JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines the Jaguars' 33-16 loss to the Oakland Raiders Sunday – with an eye on TE Marcedes Lewis' words to the team in the post-game locker room
"A DISCIPLINE ISSUE"
Marcedes Lewis put it succinctly.
"It was embarrassing," Lewis said.
Lewis, the Jaguars' most-tenured player was talking about a one-sided loss to the Raiders on Sunday that got sloppy and undisciplined at game's end.
The Jaguars, after back-to-back victories, entered Sunday's game with a chance to move to .500 in October for the first time since 2010. Instead, they fell behind 20-6 at halftime and never got within 10 points again.
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles threw one touchdown and two interceptions, and with the Jaguars trailing by two touchdowns entering the fourth quarter, the Jaguars – particularly on defense – turned in one of their most unpoised stretches in recent memory.
Defensive tackle Malik Jackson was penalized three times on one drive – twice on one play for roughing the passer and unsportsmanlike conduct. After a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the end of the drive, he was ejected from the game.
Wide receiver Marqise Lee also was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, and rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey was ejected from the game for fighting.
"It's discipline," Lewis said. "It's a discipline issue. It's discipline. It's the details. I could sit here all day and make a list of things, but at the end of the day, it comes down to being accountable. Everybody is accountable to somebody.
"We have to be able to talk to each other. We have to be able to pull each other up when somebody isn't doing as well during the game. Whatever it may be, as a team and brothers we have to be able to do that."
Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley said after the game the team lost its poise.
"It doesn't matter what happens or how it came about," Bradley said. "A good team can't do that or get caught up in it."
Lewis spoke to the team as a group afterward in the locker room.
"We have to hold each other accountable," Lewis said. "That's what it comes down to at the end of the day. If we as a family and team – the guys that I go to work with every day and sweat and bleed with – if we're scared to say something to each other then we're never going to take it to the next level.
"I wish I had all of the answers, but I don't. As one of the leaders on the team, I've got to be stronger for them and do my part. Can't really point fingers. We all have a part in this whole deal. We're not going to shy away. We're going to continue to fight. Everything is right there in front of us. It's crazy that with as bad as we played today we can still go out there and do what we need to do."
BIG LOSS
Jaguars defensive tackle Roy Miller left the game with an Achilles injury and was immediately ruled out. There was no update on the extent of the injury immediately after the game.
"It's huge," Jaguars middle linebacker Paul Posluszny said. "Roy Miller's one of the most important parts of our defense, hands down. If he's out for a significant time, that's a very significant loss for us. He's our best interior guy. He's a team leader. Guys rally around him. Guys love him. That will be tough. That will be a difficult situation for us."
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QUOTABLE I
"An 11-year veteran … strong words from him whenever he speaks, because he doesn't do that often. When he does, his words carry heavy weight. We need to be able to listen to him and go by what he says."
--Posluszny on Lewis' post-game words to the team
QUOTABLE II
"Everyone is frustrated, but at the end of the day, we can't have self-inflicted wounds as a team. With things already not going well for us, we can't just pile on to that."
--WR Allen Hurns
QUOTABLE III
"Sometimes I feel like football is that way when they ask you to be aggressive but not too aggressive. They ask you to play with aggression and throw another man down – but not like that, or not that way, so I really see the reflection of football in America and looking at each other. Or at least football in the NFL and I get a sense of overregulation. I get a huge sense of contradiction and it's funny how the NFL mirrors the current state of affairs in the United States. I feel like some things are overregulated and those that are supposed to regulate their language towards us are not regulated. I can't throw a flag but I understand I'm not trying to nit-pick, but it's funny to think about it sometimes. It's just one of those moments you have to shut up and play, I guess. I still feel like it's a reflection of one another in America, I don't know."
--Jaguars DE Jared Odrick
