The Jaguars rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit but lost to the Houston Texans 34-31 on a 48-yard field goal on the final play Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
The loss left the Jaguars 4-2 with a two-game lead in the AFC South entering their Week 7 bye. A defense that entered the game ranked second in the NFL in points allowed struggled throughout, while penalties and dropped passes also hurt the Jaguars.
Late rally falls short
Jaguars kicker Cam Little tied the game 31-31 with a 60-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen chose the field-goal attempt instead of trying to convert fourth-and-four, a decision that prompted questions after the Jaguars had struggled to contain Houston.
John Oehser, the Jaguars senior writer, noted that the Jaguars had stopped the Texans on two of the previous three drives. He described the decision as a 50-50 call without a clear option, but the Texans moved into position for the winning kick.
The Jaguars had no sacks, and the Houston Texans also finished without a sack. The Jaguars could not make the late defensive stop needed after Little restored the tie.
Penalties changed the game
Penalties remained a major issue for the Jaguars. The most damaging sequence came in the second quarter when a holding penalty on tight end Brenton Strange nullified a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Bhayshul Tuten.
Two plays later, Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter intercepted Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the end zone. Tuten has had three touchdowns called back by penalties this season.
Oehser addressed questions about several other calls but noted that further discussion would not change the result. The penalties hurt the Jaguars in a game in which they needed to turn promising opportunities into points.
Dropped passes add to Jaguars problems
Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. dropped a catchable pass on the opening series and later could not catch another pass late in the first half that would have moved the Jaguars into field-goal range. Thomas did not play in the second half.
The missed opportunities reduced the Jaguars’ margin for error as the Houston Texans built their lead. The game also prompted questions about the pass rush, with neither team recording a sack.
Coen said the Wembley Stadium surface benefited the offense and affected the pass rush.
“The surface … obviously, I didn’t feel like we were under a ton of duress, either. I think that venue benefits the offense in a lot of ways in terms of the pass rush. If we weren’t feeling them, they probably didn’t feel us.”
Jaguars enter bye with AFC South lead
The Jaguars enter their Week 7 bye at 4-2 and with a two-game lead in the AFC South. The loss ended a chance to build a larger division advantage, but the Jaguars remain in first place after six games.
The bye gives the Jaguars time to address the penalties, dropped passes and late defensive issues that contributed to the loss. The team will next turn its attention to the remainder of the season after the Week 7 break.
FSB Take
The Jaguars showed resilience by rallying from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, but the late comeback did not erase the mistakes that put them in that position. Penalties, dropped passes and an ineffective pass rush created too little margin for error before Houston delivered the final blow.
At 4-2, the Jaguars still hold a two-game AFC South lead. The Week 7 bye provides an opportunity to correct those issues before the team returns to action.
Source: Original report