JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and team reporter Kainani Stevens offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars as they prepare to play the Houston Texans in a 2024 Week 4 game at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas

John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer…

1. Show pride. This as simple a "quick thought" as is possible for the Jaguars right now – and there may be no bigger issue for this team entering Week 4. The Jaguars are under criticism – deservedly so. A one-sided loss to the Buffalo Bills Monday has left many observers believing the season is over – and history says it indeed will be difficult to recover from the 0-3 start to the 2024 regular season. The reality is the Jaguars have recovered from worse situations than the one they face now. Remember: They were 4-7 in 2022 before rallying to win their final five regular-season games to win their first AFC South title in five seasons. The first step to such a recovery is to win one game. The first step to win a game is to play with pride. Prepare professionally. And most of all, find a way to play with more urgency – and a lot better than – than they did in a nationally-televised blowout loss this past Monday. The Jaguars believe they're better than what they have shown so far this season. Let's see.
2. No more words. This ties in a bit with the previous quick thought. As expected when a team is struggling as the Jaguars are struggling, players and coaches are saying many things. Head Coach Doug Pederson, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and multiple players repeatedly have said they believe this is not really "who they are" – and that's exactly what they should say and believe as a team. They should believe they are a better team than this, and they should be a better team than this. But until they show they're a better team than this, it's fair for observers to not believe they're a better team than this. "It's that time where you've just got to go play," Pederson said. "You've got to go coach; you've got to go play. You can talk after." Said Lawrence, "It just comes down to us making the plays and we haven't made them." The Jaguars have a game against the Texans Sunday at 1 p.m. They must start making those plays again. Until they do, pregame and postgame talk won't matter.

Brian Sexton, Jaguars Senior Correspondent…

1. It doesn't seem possible, but the Jaguars can turn this ship around Sunday. A victory over the Texans would get the Jaguars to 1-3 would but drop Houston to 2-2 – and leave the Jags just a game behind the Texans with another AFC South showdown the following Sunday against the Colts. It has been a really rough week at the Miller Electric Center – and the players I spoke with Wednesday were also thankful to see a division opponent up next. They know the Texans. they know what's at stake when you play in the AFC South and they know what's possible despite their rugged beginning. The Jaguars aren't as good as I thought they were when the season began, but they're not as bad as they looked on Monday Night Football, either. It won't be easy to win in Houston, but they Jaguars won there the last two years. Winning there on Sunday might feel like a new beginning to their season, one with a little hope.
2. The Jaguars' offensive line must flip the script this week. The offensive line has played very poorly, and as much as Pederson wants to remind everyone that pass protection is more than just the five guys on the line, it's obvious to even the most casual observer that this group is holding the Jaguars back. Watching the tape it's clear Lawrence has a quick clock in his head after the first three weeks and that's trouble for the receivers who need time to develop their routes. Cam Robinson, Ezra Cleveland, Mitch Morse, Brandon Scherff and Anton Harrison are capable of being a good offensive line – maybe better than good – but they haven't played anywhere near that level through three games. If they're not on point on Sunday, and Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter look like Von Miller and Greg Rousseau did on Monday Night Football, then it will be time to shake things up and introduce Walker Little and Cooper Hodges to the competition for a starting job. You can't keep doing the same thing, with the same five guys, and expect a different result.

Kainani Stevens, Jaguars Team Reporter/Producer ..

1. The Jaguars missed Evan Engram's leadership on Monday night. The veteran tight end missed his second consecutive game due to a hamstring injury and did not travel to Buffalo with the team last week as he continued his injury rehab in Jacksonville. Watching from afar, Engram saw his teammates get blown out by the Bills on prime-time television. Engram recounted to the media on Wednesday his frustration seeing his team struggle and not being able to help. Leadership on the field was clearly missing as Lawrence's most reliable target was 1,000 miles to the south. Engram was the only bright spot on offense the final two months of last season and his absence was certainly felt on Monday.
2. The defense must find a new voice. Defensive captain Foyesade Oluokun left last week's game early and may not be back for a few weeks as he deals with a foot injury. The loss of Oluokun's physical presence is obviously a big blow, but it is perhaps his voice that will be missed most on the field. Oluokun serves as the team's defensive play-caller and fully embodies the role of "quarterback of the defense." I'm excited to see some extended playing time from second-year player Ventrell Miller, but I do have concerns about communication becoming an issue on defense.