It was reasonable to think that the Jacksonville Jaguars would have no trouble beating the Houston Texans in Week 1 after watching them make the upgrades in the offseason. But the Jags couldn’t take care of business and lost their first game of the 2021 NFL season. Now, it’s too early to call head coach Urban Meyer’s tenure a failure. After all, there’s is more than enough time for the organization to get on the right path and win games.
However, more was expected from the Jaguars. Although they spent the offseason putting an emphasis on strength and conditioning, the Texans looked like the faster and stronger team on Sunday. Also, there’s no way around Jacksonville’s defense allowing 37 points in Week 1 even though that they bolstered both the defensive front and the secondary.
On offense, the Jaguars looked disjointed and overwhelmed. While running the ball shouldn’t become the identity of this team, you can’t just outright abandon it either and must field a balanced offense. The fact that the fed running back James Robinson the ball just five times is outright puzzling.
Meyer must shoulder most of the blame for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss.
The Jags lacked disciplined, committing ten penalties for 82 yards. So what does Meyer think about the teams’ performance? He told the local media that this is a marathon, not a spring, and is on to the Denver Broncos.
"I’ve been warned for a long time that this is a marathon, not a sprint. So calm down, relax, and relax but on onward, soldier, move on. And now, let’s go Monday and get back to work. We’re still a work in progress as you’ve seen, I did not anticipate that today I thought our guys worked really hard. I believe deeply in this team and so we worked our tails over light up and go again."
In theory, that’s a great approach. You can’t simply dwell on a loss too much, and you need to move on at some point. However, the Jaguars must have a sense of urgency moving forward. It’s true that there are still 16 games left on the schedule but if the Jaguars don’t start to fix their flaws right now, it may be too late by the time they do it.
Meyer has been the subject of criticism throughout the offseason, and it will only get loader if he can’t manage to win early and often. Here are a few more observations about the Jaguars’ Week 1 loss.
QB Trevor Lawrence was solid in his debut for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There were many things to like and several others to loathe in quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s debut in the NFL. He looked hesitant at times and didn’t always go through all his reads but looked poised and the game didn’t look too big for him. In the end, the rookie passer went 28-of-51 for 332 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Not bad but not great either.
Lawrence’s at fault for the interceptions but he didn’t get much help from his teammates nor the coaching staff. Early in the game both wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. and tight end James O’Shaughnessy dropped passes that would’ve moved the chains. Also, attempting 51 passes isn’t a recipe for success. The Jags fell behind early, which prompted them to abandon the run. Why did they not feed James Robinson the ball more? Why did the coaching staff put the game on Lawrence’s shoulders?
The former Clemson Tiger isn’t used to losing but still looked focused when he met with the local media after the game. Moreover, he took responsibility for the offense’s inability to execute.
"It’s always hard, especially when you know you feel like you’re prepared and had a great week. And really think we were ready and just obviously didn’t play well and starts with me. I played really bad."
Lawrence was also objective and knows that not everything is gloom and doom. He noted that the team did some good things and pointed out that the Jags had a couple of good drives. He emphasized the need to “keep doing those and learn from the bad. We got to watch it and learn from it”. The rookie echoed Meyer’s thoughts and said that they must move on and win next week.
The top overall pick in the 2021 draft is aware he’s under pressure to perform. On Sunday, he showed flashes of his potential. It’s up to the coaching staff to help him turn it into production.
The Jacksonville Jaguars defense has its work cut out.
Back in free agency, the Jaguars focused on fixing the defense. They signed cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Rayshawn Jenkins to big deals but they weren’t the only players they acquired. They also lock up defensive ends Jihad Ward and Roy Robertson-Harris, so what does the team have to show for all their additions? Not much.
On paper, Jacksonville had a favorable matchup against the Texans but they had no answers for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, tight end Pharaoh Brown and running back Mark Ingram II. Tyrod Taylor did a good job of systematically dismantling the Jags’ secondary, completing 21 of 33 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. The coaching staff knew the veteran was a threat to run the ball but still couldn’t stop him when he took off and scrambled.
EDGE rusher Josh Allen, who registered the team’s lone sack of the game, also spoke to the media. He repeated Trevor Lawrence’s and coach Meyer’s message. They must prepare better and get ready for Week 2.
"It’s a long season, and it’s football. We’re gonna come back next week. We will work on the things we need to work on, and we will come back swinging and that’s all we can do. We still gonna ball, we still gonna kick it. It is still gonna be us."
The Jaguars must get better production from their rookies and second-year players. Cornerback Tyson Campbell struggled in his debut and EDGE rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, who was supposed to be improved in Year 2 was neutralized by the Texans’ offensive line. Also, giving Andrew Wingard the starting nod at safety might not have been a good idea in retrospect. The Jags should give rookie Andre Cisco a chance to show what he can do in Week 2.