3 key stats that explain the Jaguars disappointing loss to the Texans

2. The Jaguars’ skilled-position players dropped 5 passes vs. the Texans

Trevor Lawrence didn’t have a good outing for the second straight week. Some of his passes were off-target and didn’t always make good decisions. The interception he threw in the third quarter in the Texans’ red zone was arguably his worst throw of the season. However, he wasn’t the sole reason the Jags were able to gain yards in chunks but didn’t manage to score a single touchdown.

The Jaguars’ skilled-position players had a combined five drops, per Pro Football Focus, in Week 5, some of them more costly than the others. Early in the game, wide receiver Zay Jones wasn’t able to come down with a pass that could have helped the offense move the chains. Also, tight end Dan Arnold had a drop close to the end of the first half.

But the two most egregious drops came with the game on the line. After the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, Lawrence looked for Travis Etienne but he couldn’t hold onto the ball. Maybe the pass was a bit too fast but it was catchable. Earlier in the same drive and with 2:44 on the clock, tight end Evan Engram had another drop.

Would either drop have changed the outcome of the game? That’s debatable but it wouldn’t have hurt the Jags’ chances of winning the game. Etienne’s almost fumble in Texans’ territory near the end of the second quarter didn’t help matters either. Had the Jags made any of those plays, maybe just maybe we would be talking about their third win of their season and not their second straight loss.