JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The day after the Jaguars 37-16 loss to the Titans in the team's home opener, there weren't many answers in the locker room.
The teams loss came on the heels of a 29-7 win over the Texans on opening day. That 43-point turnaround from one week to the next was as shocking to the Jaguars as it was to observers around the NFL.
"We lost an opportunity to win another division game, but it was only week two," said defensive co-captain, linebacker Paul Posluszny. "We have to learn from this and figure out what went wrong."
One of the lingering questions is about the team's identity. How head coach Doug Marrone wants to see his team play is pretty clear. It was on display in the win in Houston. Aside from the defensive effort in the first half against the Titans, it was lacking on Sunday.
Through the first six quarters of the season, the Jaguars had surrendered a total of 13 points. That is more than enough to win games in the NFL. But in the second half, as field position began to work against them and the physical Titans running game began gaining yards, the Jaguars saw a dominant defense become porous, giving up 31 points in the second half.
"Obviously, be a lot better at stopping the run, be more physical and be more precise in what we do," Posluszny said. "Defensively, we're going to play to the best of our abilities regardless of what happens with the offense or special teams because we're all in this together."
While its reasonable to expect the defense to bounce back based on the personnel and the short history of the group, the offense has more questions to answer. Can they move the ball consistently without a deep threat in the passing game? Can they eliminate, or at minimum, reduce the turnovers? Can they eliminate the mental mistakes and penalties that put them in 10-plus yards to go situations all too often.
"Obviously, penalties will kill you," said center and offensive co-captain Brandon Linder. "You can't start off 15, 20 yards (to go)."
The Jaguars offense managed 310 yards, but nearly half, 152 yards, came in the final two drives when the outcome of the game were no longer in doubt and the Titans had softened their defense. The lack of Allen Robinson, gone for the year with a knee injury, and Dede Westbrook, out for at least six weeks with a core muscle injury, showed that they are missing a receiver who can press the defense and open up opportunities in the running game. Perhaps Marqise Lee can fill that role, but on Sunday, nobody could get open deep.
And then there were the mistakes: Three turnovers, 10 penalties for 99 yards--many at inopportune times.
"We'll correct the mistakes, then start preparing for the next game," Posluszny said. "The great thing about the NFL is that you play, you compete, win or lose, you learn, then you have to move on."