Why did the Jaguars dunk on the Jets with a late touchdown and 2-point conversion?

The Jacksonville Jaguars already had a win wrapped up over the New York Jets on their last drive of the game. Instead of taking their foot off the gas to coast across the finish line, though, they dunked on the Jets one last time in a 31-12 win.

If you were like me, it might’ve made you wonder what the hell is Doug Marrone’s beef with the Jets?

Let’s set the stage: The Jaguars had a comfortable 25-12 lead and the ball in the final minute of the fourth quarter. New York finished the game with 178 total yards, compared to 503 for Jacksonville, so there really wasn’t much reason to be concerned about the Jets roaring back with two touchdowns in 30 seconds.

After running the Wildcat with T.J. Yeldon on a third down — a bold choice in its own right for a team killing the clock — the Jaguars opted against a chip shot field with about 30 seconds to go, and went for it on fourth down instead. Yeldon took advantage of the opportunity with a 1-yard touchdown.

Then the Jaguars really dialed up the disrespect by choosing to go for two instead of kicking an extra point. It was unsuccessful, but it still raised some eyebrows.

Apparently because the math says a 21-point lead is better than a 20-point lead. That’s what Marrone said after the game when reporters asked why he wanted to bury the Jets.

There may have been more to it than that, as suggested by Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson: “He doesn’t like those guys. I don’t know what they did to him, but he doesn’t like them.”

It might stem from an ugly interview process for the Jets head coaching job in 2015. Rumors began circulating from nefarious unnamed inside sources that Marrone had bombed his interview, despite some reports that he’d be the favorite to land the job.

This isn’t exactly new for the Jaguars. They were leading the Baltimore Ravens 37-0 in a 2017 game and dialed up a fake punt for 59 yards. As far as the Jaguars are concerned, they’re going to play exactly the way they prepared to play, even if it hurts feelings.

Jets coach Todd Bowles seemed unbothered by it, though.

“I don’t tell another guy how to coach his team,” Bowles said in his postgame press conference. “If they run it, we have to defend it.”

Bowles’ players did take issue with Marrone’s decision.

“I think it’s really disrespectful,” defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “The game’s already over. They already have the game in the bag. All they could have done is run the clock out at that point.”

“We won’t forget,” linebacker Jordan Jenkins said.

Just don’t blame Blake Bortles:

If Marrone did this to the Bills — a team that he used an opt-out clause to ditch — there’d be more reason to believe there was some intentional disrespect at play. But against the Jets, his true motivation my never really be known.