The Jacskonville Jaguars probably won't push the panic button after the loss to the Los Angeles Rams. However, they'll need to make tweaks during their BYE if they want to get back on track. For the time being, though, the Jags are deserving of plenty of flak.
Jacksonville had 13 penalties in the London game and lead the league in that department seven weeks into the season. The offensive line couldn't block, the receivers couldn't catch the football, the defense couldn't contain the Rams, and Trevor Lawrence wasn't able to play well enough to overcome the team's shortcomings. That's why the grade they got feels fit.
The Jaguars get a dreadful grade for their play vs. the Rams in Week 7
John Breech of CBS Sports gave all NFL teams that played in Week 7 a grade and assigned the Jags a D, noting that you wouldn't be able to tell they've played several games in London based on the outcome of their loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Here's the sinny.
"The Jags came out flat with just 20 yards in the first quarter and by the time the period was over, they were already trailing 14-0. From there, it was all but over," Breech wrote. "The defense couldn't stop Matthew Stafford and the offensive line couldn't protect Trevor Lawrence, and when you combine those two things, that's how you get blown out by 28 points. The Jags could have kept this game close, but they had four failed fourth downs that all came inside the Rams 30-yard line."
The Jaguars outgained Los Angeles in total yards (358 to 271) and had just one fewer offensive drive (12 and 11). However, they only scored once, which goes on to show just how underwhelming they were. The hog mollies up front certainly played a role, as they gave up 29 total pressures and seven sacks. Then again, the defense wasn't buch better.
Even without Pro Bowl receiver Puka Nacua, Los Angeles had no trouble torching the Jacksonville secondary with ease. The fact that the front four couldn't disrupt quarterback Matthew Stafford with practice didn't help matters.
The Jaguars are talented but got lost somewhere along the way
Now, the Jaguars are 4-3 heading into their BYE. Just a couple weeks ago they were seen as the one of the best teams in the NFL, so the talent is certainly there. The issue becomes whether they can bounce back or if their strong start to 2025 season was a fluke and not a sign of things to come.
Liam Coen, for his part, took blame for the loss to the Rams, and acknowledges that it's up to him to find a solution. Of course, there's only so much a head coach can do, and it falls on the players to execute on game day. As long as the Jags continue to commit penalties or ignore all those things that are holding them back, they won't be able to win games in a consistent basis.
The good news is that the Jaguars will have planty of thing to figure things out before they take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9.