JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -The Jacksonville Jaguars are accustomed to being out of the AFC South race, just not this early.
Kerry Collins and the Tennessee Titans delivered the first punch and the knockout blow.
Collins foiled the Jaguars (4-6) for the second time this season, eliminating them from the division race and ruining just about any chance they had of returning to the postseason.
Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio and his players even conceded as much following Sunday’s 24-14 loss to the division-leading Titans (10-0).
“It’s absolutely as dismal an outlook as you can have and not be out,” Del Rio said after the game. “We’d have to win every one to have a chance to qualify. It’s a very remote possibility.”
He wasn’t much more optimistic Monday as he searched for ways to keep his team motivated down the stretch.
petitive game and we want to be at our very best at all times, finish strong and play good football and have fun doing it. We’re going to focus on execution and let it rip.”
Rip? Or R.I.P?
Although the Jaguars are only two games back in the wild-card standings, they’re biggest problem – well, aside from the lack of a pass rush, a shaky offensive line, a sputtering running game and no big-play receivers – is a 3-6 mark in conference play. So even winning out might not be good enough to get Jacksonville back in the postseason for the third time in four years.
The Jaguars realize that, but vowed Monday to stay focused and find something to play for: pride, a winning record or maybe even for themselves.
“It’s been worse,” running back Fred Taylor said. “You still want to play. You still want to play to win them. … In the NFL, every single move you make is examined. I doubt anyone will act the fool and try and ruin their chances in the future either here or somewhere else.”
Jacksonville’s season was essentially ruined with the loss of five offensive linemen and some offseason moves that didn’t pan out as the team had hoped.
er at full speed following surgery to repair a torn hamstring.
The defense, once the cornerstone of the franchise, has been the biggest disappointment. Cornerback Drayton Florence signed a lucrative deal to be a starter, which would have allowed Brian Williams to move to safety, but Florence struggled in coverage all season and has been relegated to nickel situations.
Florence and Williams were beaten on all three of Collins’ touchdown passes Sunday, including both deep ones to Justin Gage. The Jaguars have given up 31 completions of at least 20 yards this season – Collins had one of them in the opener and four more in the rematch – and rank near the bottom of the league (26th) against the deep ball.
“That’s been a problem for us and it’s been a variety of things and a variety of people,” Del Rio said.
Del Rio said a lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks has been a major contributing factor. Rookies Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves were supposed to help bolster the pass rush, but they have a combined three sacks in 10 games.
All the problems combined have the Jaguars out of contention in the AFC South for the sixth consecutive year – the earliest since Del Rio’s first season in 2003.
tter – then asked them to work on the “three As” of football: alignment, assignment and aggressiveness. Last week, he took the Lou Holtz approach, referring to the Titans as “Goliath” and making them sound as unbeatable as the ’72 Dolphins or the ’85 Bears.
None of it worked.
Now, with the Jaguars out of the division race and on the verge of being out of the playoff picture, Del Rio will have to find a new way to try to inspire his team.
“I’m going to have to double my efforts,” he said. “I’ve got a million of them.”
Add A Comment