3rd-and-18 has kept Tashaun Gipson up at night

When most fans talk about the 2017 AFC Championship game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots, the topic generally starts to focus on the Myles Jack fumble recovery and how it was a blown call that potentially cost the Jaguars a trip to the Super Bowl.

It was a critical play at a critical point in the game, but there was also that nightmarish third-and-18 conversion that the Jaguars defense gave up. Nightmarish is an apt description too, considering it’s kept Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson up at night.

“That is just one of them things where you got relaxed. I am not going to lie to you – I told myself I would never answer this question again. But that play right there, I would be lying if I said that didn’t keep me up all offseason,” Gipson said on Monday when asked about what happened on the play. “Got lax, depending on the rush, third-and-18, there is no way you are going to get this ball out with our d-line. He had a little more time and he made a great throw to [Danny] Amendola, and I think that was one of the turning points in the game. That ‘laxing’ mentality, myself, and I blame myself and myself only like I have been saying. I won’t blame this on whatever foot issue I was dealing with. That is a third-and-18 I have to make. If I am on the field, I have to make that play.”

It’s going to be one of those plays that could potentially haunt the Jaguars for seasons to come, but those are the kind of plays the Patriots have routinely made and why they’re so good. Gipson shouldering the blame is nice to see, but there were a myriad of issues on the play and it wasn’t all on Tashaun Gipson.

Hopefully the that play is etched into the player’s minds however, and they don’t let up or get lax no matter the situation going forward.