JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The 2016 season wasn’t salvageable anyway, but after Sunday’s 20-10 loss to Denver, it has firmly rolled over into disaster territory.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are now 2-10, which means they have double-digit losses in six consecutive seasons. Owner Shad Khan needs to fix his franchise, which right now is among the worst in NFL history.
Only two teams have had more consecutive seasons of double-digit losses: Tampa Bay did it 12 years in a row from 1983 to 1994, and Oakland did it seven years in a row from 2003 to 2009. Detroit (2001 to 2006) and Cleveland (2008 to '13) also lost 10 or more games in six consecutive seasons.
Sunday was the seventh loss in a row for the Jaguars, who last won a game Oct. 16 in Chicago. The last time the Jaguars won a game at EverBank Field was Dec. 13, 2015 -- nearly a full calendar year ago.
"It’s a talented team," head coach Gus Bradley said. "We just need to figure that part out. And what I’m hoping is through all this pain we’re going through as far as adversity that we’re worthy of it come in the end. When that happens, I don’t know if it’s next week or two weeks, but I think this team is really trying to gain as much strength from this as they can for future times.”
The Jaguars have four games remaining -- vs. Minnesota, at Houston, vs. Tennessee and at Indianapolis -- and need to win one to avoid tying the worst record in franchise history: 2-14 in 2012, Khan’s first season as owner.
Regardless, the Jaguars are headed for another top-five draft pick -- their sixth in a row, the longest streak since the common-era draft began in 1967. They haven’t exactly hit on all of the previous five. Wide receiver Justin Blackmon is suspended indefinitely, and offensive lineman Luke Joeckel might have played his last game for the Jaguars. It’s too early to give up on quarterback Blake Bortles in his third season, but he has not played well and is a big reason the team has won just two games. Dante Fowler Jr. missed his first season with a torn ACL and is essentially a rookie this season.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey seems like the only surefire hit of the group at this point.
Barring a reversal, Khan will make a coaching change -- most likely when the season ends -- and will have to decide whether he wants an entire regime change, meaning firing GM Dave Caldwell as well. It would be Khan's second reboot; he did the same thing after the 2012 season.
Despite seemingly having more talent, the Jaguars aren’t any better now than they were then. No progress in four years means something has to change.
"It's frustrating for everybody," Ramsey said. "And the main thing is winning."
