The Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans‘ week 4 matchup featured a litany of mistakes, and unanswered questions from the Jaguars in a heartbreaking loss to the Texans. After having all the momentum and the late lead, the Jaguars blew what could’ve been a huge win, and instead lost in heartbreaking fashion 24 to 20.
Jaguars and Texans Week 4 Analysis: What Went Wrong?
With such a disappointing and frustrating start to the season, it’s hard to think about any positives from the Jaguars. But there are still another 13 games to be played, and the Jaguars aren’t going to roll over and admit defeat. The team is struggling, but there are still some positives from their week four matchup against the Texans. They found success in certain areas that gave them a chance to win and were on the brink of avoiding collapse. But, before looking at the positives, it’s important to know what exactly went wrong for the Jaguars on Sunday in Houston.
Late Game Collapse and Mistakes
After taking a 17 to 14 lead midway through the third quarter, the Jaguars defense forced a punt from the Texans. The Jaguars had the ball, with a chance to go up two scores. A Trevor Lawrence scramble and a Travis Etienne Jr. carry gave the Jaguars a first down, followed by a run from Etienne for no gain and a seven-yard completion to rookie Brian Thomas Jr. With third and three, and a little under two minutes remaining in the third quarter, backup running back Tank Bigsby created an explosive to set the Jaguars up down the field.
Bigsby took the ball and broke through the Texans’ defense and down the field for a 58-yard run down to the Texans’ four-yard line. The Jaguars were in prime position to extend their lead and make it a two-possession game. However, the following plays went nowhere. A two-yard run from Bigsby, followed by another Bigsby run for only one yard, made it third and goal. Lawrence then threw a pass to Gabriel Davis in the end zone, which was dropped after it hit him in the helmet. The very next play was a designed quarterback draw, which went nowhere after the blocking couldn’t hold up and Lawrence potentially took the wrong angle—a disastrous end to what could’ve been the game-sealing drive.
Following the red zone disaster, the Jaguars’ defense held strong and forced back-to-back punts from the Texans’ high-powered offense. Unfortunately, the Jaguars’ offense matched that performance, punting the ball back to Houston on their final two drives before their last drive with no time left. A six-play drive, that at least took three minutes off the clock was miles better than their penultimate drive.
With a chance to chew clock, the Jaguars’ offense went out onto the field from their own 28 and had a one-yard run from Etienne, an incompletion, followed by another incompletion. Trying to chew the clock, and secure a road victory, the Jaguars punted after a three and out with two incompletions, and only 57 seconds taken off the clock. The Texans’ offense came alive, and drove down the field, chewing the clock as they went to eventually score the game-winning touchdown with less than 20 seconds left.
Once again in 2024, the Jaguars had a chance to win but threw away that chance thanks to poorly timed drops, bad play calls, and terrible execution from the offense when it mattered most. If the Jaguars weren’t already in a downward spiral after their week three loss to the Buffalo Bills, then their week four game cemented their downward trend. One of the biggest issues with the Jaguars’ offense has been the coaching staff, and it played a major factor in this game as well, But, the most prevalent issue plaguing the Jaguars’ season right now is the poor performance of their star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence’s Lows and Terrible Throws
It’s no secret, Lawrence has been playing very poorly in 2024 through four weeks. His ups and downs have drastically shaped the Jaguars’ current record, and all of the blame can’t be put on the playcalling. Lawrence missed multiple throws in Sunday’s loss to the Texans, including what would’ve been a long touchdown pass to Christian Kirk, that Lawrence just overthrew.
He finished 18 for 33 for 169 yards and two touchdowns. It’s an average of five yards per attempt, near the bottom of the NFL in week 4. Lawrence has struggled in 2024 overall, and his performance in week four was a great example of his play overall. He has his terrible miscues, like the deep shot to Kirk that he missed. But he also is being punished by his receivers dropping catchable balls, including one in the end zone. Lawrence missed another deep throw that would’ve been a touchdown to Thomas and had a plethora of other small misses throughout the game.
In the first three weeks, Lawrence had excuses. The play calling was terrible, his wide receivers and tight ends weren’t making the plays they should, or the offensive line was giving up a ton of pressure. Outside of the Davis drop in the end zone, the issues didn’t impact this game nearly as much as before. Press Taylor called a decent game, outside of a few key mistakes that should warrant his firing, but he had the Jaguars in position to win. For the first time, the offensive line finally held up. Anton Harrison allowed one pressure, which was the only pressure given up by any Jaguars offensive lineman according to PFF.
This was just a bad performance from Lawrence, one that cost the Jaguars the game and should not be happening with a quarterback making 55 million dollars a year. Lawrence needs to play better if the Jaguars have any chance of winning games, and with how much disconnect there is between him and the play calling, the Jaguars’ chances seem slim no matter the opponent.
What Worked, and How To Move Forward
Despite the heartbreaking loss, there were plenty of things to be optimistic about going forward in Jacksonville. While a playoff spot seems unlikely, the Jaguars have been competing with some good teams, and with a couple of things going their way, could very easily be three and one. Week one featured a last-second collapse, week two had the Jaguars offense get off to a terrible start and not enough time to recover, and week three was the only true disaster for Jacksonville. There’s hope, but in the sea of despair the Jaguars are in, what exactly does that hope look like?
