Many expected that we would see a new Jacksonville Jaguars team on Sunday. With head coach Urban Meyer gone after a tenure filled with controversy, the team was favored in a battle between 2-11 squads this week. The Houston Texans — who won the first matchup in Week 1 — came to town, and while the Jags looked better in some ways, it wasn’t enough to beat one of the league’s worst teams.
Jacksonville fell 30-16, suffering its seventh straight loss against the Texans and falling to 2-12 on a season that can’t end soon enough for this team. After a solid start, the Jaguars trailed 23-10 at one point in the third quarter. They came back and brought it within a touchdown, but a 43-yard passing touchdown from Davis Mills to Brandin Cooks with just over two minutes to play iced the game.
Here are the takeaways and notes as a frustrating season for the Jags added yet another game to the loss column.
The offense couldn’t finish drives
Jacksonville did come out of the gate demonstrating some added intensity compared to recent weeks, and that was especially notable on offense. Trevor Lawrence looked in sync, at least to start the game. He led a solid field-goal drive on the team’s opening possession and a touchdown drive to start the second, but he struggled with accuracy a bit after that.
He finished the game throwing for 210 yards while completing 22-of-38 passes. He avoided any interceptions after tossing a career-high four last week, but he also couldn’t find the end zone once again.
However, this is a Houston team that is decent against the pass, and it was assumed the Jags would look to hit the Texans with a heavy dose of James Robinson in this game. They did, as Robinson saw 18 carries which he took for 75 yards and a score, but Robinson’s success mostly relied on chunk plays rather than consistent games, and that’s why Lawrence was forced to throw the ball nearly 40 times.
In total, the Jags had 296 offensive yards, which was actually enough to outgain Houston in this one. But it wasn’t enough to win the game. They couldn’t convert on third downs, going just 3-of-14 on those opportunities, and while it wasn’t the scoreless performance the offense put forth last week in the loss to Tennessee, it wasn’t good enough even against one of the worst defenses in football.
Defense struggles more than it should have
This is not the same Houston offense that decimated the Jaguars in Week 1. That team had Tyrod Taylor at quarterback and Mark Ingram II at running back. Since then, Taylor has been lost for the season to injuries while Ingram was traded to the New Orleans Saints. Still, even without those pieces, Houston found success today.
Mills deserves praise for an efficient performance as he completed 19 of his 30 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns (both to Cooks), though he did toss one interception in this one. Still, for a rookie quarterback that wasn’t expected to start this season and has struggled, to say the least, it was an encouraging outing — certainly more so than Lawrence’s.
Houston found less success on the ground, with Rex Burkhead getting the bulk of the carries but only managing 41 yards on 16 attempts. Meanwhile, David Johnson saw just six carries for 24 yards. The Texans’ scoring total was also bolstered by a kick-return touchdown, and allowing 23 points isn’t the worst performance this unit has had this season.
Still, the defense looked like it was a much-improved unit at one point this season, but that hasn’t exactly been the case the last few weeks. Though it may be one of the only parts of this team showing signs of actual progress, this defense still has a long way to go if it’s still struggling to contain a Houston offense that had been among the league’s most anemic heading into this game.
Other notes
- One of the most noticeable offensive changes on Sunday was the involvement of the tight ends. James O’Shaughnessy specifically had his biggest game of the season, totaling 60 yards while catching all four of his targets. Most of that came on a 30-yard pass from Lawrence, which was his longest of the day and one of the most explosive passing plays the Jags have had in a while. Meanwhile, Chris Manhertz (who is primarily a blocker) also got in on the action with an 11-yard grab.
- It was a less impressive day for the receiving corps. The best among them was Laquon Treadwell, who finished just shy of O’Shaughnessy for the lead in receiving yards with 57, though it took him six catches to get there. Laviska Shenault Jr. had a solid game, as well, totaling 39 yards on four catches. But both had key drops on what would have been first-down balls when the game was on the line, and the usually surehanded Marvin Jones Jr. was held in check in this one, making two catches for 14 yards. The team needs a boost here this offseason.
- It wasn’t a great game for cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who found himself lined up against Cooks primarily. The veteran wideout had one of his best games of the season, going for 102 yards and two scores on seven catches. Tyson Campbell did a better job, and no other receiver for Houston had more than 43 yards. Campbell also netted another interception in this one, the second of his rookie season. An injury in the secondary to Rayshawn Jenkins, who was carted off the field after hurting his ankle, gave playing time to Daniel Thomas, but he had just two tackles in this one.
- Speaking of injuries, the Jags lost Cam Robinson with a neck injury in this game. He was listed as questionable to return but didn’t see the field again, opening the door for rookie Walker Little to see some snaps at left tackle. The offensive line didn’t have a great game as Lawrence was sacked three times, but it was valuable reps for Little, who could be a starter next year and has seen very minimal action this season.
- Malcom Brown had the Jaguars’ only sack on Mills in this game, and he continues to be one of the more solid offseason additions. Though he’d ideally be more of a rotational player than a full-time starter, he’s been solid and will almost certainly set a career-high in tackles this year. The sack was his first of the season.
- Special teams was a major problem for the Jags in this one. In addition to the aforementioned 98-yard touchdown return from Tremon Smith, a penalty from Adam Gotsis on a punt wiped out a Texans three and out on their opening drive, and they went down and scored a touchdown. Further, Houston set up a field goal with a solid punt return while Jacksonville returner Jaydon Mickens had several questionable returns from close to the Jags’ end zone. All in all, it was an issue that the Jags will need to address moving forward, along with many other things.
- With Houston gaining a game on the Jaguars and Detroit shocking the NFL’s top team in the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville is now in position to pick first overall for the second year in a row, which would likely give the team its choice between pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson, both elite options. The potential to add another top-tier talent is perhaps one of the only things Jags fans can hope for right now.