Head coach Liam Coen didn’t hide his frustration, tossing his headset aside after a crushing 36-29 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. The disappointment was obvious, as the Jacksonville Jaguars squandered a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter. Even a famed analyst didn’t hold back, as he handed a blunt remark on how the team collapsed down the stretch.

When asked about the Texans, Pete Prisco criticized the Jaguars for losing to the Texans despite an impressive lead of 29-10. It was the largest blown lead in franchise history, with the last being 17 points. “They told me that the Jaguars choked away again,” Prisco said.

“You’re winning 29-10 against Davis Mills, and you lose that game by giving up 26 points in the fourth quarter? That should never happen,” he added. “Jacksonville just stopped doing anything in the fourth quarter and they allowed them to do that, go down the field and win the game.”

Speaking of the Texans, led by backup quarterback Davis Mills, Prisco praised their impressive comeback. He added that the 4-5 Texans, currently third in the division, have found new life in the standings. Perhaps this also tightened the race for playoff spots.

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In his first start since 2022, Mills notched up 292 yards, 2 touchdowns, and had 1 interception.

The Texans’ defense, including defensive end Danielle Hunter, was equally impressive in the game. But for the Jaguars, the analyst pointed out that this game was an opportunity for the Jaguars to strengthen their position in the AFC South with a win, but they lost.

This could have narrowed the distance between the Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts. Moreover, the loss exposed several issues for the Jaguars, particularly their quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s performance. One such is the pass rush.

The Jaguars have recorded just 12 sacks this season, the fewest in the NFL. However, they rank 10th in quarterback pressures with 119, indicating they’re getting close but not finishing plays.

Defensive ends Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen have each registered only two sacks through nine games, while defensive tackle Arik Armstead leads the team with 4.5.

That explains that the team needs plenty of work to be done on the pass rush, as well as in other areas, too. And the coach made sure the message was delivered in the locker room.

Liam Coen sent a message to the locker room

Addressing the defeat, the coach opened up about his disappointment upon the loss of a 19-point lead.

“That’s really disappointing against an in-division opponent on the road where you’re controlling the game for the majority of it with all three phases having an impact.”

“That’s the whole message in the locker room just now: this one is going to sting, and it should, but we’ve got to move on,” he said. “We’ll definitely have to challenge each other this week to get back on track.”

He was right about the sting part. After Mills led that huge comeback, the Jaguars (5-4) still had a shot to tie it up. But just as Lawrence tried to move them into field-goal range, defensive end Will Anderson Jr. forced a fumble. And defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins scooped it up and ran 32 yards to the end zone, sealing the win.

After the game, Lawrence, who had one touchdown in the game, admitted that they weren’t able to capitalize on the opportunities. Their plan didn’t work out. 

“I think it was more self-inflicted stuff,” he said. “It was a really good defense, give them credit, but I also felt like we left some plays out there. We’ve got to play better, offensively, we’ve got to score more, and we’ve got to be able to finish and put the game away.”

The Jaguars will aim to correct their mistakes as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11.