Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars have now lost four consecutive games. Sunday’s blowout 30-12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have been the biggest embarrassment of them all.
Jacksonville found itself down 30-0 in the third quarter. Trevor Lawrence completed just 17-of-29 passes for 211 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions before exiting with a shoulder injury in the second half.
For Lawrence, this represents the third consecutive game that he has suffered an injury. It was back in Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals that he was dealing with an ankle sprain. Lawrence then had to enter the NFL concussion protocol after last week’s 23-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
By virtue of this latest loss, the Jaguars find themselves at a mediocre 8-7 after starting the season with a 6-2 record.
With both the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts also having lost on Sunday, too, the Jaguars remain in a first-place tie in the AFC South. But this doesn’t feel like anywhere near a playoff-caliber team.
Related: NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions
Jacksonville Jaguars downward spiral started Week 10
It was back on Nov. 12 that the Jaguars were coming off their bye and had won five consecutive games heading into a huge home matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
San Francisco had lost three consecutive heading into that game. Things seemed to be trending in the direction of the Jags pulling off another statement win.
Instead, home fans in Duval were “treated” to a humiliating 34-3 loss to San Francisco. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy completed 19-of-26 passes for 296 yards with three touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey added 142 total yards.
This represented the start of a brutal stretch in which the Jaguars’ defense just has not lived up to expectations. Sure, Jacksonville won two consecutive after losing to San Francisco. But the trend started on that November day.
Jacksonville Jaguars defense just isn’t it
Including Baker Mayfield’s banner day in Week 16 (26-of-35 passing, 284 yards, 2 TD), quarterbacks have had a field day against the Jags’ defense. It’s pretty humiliating stuff.
| Player | Team | Comp | Att | Yards | TD | INT | QB rating |
| Brock Purdy | 49ers | 19 | 26 | 296 | 3 | 0 | 148.9 |
| Will Levis | Titans | 13 | 17 | 158 | 2 | 0 | 143.8 |
| C.J. Stroud | Texans | 26 | 36 | 304 | 2 | 0 | 116.0 |
| Jake Browning | Bengals | 32 | 37 | 354 | 1 | 0 | 115.5 |
| Joe Flacco | Browns | 26 | 45 | 311 | 3 | 1 | 92.0 |
| Lamar Jackson | Ravens | 14 | 21 | 171 | 1 | 1 | 76.9 |
| Baker Mayfield | Buccaneers | 26 | 35 | 284 | 2 | 0 | 116.8 |
This is not putting your team in position to win. We’re talking about 13 touchdown passes against two interceptions during this span.
“The margin for error gets really small this time of year,” Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins said ahead of Week 16. “They [the Buccaneers] are fighting for the playoffs and we are. Everybody has to bring their A-Game.”
That did not happen against Tampa Bay. Mike Evans caught 7-of-8 targets for 86 yards with two touchdowns. Chris Godwin added six receptions for 79 yards. They only put four QB hits on Mayfield, sacking the quarterback twice in the process.
Related: Jacksonville Jaguars standing in Sportsnaut’s NFL power rankings
Where do the Jaguars go from here?
Despite losing for a fourth consecutive game, Jacksonville controls its own destiny. The team boasts the head-to-head tiebreaker against both Indianapolis and Houston with two games remaining.
Doug Pederson’s squad also has a favorable late-season schedule with a Week 17 home date against the two-win Carolina Panthers before closing up shop on the road against the last-place Tennessee Titans.
None of this will matter if the Jags’ defense doesn’t come to play. Heck, Lawrence’s status moving forward is iffy.
As of right now, Jacksonville would host the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs. It could also take on the Buffalo Bills. Is there any real confidence in the team coming out on top considering what we’ve seen over the past month? Not really.