JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It happens every year in the NFL. Some team, or teams, have one phase of the game that is outstanding, only to have another phase continue to let the team down. Then, one of two things can happen. The team rallies together or the frustrations boil over and it rips the team apart.
The Jaguars know what can happen, and veteran players on both sides of the ball are trying not to let the frustrations rise beyond the boiling point.
Overall, the defense has been holding up its end of the bargain. The Jaguars rank third in pass defense in the league, first in sacks and first in interception. In Sunday's loss to the Rams, the defense surrendered 13 points, three of which were set up by a bad punt. You can't ask the defense to do anything more than that.
"It’s been frustrating since the beginning. We’ve all seen our potential," defensive tackle Abry Jones said. "We’re not expecting to blow nobody out of every game, but we expect to be in there to win and stuff like that and not shoot ourselves in the foot."
In truth, in the Jaguars three losses, a different phase has been most responsible for the defeat. Against the Titans, the Jaguars offense could not get going. Against the Jets, the Jaguars defense gave up three big runs. Against the Rams, it was the special teams who was responsible for 17 points to the Rams, plus two missed field goals.
"Its still early, but guys are getting frustrated because we're losing games we should be winning," defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. "We have to keep working and keep trusting the process."
The Jaguars are 3-3 and still tied in first place in the AFC South. There are 10 games left. Plenty of time to fix what has been lagging. There is also plenty of time to come apart at the seams. With a road game at Indianapolis followed by a bye week, this week becomes another vital week for the Jaguars as they try to claw their way into the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Everybody knows that they have accountability to the next man." defensive co-captain Telvin Smith said. "It's not that we're pointing a finger at you, it's that every man on this team is held accountable. We know what we want to do. I hope it's a focusing point. We're going to be a good team."