Jaguars' newfound grit on full display in Week 3 win vs. Texans

In Week 3, the Jacksonville Jaguars did something they had failed to do in recent years: Come out of a close game with a win. Although they led throughout most of the bout, the Houston Texans kept things close until the end. It wasn't until Antonio Johnson picked off C.J. Stroud late in the fourth quarter that the outcome of the divisional matchup was clear.

And that's the thing, the Jags often came close during the Doug Pederson era, but failed to deliver more often than not. First-year head coach Liam Coen buck the trend with a 17-10 win over the Texans.

The Jaguars showed resilience vs. the Texans until the end

Following the narrow victory over the dreaded division foe, Liam Coen met with the media and praised the defense and running back Travis Etienne for helping the team stay in the game.

"Huge, ability to stay the course," Coen responded when asked how important this win was. "You're winning the game for the majority of it. They obviously got and tied it up. But even though, obviously not playing our best football offensively, defense kept us in it, and they played their tails off offensively, found a way to have 75 yards rushing in the second half, which obviously we didn't have much in the first. ETN played his tail off."

Coen continued, "And then those guys make a play at the end of the game versus zero blitz, and I got it in a huge moment. So very proud of this group. They played their tails off and kept competing."

Cone is right when he says the defense played a big role in the win. After all, Anthony Campanile's unit registered two takeaways in two of Houston's last three offensive possessions. And in the other drive, the Texans turned the ball over on downs.

On the other hand, Etienne and Brian Thomas Jr. came up clutch on the Jaguars' game-winning drive, so both of them should get their flowers even if they were quiet the remainder of the game.

The Jaguars will need to keep improving to beat top-tier teams

On the one hand, it's great to see the Jaguars not give up. That newly acquired grit will help them win games in the future. That said, they must cut down the mistakes if they want to beat more talented teams moving forward.

Think about it. As good as the win was, imagine how good the Jaguars can be if they can clean up their mistakes. They were credited with nine penalties for 70 yards, and the receivers dropped several passes that would've otherwise given Jacksonville plenty of opportunities to score.

The good news is that most of the issues the Jaguars are dealing with are fixable, so this win can be something to build off of. For the time being, though, they must enjoy the victory and use it as motivation to improve when they start preparing for their next game.

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