What is it about backup quarterbacks that they get superpowers when playing the Jacksonville Jaguars?
It’s been Chad Henne before. It was Jake Browning (twice). On Sunday, it was Davis Mills winning just
his sixth NFL game as he led the Houston Texans on a furious comeback to upset the Jags.
Jacksonville led 29-10 heading into the fourth quarter. They had a punt return touchdown, and even led the turnover battle. And yet the Jags flat out didn’t win. How often does that happen?
This year’s team has been a rollercoaster under a first-year head coach and first-year coordinators. It showed badly on Sunday afternoon. There have been plenty of messes this year, but that loss was definitely the worst. As can be expected, there are far more questions than answers after a defeat of that caliber. It didn’t ruin the team’s playoff position, though it did nothing to help secure it.
WINNERS
Jarrian Jones
The only defensive player you can at least make an argument about playing well over the weekend was Jarrian Jones.
Jones recorded the defense’s lone interception on Mills by jumping right in front of a route for his second career pick. He also led the team in tackles for loss with two, part of a five-TFL day for the Jags. Midway through the third quarter, Jones broke up a pass on fourth-and-5 to create another turnover for the defense.
No, he is not a perfect corner, but Jones certainly looked like he at least deserved to be playing football on the defensive side — which is more than many others could say.
Parker Washington
The overall best player on the day for Jacksonville was Parker Washington.
Washington caught a touchdown and returned a punt 72 yards for a score. He became the first player in franchise history to return three punts over the course of a career and the second Jag in the past 25 years to return a punt and catch a touchdown in one game.
In the absence of basically every other receiving threat, Washington has moved to WR1. Unsurprisingly, he led the team in targets with seven. His impact was basically felt just on the one touchdown catch as the passing offense went for a measly 158 yards overall, with Washington contributing 33 yards on three catches. Washington can only do so much about the rest of his offense being injured or not playing well.
Last week, I said Travis Etienne might be the team’s best offensive player. While Etienne did play alright Sunday, that crown might now belong to Washington.
LOSERS
Liam Coen
With the few bright spots now done with, we turn our attention once again to head coach Liam Coen. The question still needs to be asked: What the hell is this team practicing? How the hell is this team preparing? Because it clearly isn’t working consistently.
I am all for giving Coen a bit of grace, even at this point, when it comes to being a first-year head coach. It doesn’t just all come together overnight. However, there are glaring problems with this team that were noticeable in Week 1 that are still happening.
The offensive line has regressed mightily. The defense is Swiss Cheese. The quarterback is growing more and more lost every day. The Jags had nine penalties for 90 yards Sunday. The list goes on.
Coen has done a commendable job taking responsibility in postgame press conferences and in filmed media put out by the team. That only goes so far. It’s time to put those words into practice. No better way than to do it against a solid team in the Chargers.
Anthony Campanile
How the mighty have fallen!
Just a few short weeks ago, there were conversations being had that the Jags should be grateful for their lone season with defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile before he became a head coach next year. Those conversations have come to a halt.
This Jaguars’ roster was never going to be a world-beater. The team’s turnover flurry at the beginning of the season was always going to regress. But, wow, has this defense fallen off.
Injuries have not helped either side of the ball. Full stop. Though there are still starters along the defensive line. Many of the free agent acquisitions are still out there. Something has to be done.
All of this is just ranting, but at some point, there has to be SOMEONE on the defensive side of the ball that can step up and beat Davis freaking Mills. There is just no way that is too tall an order.
Campanile might still be a perfectly fine defensive coordinator and maybe one day a head coach. He will first have to figure out how to generate some sacks with his defensive line and how to stop backup quarterbacks from rewriting record books against his defense.
Walker Little and Chuma Edoga
What a turnstile afternoon it was for the Jaguars’ two tackles.
The Jags gave up five total sacks, 3.5 of which came to Danielle Hunter. On what could have been the drive to set up a game-winning field goal, Chuma Edoga commits a penalty. Walker Little led the team in pressures allowed with six. It was an all-around awful day for these two dudes who looked like they had never played football before.
Anton Harrison’s absence is being felt, but he certainly wasn’t playing that much better than Edoga. No one in the tackle room seems to be doing much of anything this season and it has killed the offense.
Sacks are not just an offensive line stat, but there have now been three games where the Jags have allowed five or more sacks. The Jags are 0-3 in those games.
I find it hard to believe that James Gladstone would have given Little the contract he received from Tr**t B***ke. Each game that Little continues to play, that contract appears worse and worse. At least Edoga is supposed to be a swing guy. But he is awful right now too.
Josh Hines-Allen
It brings me no pleasure to say this, but Josh Hines-Allen is not helping this team at all right now.
Hunter had more sacks on Sunday alone than Hines-Alen has all season. We can talk at length about how many times he may get double-teamed or how many pressures he gets.
At the end of the day, the dude is getting paid $88 million guaranteed to have two sacks after nine games.
The rest of his defensive line is just as pitiful. Travon Walker’s injury has basically killed this year for him. Arik Armstead still isn’t worth his contract. DaVon Hamilton exists.
When that’s the case, someone like Hines-Allen has to step up and make something happen. That just isn’t working for Jacksonville this year.
There is no world where this is solely on the shoulders of Hines-Allen. Far from it. Football is a team sport and his teammates are also failing him. You saw Hunter step up and make plays for his side Sunday when his team needed it. Where was Hines-Allen? Or anyone for that matter?
