The Jaguars went to Los Angeles and got drilled, a 37-7 loss, their worst of the season. The Jaguars have lost four straight after a five-game losing streak to start the year. Here are my four biggest takeaways.
What do the coaches have against James Robinson?
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On the Jaguars’ second offensive snap, Robinson was hit by Aaron Donald and fumbled. Jalen Ramsey recovered. Robinson didn’t get another carry until close to the 11-minute mark of the third quarter — more than 30 minutes of gametime later. Robinson fumbled last week as well and was benched for several series. These were his first two fumbles this year. He is not a chronic fumbler, but the coaching staff is treating him as such.
It is bad coaching. Robinson is the best offensive player the Jaguars have. And while the offense is struggling, they decided to sit him for half the game because of one mistake. Unless it was injury related, it’s inexcusable. After the game, Meyer gave some non-answer answers about it. Something isn’t being said. I just don’t really know what the disconnect is.
It’s not that they lost, but how they lost
The Jaguars are a team looking to improve and playing on the road against one of the most talented teams in the NFL, we shouldn’t have expected a win. That being said, the NFL is built for teams to be competitive. They were not. For the fifth time this year, the Jaguars were non-competitive.
The offensive coaching isn’t improving. The performance isn’t improving and we’re starting to see the impact of a losing season. It’s hard to keep focus and intensity when you aren’t showing improvement. The defense has to be frustrated that the offense isn’t doing anything to help. Over the last six games, the Jaguars have scored a total of six touchdowns. That’s not good at any level of football.
In a hole from the beginning
It didn’t take long for the Jaguars to find themselves on the back foot. On the opening kickoff, the Rams’ Ronnie Powell returned it 65 yards to set up an LA field goal. Then, on the Jaguars second offensive snap, Robinson fumbled, leading to a Rams’ touchdown and a 10-0 hole. By halftime, it was 16-7. And while nine points shouldn’t seem insurmountable, as it turned out, it was more than enough for the Rams to win.
Trevor Lawrence looked like a guy losing confidence in everything around him. That’s the biggest reason for concern. The Jaguars can’t end the season without Lawrence making some progress from where he is right now or it will be a nearly lost season for a franchise that needs something positive to happen.
What’s next?
The Jaguars’ next game is Sunday in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans. If the Jaguars lose that game, it will mark the second five-game losing streak of the year.