Jaguars get put down by the Cowboys, as season reaches a tipping point

What three weeks ago was a promising season that appeared to be barreling towards a second-consecutive playoff appearance and vying for another AFC South title, has officially gone fully off the rails, following a complete ass kicking for the second consecutive week on the road, this time at the hands of what was supposed to be a feckless Dallas Cowboys team by a score of 40-7.

The Jacksonville Jaguars offense led by the consistently inconsistent Blake Bortles could never get anything generated, and for another week committed more turnovers than the defense could make up for as Bortle threw one God awful throw into triple coverage for a near pick six, and receiver Keelan Cole fumbled while attempting to turn and run on a reception in the second half.

The offensive line wasn’t near the problem it was a week ago in Kansas City, but Bortles never looked comfortable and the Jaguars once again inexplicably appeared to veer away from the running game when T.J. Yeldon was performing well when given the opportunity.

The biggest takeaway this week (and the most disheartening) is the play of the defense over the past two weeks.

The much-heralded defensive line, while hurrying Dak Prescott at times, had little to no pressure applied when the game was still on the line and it is now a more consistent trend than an aberration this season for the “Sacksonville” defense, to be anything but and a team that three weeks ago had allowed only four touchdowns all season, has allowed a combine 70 points in two weeks.

In the back end, defensive coordinator Todd Wash’s insistence on running a zone coverage scheme forcing his corners to play off, continues to allow receivers to run rough shod through the once feared secondary. With safety Barry Church and corners A.J. Bouye and Tyler Patmon seeming to consistently have the most issues with making plays within the scheme.

Something has to change quickly for this team and the answer is almost certainly not just the return of Leonard Fournette, whenever that is.

If there is a saving grace, the rest of the AFC South is abysmal as well, with Tennessee and Indianapolis losing again today, and now a three-way tie in the standings at 3-3 between the Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Houston Texans (who held off the Buffalo Bills this afternoon) and have won three straight heading into what is now a must-win game for the Jaguars next Sunday in Jacksonville.