Jaguars miss opportunities on offense, lose to Texans in Week 15

Heading into Week 15, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars had a good chance to earn their third win of the year. After all, they had just dumped head coach Urban Meyer, they were playing at home and the Houston Texans had struggled in recent weeks. Instead, the Jags got swept and lost 30-16.

Once again, they couldn’t move the ball efficiently and score enough points. Trevor Lawrence played relatively well but missed passes he should have made, including an attempt to wide receiver Laquon Treadwell late in the fourth quarter that could have given the Jaguars a fresh set of downs and a chance to tie the game.

Lawrence went 22-of-38 for 210 with no touchdowns and no interceptions. On the other hand, the loss isn’t solely on him. Running back James Robinson was off to a strong start but suffered a leg injury late in the second quarter. Even though he went back to the field in the second half and the Jags were trailing by just ten points, the coaching staff only gave him six more carries after getting 12 in the first half. The second-year running back finished the game with 18 carries for 75 yards and one touchdown.

The Jaguars’ defense couldn’t get to Davis Mills often and the rookie quarterback had enough time to throw the ball. This was his eighth start of the 2021 season and he finally got his first win in the NFL. Tyson Campbell keeps showing progress and snagged his second interception of the season. The Jags took advantage of the short field they got after the interception and kicked a field goal. However, those were the last three points the Jags would be able to score in the game.

What’s next for the Jaguars after losing to the Texans?

There are only three games in the season and the Jags’ slate won’t get any easier. Based on how they’ve played in recent weeks, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them go 0-3. They had a realistic shot to beat the Texans but squander it. They will next face off against a New York Jets that kept things close against the Dolphins in Week 15. It will be interesting to see the kind of odds the Jets get but they should be the favorites to win next week.

On the bright side, the Jaguars are making a run for either the first or second overall draft pick in 2022 after losing to the Texans. Right now it looks like they will end up with the top overall selection, as the Detroit Lions, who had a 1-11-1 record heading into the game beat the Arizona Cardinals this week. They’re now 2-11-1 after the upset.

Urban Meyer’s presence brought a lot of issues to Jacksonville but he wasn’t the only problem and the organization will need to take a close look at how things unfolded this season to make sure they don’t carry over to 2022. The Jags had a chance to beat the Texans and they couldn’t seize it, their next head coach must make sure that doesn’t keep happening.