JACKSONVILLE – They're good, consistent and remarkably reliable.

That's perhaps most notable about the Jaguars' punt return team – that when returner Parker Washington makes a game-turning play, it's not really a surprise.

This is what the group does, and it does it well.

"It's just special to be part of," Washington said.

Washington, a third-year wide receiver, has emerged this season as one of the Jaguars' most-productive players. That has been true on offense, where he is now essentially the team's No. 1 option in the passing offense – and it has been equally the case through nine games on special teams.

"Our punt return unit is one of the best in the NFL," he said.

Washington through nine games leads the NFL, averaging 16.6 yards on 16 punt returns. His 73-yard punt return for a first-half touchdown in a 36-29 loss to the Houston Texans Sunday marked his second punt return this season for a touchdown, with his 87-yard return touchdown a key play in the Jaguars’ Week 4 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

"He's been spectacular," Jaguars Special Teams Coordinator Heath Farwell said recently, adding that the success of the unit is more than the returner.

"We have a bunch of young players that have played unbelievable," Farwell said. "We have a ton of rookies and young players that have stepped up."

Included in that core: Rookie safety Rayuan Lane III, rookie defensive end Danny Striggow, rookie defensive end B.J. Green II and rookie linebacker Jack Kiser.

"We've got a bunch of good players that have kind of stepped up at that young role as a core group and really bonded together as a great group," Farwell said, with Washington adding, "They're working their tail off and hats off of those guys."

"They block their tails off, finish plays, running to the end of the play," Washington said. "As a returner, I just want to be able to make those plays for them just because of how hard they work. Seeing that, seeing all these big plays that we've been able to make so far just has been cool and hopefully we get to keep doing it."

NOTABLE

• The Jaguars through nine games rank last in the NFL with 13 sacks, registering two in each of the last two games but failing to sack Texans quarterback Davis Mills on 24 fourth-quarter drop backs as Houston drove for three touchdowns. Defensive tackle Arik Armstead leads the Jaguars with 4.5 sacks, with defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker each having two sacks. "We have the ability, we have the talent in the room to be successful, especially up front with four," Armstead said. "Throughout times, guys in our room, in our career, have shown that to have a lot of success. So just about coming together, when you're challenged, you have to band together because none of us are going to be successful individually. It's on us to go win our matchups when that is the play call for us to rush four, and put pressure on them rushing four. And just really focus for us up front, focusing on that."

QUOTABLE

• Armstead on Sunday's loss, in which the Jaguars squandered a 19-point fourth-quarter lead: "It's frustrating, but it's part of the process you have to go through to reach the gains and find the success. Everything you go through is part of the process and part of the journey. These moments, these games are making us the team and the players that we need to be. We have to go through these things to find growth. When times get hard, that's when you learn a lot about yourself and either you come together and make it better or things go awry. We're going to come together and make it better and find the success that we want to have. It's all about sticking together and going through that process as a team."

NOTABLE

• Washington: "What has been making us special this year is just the unity and coming together and not pointing fingers. [Head Coach] Liam Coen, that's his thing. We're not going to point fingers through this and we're not going backwards. Feel like that's been really cool to be a part of and guys are buying into that and it's been special and we're going to continue to have fun. Just be us."