Even the most ardent fans see what is taking place here in Duuuval. The Jacksonville Jaguars continue to spiral out of control with the 34-16 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The saddest part of the five-game losing streak is there does not appear to be an end in sight.
Defensively, this is a situation that needs more than a few tweaks. A massive overhaul wouldn’t assure change and with the coaching staff that currently works inside TIAA Bank Field, there are 11 more weeks to turn things around.
That too is highly unlikely.
“We all love playing for a coach that is going to take accountability and he is going to stand on the front lines with us. But, we all know we have to do better,” quarterback Gardner Minshew said in his post-game interview.
“There’s not a guy out there dressed that can’t do a better job. At the end of the day, we all have to raise our game up a little bit and that will get us where we want to go.”
That sentiment has been preached many times already this season with little results. Minshew is still learning on the job and has not taken the next step yet to becoming a franchise quarterback. While offensive coordinator Todd Wash preached balance from his offense heading into the game against Detroit, there was little to show for the effort.
The Jaguars face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday before their bye week. Taking on a team with a rookie quarterback in Justin Herbert may not be an elixir for this roster as the former Oregon star looks like a more mobile Dan Fouts so far this season.
And as the Jaguars continue to help teams get back on track – Miami, Cincinnati, Houston, and Detroit – the question on everyone’s mind is when will head coach Doug Marrone and/or general manager David Caldwell find a pink slip attached to their office doors.
It won’t happen anytime soon. Team owner Shad Khan appears committed to keeping both on the payroll until the end of the season, if not longer. The fact Khan has been a silent owner has further infuriated the fanbase and rightfully so.
What happens now? By the looks of things, nothing changes. The offense needs to find balance. The defense needs to discover a pass rush. The kicking game needs Josh Lambo more than any other unit and the bye week cannot come soon enough. The sand is slipping through the hourglass at warped speed. There is no time to breathe, rather move forward and try to erase the start to the season little by little.
If the Jaguars win four games this season, it might be a miracle.
There will be changes once again to this franchise – but only in the offseason. There is already plenty of speculation who might replace Marrone, but you really cannot predict the future. Finding a replacement for Caldwell might be just as tough. Jobs in Atlanta and Houston look more attractive.
Once again, Jacksonville is in a no-win situation. Both on the field and on the management side of football. The only way to fix it or help it heal is rip the bandage off and try again. Fans have heard this over and over between two owners. It’s called rebuilding. It’s one of the worst words in the NFL dictionary besides the word potential.
Until fans see improvement, they will continue to cry out loud for change. And at some point, the hamster wheel will slow down. For now, this is all they have to hold onto.
