The Jacksonville Jaguars entered Week 3 as an 8-point favorite and rightfully so. On paper, they were the superior team and the Houston Texans were without key starters, such as left tackle Laremy Tunsil and linebacker Denzel Perryman. But in the end, the Texans got to work and left EverBank Stadium with the win.
Regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, this loss will sting for a while. The Jags had a prime opportunity to dispose of their division foes and strengthen their hold of the AFC South. Instead, they came crashing down and showed they're not nearly as good as they were projected to be before the start of the 2023 season.
Of course, football is a team sport and several players contributed to the loss. With that in mind, here are five Jaguars who were underwhelming against the Houston Texans in Week 3.
No. 5 Jaguars player who contributed to the loss vs. the Texans: Jamal Agnew
Nobody will deny that return specialist Jamal Agnew can have a huge impact on special teams. That said, he's made several questionable mistakes in recent weeks. Against the Texans, he fumbled a catch that could have helped the Jaguars put points on the scoreboard before halftime.
Houston recovered the fumble and went on to make a field goal, which increased their lead to 17-0. Agnew had an increased role on offense because wide receiver Zay Jones is currently dealing with a knee injury. Following his costly fumble, the coaching staff may need to consider giving opportunities to someone else.
No. 4 Jaguars player who contributed to the loss vs. the Texans: LG Ben Bartch
Left guard Ben Bartch had difficulties holding his own in Week 2 but it was fair to assume that he was still hitting his stride after missing most of the offseason while he recovered from a knee injury he suffered last year. He deserved the benefit of the doubt last two games. However, it's fair to say that his struggles go beyond his acclimation following another poor outing against the Texans.
Bartch was manhandled in pass protection and wasn't much better opening running lanes in Week 3. Moving forward the Jaguars should consider benching in favor of Walker Little once Cam Robinson returns from his suspension in a couple weeks.
No. 3 Jaguars player who contributed to the loss vs. the Texans: Calvin Ridley, WR
Calvin Ridley had a great debut for the Jaguars, hauling in eight receptions for 101 yards with one touchdown. But since then, he's been mostly quiet, hauling in five receptions for 72 yards. Against the Texans, he caught three passes for 40 yards but he also had two key drops, including one in the first quarter that might've given the Jaguars their first touchdown of the game.
Right through his hands pic.twitter.com/JSODI54hIo
— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 24, 2023
The loss to Houston doesn't solely fall on Ridley's shoulders but the Jaguars' No. 1 did make enough plays either. In his defense, he had to temporarily remain on the sidelines after suffering a collision. He eventually returned but leaving aside his short injury-related absence, he wasn't much of a factor throughout most of the game.
No. 2 Jaguars player who contributed to the loss vs. the Texans: Brandon McManus, K
The Jaguars swapped Riley Patterson for Brandon McManus in the offseason because the former had a stronger left. Three games into the season, the move hasn't had the outcome the Jaguars probably expected. And in the loss against the Houston Texans, McManus' miscues played a role.
McManus' first kick failed. The attempt was over 50 yards but that's the kind of situation the Jaguars brought him in for, so that's not an excuse. He later had another field goal blocked. The straw that broke the camel's back was when Texans fullback Andrew Buck returned one of his kickoffs for a touchdown, significantly decreasing the team's chances of mounting a comeback.
Before the kickoff attempt, it was 17-10. Afterwards, Jacksonville was trailing by two touchdowns.
No. 1 Jaguars player who contributed to the loss vs. the Texans: Trevor Lawrence
There's no doubt Trevor Lawrence is the Jags' best player. However, he also contributed to the loss against the Texans. Late in the game, Jacksonville still had a slim chance of mounting a comeback but all hope evaporated when Lawrence threw a pick. Later, he was called for intentional grounding.
In general, Lawrence had a solid game but when everything else failed, he couldn't rise to the occasion and came crashing down.
The bottom line is that Lawrence is not exempt from criticism. Just like he deserves to be praised when he helps the Jaguars win, it also needs to be pointed out when he doesn't. After all, everyone should be held accountable and fix whatever is wrong if the Jags want to turn things around.