HOUSTON, Tex. – The opponent threw a lot late, and threw successfully.

That wasn't the whole story of the Jaguars' frustrating loss Sunday, but it was a big part of it – and an accompanying trend that has weaved its way through the 2025 season played a role.

The Jaguars' pass rush wasn't effective enough. Again.

"That hasn't been good enough all season, and it wasn't good enough today," Head Coach Liam Coen said.

The Jaguars on Sunday lost a 19-point fourth-quarter lead, with the Houston Texans rallying for 26 fourth-quarter points in a 36-29 victory over the Jaguars at NRG Stadium. The Texans scored on fourth-quarter drives of 65, 51 and 93 yards with quarterback Davis Mills' 14-yard scramble with :31 remaining giving them a 30-29 lead.

Mills, playing in place of injured starter C.J. Stroud (concussion), completed 27 of 45 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. The Jaguars registered two sacks – one by defensive tackle Arik Armstead and one by safety Antonio Johnson.

"We have all the faith in the world in the guys up front," linebacker Devin Lloyd said. "We know they're playing their asses off. We're going to get it right."

A would-be sack by Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker in the second quarter, a play that would have forced the Texans into second-and-16 at the Jaguars 41, was negated when Walker was called for hitting Mills in the head on the play. Texans running back Woody Marks scored on a one-yard run three plays later to cut the Jaguars' lead to 20-10 with 1:19 remaining in the half.

"Any of the contact with the head they're going to call it," Coen said.

Mills completed 11 of 22 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter – a 12-yarder to wide receiver Jayden Higgins and a 7-yarder to tight end Dalton Schultz. The Texans had 13 first downs to one for the Jaguars in the period.

"You're trying to hold onto a lead and make them earn it," Coen said. "We let up too many explosive plays."

The Jaguars did not sack Mills on 24 fourth-quarter dropbacks, including one play that was negated by an interference penalty on cornerback Jarrian Jones and also including Mills' game-winning scramble.

"That's something we definitely need to talk about as a staff and as a group," Coen said. "There is a combination. It's never one group's fault when you lose a game. That's not what we're going to do here. But it definitely is a challenge for us at the moment.

"When you blitz, you're a little susceptible in the back end when you blitz and when we four-man rush, we're not getting home. That's the reality. That's as a hard place as any coach for a coach to be in. Players as well at times. I didn't necessarily think we were putting these guys in really bad positions."

The Jaguars entered Sunday last in the NFL with 11 sacks, and while they registered four hurries – and while their two sacks Sunday marked their second consecutive multiple-sack game – missed opportunities in the area mattered in a big way.

"Didn't get them down a few times," Coen said. "Had them wrapped up. Didn't get him down. Those are huge momentum plays for them and you can't get him down and he's able to throw it away. Just gives them another down and more life. You just keep the life in them.

"The whole message was to squeeze the life out of these guys in the second half and go take it. It has been a frustration for a while now, obviously – the combination of lack of getting to the quarterback, and when we do, finishing it.

"It definitely needs to continue to get evaluated to see who can help us do those things."

QUOTABLE

• Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence: "We just have to move on to the next week. Unfortunately, this is what happened today. Can't change it now. It's over and done. We have to move forward into our next week and learn from it, let that be a chip on our shoulder and a little bit of fire under us for this week of practice. It should sting for a while. You put a lot into it, you have control of a game and you have to finish them. Guys are really frustrated in how it all played out and how we finished the game. Rightfully so. We all are frustrated, but we have to be able to channel that and have a great week of preparation and go get a win next week."

QUOTABLE

• Lloyd: "We're made of the right stuff. We're absolutely going to attack this week and come out and be ready to attack next week. This team is made of the right stuff, so there's no concern. It's just about correcting the mistakes and finding a way to be better on the other side."