Jaguars can’t slow down the Chargers in 45-10 loss

It was yet another embarrassing loss for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, this time at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers.

With each loss, now five of them in a row, the pill that the Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t doing enough to win football games is becoming harder to swallow.

There should have been changes to the coaching staff last night after the 45-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but there weren’t. There should have been more anger in head coach Doug Marrone’s voice when he met with the media after the game.

There wasn’t.

There should have been more culpability from the front office – something more than a pacifying statement from the general manager or vice-president of football operations about five straight losses by 17 points or more, which is the worst of any team since 1986.

Nothing to be heard.

As a fan of the Jaguars, a season-ticket holder for many years and a writer who watched like the fans in stands on Sunday afternoon and evening, this team has shown it can play some of the worst football in the NFL this season. When Russell Baxter of FanSided.com ranked the team from Duval 30th last week in his latest NFL Power Rankings, I thought it was a bit harsh. Now, I know it might not have been harsh enough.

More from Jacksonville Jaguars News

• Jacksonville Jaguars should welcome Derrick Henry into the kingdom
• Jaguars Rumors: Trent Baalke seems to be getting respect now
• Jaguars News: This division rival might be making a big move
• Former Jacksonville Jaguars S Johnathan Cyprien: “New Profession, Same Standards”
• Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram officially gets the franchise tag: 3 takeaways

Where is the fight in this defense? Where is the improved offense and aggression?

"“We got whipped; simple as that,” Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell said via Jaguars.com."

He was right, the defense got whipped, looked out of sync and allowed too much spacing in coverage that allowed the running game, or should we say Austin Ekeler, to gash this team for chunks of yards. Philip Rivers has spent the past decade looking like a Hall of Fame quarterback playing against Jacksonville. Sunday was no exception. If there was a question about the 38-year-old losing a step this season, it was rectified at TIAA Bank Field.

Campbell wasn’t the only player who again said this team needs to make adjustments and get better.

"“That’s just bad. We’ve got to fix that. To the outside world it just shows a team that doesn’t care. People running around wide open and you’re at home and stuff like that,” defensive tackle Abry Jones said following the game per ESPN.com.“I never want anybody to think or the fans think we don’t care. We’re deeply rooted in this with everybody else. Clearly it’s on our backs and we’re not playing good enough so we’ve got to figure something out.”"

Figuring it out might be a little too late. There are three games to play. Players are fighting to remain on this roster next season. Coaches, including Marrone, are fighting to keep their jobs. The front office is watching with anticipation of change.

To echo the sentiment amongst many local sportswriters last night, this team has once again hit rock bottom, a place this organization is all too familiar with. The Jaguars have lost dropped 19 of their last 25 games, with 11 of those losses by double digits.

"“Eventually, if you don’t win enough games and they think it’s better to go with someone else, then obviously that’s out of my hands,” Marrone said. “I just keep doing the best job I can and keep fighting.”"

Unfortunately, that’s not enough right now for Marrone or the coaching staff. There will be major changes at the end of the season. It should have happened last night, with such a poor performance. It could still happen this week or potentially after a trip to the west coast at Oakland. The Jaguars may be scratching and clawing and showing effort on the field. The perception is different from the stands and on television.

What is for certain the fan base deserves a better showing than this. There is no playoff appearance for the second year in a row. There were more empty seats than ones filled, regardless of the 57,000 tickets sold for the fame. You cannot fix the issues with the sluggish offense overnight or expect the defense, that is battered as well, to rectify its ability to stop opponents if the scheme is broken.

This has become another “wait under next year” season. For fans who have supported this team since its inception, it’s becoming harder to watch. For me and others who wait and hope for this change, the outcome becomes bigger and much harder to accept with each passing week.