The Jacksonville Jaguars went into their home away from home, Wembley Stadium, looking to extend their two-game winning streak but left with an embarrassing loss on their record instead. Like most divisional games, the game was a close one in the early stages, but the flood gates eventually broke open in the fourth quarter and the Jags had no answers.
Now, the Jags have to climb back out of a hole to get back to .500, but before we move on to Week 11 and Indianapolis Colts, here are three next-day takeaways we had from the Jags’ 26-3 loss to the Texans in London:
The Jaguars’ offensive inconsistencies once again showed up
The Jaguars’ offensive struggles once again showed up against the Texans and the team simply had issues moving the ball down the field. In a game where the Texans’ secondary was down three starters, the Jags were only able to come away with three points and didn’t find the end zone once. Simply put, that’s unacceptable for John DeFilippo and his unit who are one of the league’s worst in terms of garnering touchdowns.
There were many variables that played into their struggles, from bad play calling, to issues getting Leonard Fournette more involved, to crucial drops from DJ Chark and Chris Conley. That’s pretty much the perfect storm for a poor offensive showing that couldn’t have come at a worse moment.
Additionally, rookie Gardner Minshew lI looked very average in the first three quarters before looking terrible in the fourth. He ultimately finished the game 23-of-42 for 241 yards and had a stretch of three consecutive turnovers (two picks and a fumble) in the fourth quarter. To put it simply, it was not the way to end thins if it was his last game as a starter, though his play prior is still undeniable.
Clearly, when considering all of the issues above, there is a lot of work to be done as the Jags go on their bye week. There is also a quarterback decision looming with Nick Foles eying a return Week 11. Even if he is given the nod, there are still things that need to be cleared up around him though.
Jacksonville’s pass rush regressed after two strong weeks
After coming off a game in which they sacked Sam Darnold eight times, the Jags’ pass rush had a hard time bring the elusive Deshaun Watson down. Though they were in the backfield frequently, they only ended the day with a sack due to missing opportunities to bring the young star down and not wrapping him up well enough to prevent him from getting some of his 22 completions.
Heading forward, this will need to be a point of emphasis when they face slippery quarterbacks. If the Jags somehow make the playoffs, they could cross paths with Watson or a similar player in the pocket like Lamar Jackson, both of whom flourish in making something out of nothing.
The Jags have to show they can beat good teams heading forward
The Jags had a lot of momentum heading forward due to defeating the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets, however, neither of those teams were good. The Texans, on the other hand, are a team many view as a playoff contender, and if they truly are, Sunday’s game is an indication that the Jags may not be very good at the moment.
The Jags’ other two victories (against the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans) also came against struggling teams, further causing skepticism. Prior to Sunday, the Broncos only had two wins while the Titans were .500. That said, there next game against the 5-3 Indianapolis Colts will be worth watching to gauge exactly what the Jags are because their other remaining opponents (aside from the Raiders) are below .500 currently. If they defeat Indy, maybe fans could get excited about their chances as contenders, but if they lose, the regular season probably should involve some changes in the front office and to the coaching staff.
