A few thoughts on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 23-17 loss to Houston at NRG Stadium.
What it means: What happened against the Texans perfectly encapsulates the entire 2014 season: The defense played solidly and chipped in with an interception return for a touchdown, but the offense just couldn’t get anything going. The Jaguars finished with 233 yards and went 0-for-11 on third down and quarterback Blake Bortles was sacked five times, including once for a safety. Bortles did make a few plays late in the game -- converting a fourth-and-10 with a 34-yard run -- but as it has been all season, it wasn’t enough. The Jaguars finished the season 3-13, which marked the third year in a row in which they’ve finished with four or fewer victories.
Stock watch: It wasn’t a particularly good day for rookie receiver Marqise Lee. He had played well since the bye week, catching 22 passes for 273 yards in the last five games, but he struggled against the Texans. He dropped two passes that would have been normal catches and ended up with two catches for 8 yards, plus he suffered what appeared to be a knee injury late in the game. Had he had five catches, it would have made the Jaguars the first team in NFL history to have three rookie receivers catch at least 40 passes in a season. Allen Robinson has 48 and Allen Hurns has 51.
Incentive lost: Imagine finding $250,000 and then losing it immediately. That’s what defensive end Chris Clemons went through on Sunday. He needed one sack to reach eight for the season, which would have triggered a $250,000 bonus, and he got it in the third quarter when he dropped Case Keenum for a 5-yard loss. However, cornerback Aaron Colvin was penalized for defensive holding, which wiped out the play and Clemons’ bonus.
Game ball: Defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks has been the Jaguars’ best and most consistent player all season. He led the team with 8.5 sacks (a high number for an interior lineman), 15 tackles for loss and 16 QB hurries to go along with 44 tackles and a fumble recovery. It’s unfortunate he left the game in the first half with a knee injury and wasn’t able to finish the season. He’s the one player on the team who deserved to go to the Pro Bowl, and it’s unknown how his injury will affect his status as an alternate.
What’s next: The Jaguars begin preparations for the NFL draft and free agency with trips to the Senior Bowl in late January and the scouting combine in February.
