JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Just hours after the Jacksonville Jaguars returned from another disappointing West Coast trip, quarterback David Garrard and tight end Marcedes Lewis called a meeting for the entire offense.
They talked about accountability, the need to score more points, and the playoff picture.
They made this point clear: If the Jaguars (6-5) don\’t beat the Houston Texans (5-6) on Sunday, they have little chance of making the postseason.
“We\’re only promised five more games,\’\’ Lewis said. “We want to make the most of these games so we can continue to play after December. It looks like guys responded well. We\’ll see how it goes.\’\’
The Texans probably could have called a similar meeting. They have lost three close ones in a row, all against AFC South opponents.
Houston lost to Indianapolis and Tennessee when Kris Brown missed tying field goals in the closing seconds, then blew a 17-point lead last week against the Colts.
“Nobody likes to be in the position we\’ve been in,\’\’ Texans safety Bernard Pollard said. “We\’ve been in all three games and we just lost it. Someway, somehow, we found a way to lose it. But we cannot make this contagious. We have to find a way to get over that hump. And until we find a way, we\’re going to stay in the positions that we\’ve been in every Sunday. We have to figure out a way to win a game.\’\’
The Texans also realize another loss would likely leave them making offseason plans in December for the eighth straight year.
“We all understand that point,\’\’ cornerback Dunta Robinson said. “We all understand where we are in the season and we understand that this is an important game for us. All of our focus, all our preparation is we\’re just focused on getting win No. 6.\’\’
Houston might already have win No. 6 had it not been for two errors late against Jacksonville in September. Matt Schaub picked apart Jacksonville\’s secondary all game, but Chris Brown fumbled near the goal line with 2 minutes to play.
Instead of Houston scoring the tying touchdown, Jacksonville had the ball and a seven-point lead. Houston looked like it would force a punt with about a minute remaining, but defensive end Mario Williams was flagged for a horse-collar tackle on Maurice Jones-Drew. The penalty allowed the Jaguars to run out the clock.
what soft, late-season schedule that includes games against Seattle, St. Louis and Miami – they appeared poised to, at the very least, finish above .500 for the first time in franchise history.
The three-game losing streak has changed the outlook dramatically.
“Obviously, we need a win,\’\’ coach Gary Kubiak said. “I\’m not going to sit here and sugarcoat that. We just need to stay positive, stay strong, stay together and go find a way to win a game.\’\’
The Jaguars could help.
Although Jacksonville has won four in a row at home, the last three have been against St. Louis, Kansas City and Buffalo – teams with eight wins combined – and all have been by a field goal.
The Jags are last in the league with 10 sacks and have to play a third straight game without cornerback Rashean Mathis (groin). The combination of little pass rush and an inexperienced secondary could make for a long day against Schaub and receivers Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter.
And Jacksonville\’s offense hasn\’t looked capable of picking up the slack.
The Jaguars have scored just 105 points in the last seven games. The biggest problem has been red-zone woes. They have scored just seven touchdowns in 20 trips inside the 20-yard line in those seven games. Jacksonville has six fumbles, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs to go with five field goals.
Garrard fumbled twice in the red zone in last week\’s 20-3 loss at San Francisco. Josh Scobee also missed a 21-yard field goal. Those struggles prompted Garrard and Lewis to call the offensive meeting.
“We just came off a good streak of wins,\’\’ Garrard said. “We did have a setback going out to San Fran, but we\’ve been in that position before and I think we do a good job of bouncing back. Hopefully we can take from what we learned earlier in the year and understand we still hold our destiny in our hands, so we\’re not relying on other teams.
“That gives us confidence. We\’re in a good place. We just need to go out on Sunday and make it a better place.\’\’
Add A Comment