison really feel. 

We noticed temporary flashes of that have Sunday. 

Jones’ 55-yard efficiency was highlighted by his 18-yard landing within the second quarter, an exceptional diving seize close to the again proper nook of the top zone. Engram (49 receiving yards) caught a 26-yard dart from Lawrence down the sideline, serving to to arrange a 45-yard discipline aim from place kicker Brandon McManus that put the Jaguars up 17-14 within the third quarter. 

At occasions, Lawrence was surgical. He accomplished 75% of his passes (24-of-32) for 241 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. His passer ranking was 103.8. 

The Jaguars shot themselves within the foot with loads of miscues, although. One left them on the flawed aspect of probably the most weird moments you may ever see in an expert soccer recreation. 

Colts standout defensive sort out DeForest Buckner registered a sack-fumble on a Lawrence move try within the third quarter, and it was scooped up by rookie operating again Tank Bigbsy, who like the remainder of his Jacksonville teammates, appeared to suppose the play was useless. So he simply stood with the ball in his fingers. 

That is when Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin ran up behind him, punched the ball free and Buckner recovered and returned it for a 26-yard landing, giving Indianapolis its first lead of the sport at 21-17 with 2:27 left within the third. 

“For some purpose, all of us sort of froze,” coach Doug Pederson stated. 

The Jaguars additionally struggled on third and fourth down, going a mixed 4-of-15 (3-of-12 on third down, 1-of-3 on fourth down). They went 2-of-5 on third and fourth down with three yards or fewer for a primary down, together with 0-for-3 on their final three makes an attempt, exacerbating their incapacity to drag away. 

It marked offensive coordinator Press Taylor’s first recreation because the full-time playcaller. 

“I believed it went nice from a play-calling standpoint,” Pederson stated. “We now have to execute higher. There have been simply too many errors, too many little issues that flared up offensively that value us. … Issues that we are able to management we now have to do a greater job at doing.”

However the Jaguars confirmed a resilient spirit to drag away in the long run, a attribute that outlined their rise late final season from afterthought to AFC South champion. It was all three phases lastly delivering. 

Receiver Jamal Agnew’s 48-yard punt return was the catalyst Sunday. It arrange Jacksonville in plus territory, a collection that resulted in a goal-line landing rush for Bigsby, making up for his gaffe within the third quarter. 

Then cornerback Tyson Campbell picked off rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson on the second play of the Colts’ ensuing collection. 

Then Jaguars operating again Travis Etienne Jr. pushed the result in two scores with a 26-yard landing run, starting the exodus of Colts followers out of Lucas Oil Stadium. 

Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun stuffed a run by tailback Deon Jackson the center on third-and-1 from the 1-yard line on the subsequent Indianapolis collection, then broke up a move to Michael Pittman Jr. on fourth all the way down to seal the sport with 52 seconds left.  

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A win is a win, regardless of the way it regarded.

“Week 1 of the common season — even Week 2, Week 3 — you are still attempting to determine who you might be and what you need to be as a workforce,” Pederson stated. “You are not a well-oiled machine going into Week 1. That was clearly on show at present. 

“I discovered rather a lot final yr with this workforce,” he continued. “Enjoying for 4 quarters, studying how you can end, studying how you can win. That confirmed up at present, and that is an important signal.”  

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand labored for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Community, the place he was the Titans beat author for a yr and a half. He lined the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) previous to shifting to Tennessee. You may comply with Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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