The Defense Looked Alive
For the first three weeks, the defense couldn’t get anything going. Allowing the final touchdown drive is a bad look for the defense, but the offense didn’t do its job, and it’s hard to put all the blame on the defense despite holding the Texans’ offense in check for the majority of the game.
One of the keys for the defense was generating pressure, and with Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker coming alive, things took a turn for the better. Hines-Allen had five pressures and two quarterback hits, while Walker had four pressures and one hit. Roy Robertson-Harris had a huge day, getting four pressures of his own to go with one of two sacks for Jacksonville. Jeremiah Ledbetter also secured a sack, and a bunch of other backup defensive linemen generated some pressure. It was an impressive showing and is exactly what the Jaguars’ defense needs to do week in and week out in Ryan Nielsens’ scheme if the Jaguars defense wants to succeed.
In coverage is where the Jaguars struggled, as C..J. Stroud had a massive performance, getting 345 yards and two touchdowns on 27 completions. Nico Collins, the Texans emerging superstar receiver, had 12 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown. Dare Ogunbawale also had a big completion for a first down on third and long, later getting a receiving touchdown that secured the Texans’ comeback. According to PFF, Ronald Darby allowed 159 yards on 11 completions. He struggled against a high-powered Texans offense after putting up solid performances in weeks two and three. Darby has held the non-elite receivers to under 30 total yards but has given up over 110 against both the Miami Dolphins and the Texans.
The one area of the Jaguars defense that has been good throughout every game has been their run defense, which has been their strength defensively through four weeks. Arik Armstead and the rest of the defensive line have been a huge factor, and despite the loss of Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd, the Jaguars linebackers also were huge contributors in the run game. Ventrell Miller had an impressive day and is something the Jaguars can build upon even when Lloyd and Oluokun return from injury.
The Offensive Weapons Are Getting Better and Healthy
For the first few weeks, the Jaguars receivers severely underperformed. But, as the season has progressed a lot has become clearer. First, the Jaguars have hit a home run with the selection of Brian Thomas in the first round. He has been not only the best receiver but the best offensive player for the Jaguars through four games. Thomas had 86 yards and a touchdown on six receptions.
After a terrible week’s one and two, Kirk has taken a step up in weeks three and four. Kirk finished with 61 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. Both Kirk and Thomas could’ve had much bigger games as well if it weren’t for Lawrence missing deep throws. If it wasn’t clear at the beginning of the year, it’s clear now that Thomas and Kirk are Lawrence’s best targets.
Davis and Parker Washington have been non-factors, with Davis hurting more than he’s helping thanks to his drop in the end zone that could’ve secured the Jaguars the win. Davis has always had drop issues, and those problems have manifested in Jacksonville at some poor times through four games. But overall, the offense has fixed some of the issues that became apparent after week two.
There is one missing piece from this offense that might return in week five, and that’s star tight end Evan Engram. After tweaking his hamstring only an hour before the Cleveland Browns game in week two, Engram has missed the last three weeks. With optimism from Doug Pederson, it looks like Engram has a chance to play in week five. Getting one of Lawrence’s favorite targets back, and adding him to the receiving room of Thomas and Kirk could be enough to bring a more consistent offense to fruition. Engram had a huge 2023 and will fall below expectations and any bold predictions, but his presence could be a huge boost to a Jaguars offense that needs all the help it can get.
Where to go From Here?
There’s no sugar-coating it: the 2024 season has been a disaster. Pederson and Taylor should be fired, and Trent Baalke is likely on his way out with them. The defense has done just enough for Nielsen to stay, but the Jaguars’ underperformance has gone for too long. Changes needed to be made after the late collapse in 2023, and with a start as bad as it gets, the Jaguars are in dire need of a change.
Lawrence and most of the offensive personnel are fine, and the defense is marred with injuries to key players. With the contracts dished out to Lawrence and the players, Pederson and Taylor should be the ones to take the blame for how disastrous it has been. The comments made by Pederson following the game are a clear indication of what’s to come.
During his post-game press conference, Pederson said “As coaches, we can’t go out there and make the plays, right? It’s a two-way street.” If there was one rule of coaching, it’s don’t throw the players under the bus. With that comment, he just blamed the players. The Jaguars have lost nine of their last ten games, Pederson is throwing his players under the bus and has been uninspiring. He was dismissive over his potential firing and has been souring the relationship with the Jaguars fans.
There are parts of this Jaguars team that work, and make sense, but with Doug Pederson and Press Taylor at the helm it seems like there are very few bridges left to burn. A change at head coach and offensive coordinator can work mid-season, it’s been done before. But, the Jaguars can’t keep delaying the inevitable, as with how poorly things are going, there is next to zero chance either are back for the 2025 season, regardless of what happens the rest of the season.
The loss to the Texans was disappointing, and Pederson continued to add fuel to the fire post-game. It’s a complete mess, and something needs to happen if the Jaguars have any hope of salvaging their 2024 season.
Main Image: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
