JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Bobby From Section 408 and Summerville

Hi, John. What is the feeling in the Jaguars' locker room? Do you sense that they can shake off the devastating loss to the Texans and finish the season strong and make the playoffs?

This is a critical question following the Jaguars' 36-29 loss to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Sunday. While the nature of the 17-game season makes all NFL games important, with losses feeling devastating in the immediate aftermath, the nature of this loss makes it particularly difficult to overcome. The Jaguars had an AFC South rival beaten. On the road. They were this close to being 6-3 and in very good shape to make a postseason run. The Texans instead outscored the Jaguars 26-0 in the fourth quarter – and that margin felt very fair considering how the Jaguars played in the quarter. The defense couldn't pressure Texans quarterback Davis Mills. The offense couldn't protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Texans scored touchdowns on all three of their drives, and the Jaguars gained 11 yards on their three drives. That sort of loss unquestionably can linger and there's a chance Sunday could define the season. My sense is that the Jaguars can overcome this. Head Coach Liam Coen has the collective belief of these players. I don't expect them to quit on the season and I don't expect a collapse. The Jaguars' task now is to make Sunday an adverse situation that was overcome and not a defining moment. The task will be tough. This week is critical.

Mark from Richmond, VA

Unacceptable fourth quarter by the offense and defense. What was more surprising to you? The offense getting shut down in the fourth quarter by the best defense in the league? Or our defensive meltdown in the fourth against a backup quarterback and a mid-level offensive line? Or is it just an equally disgraceful mess of a fourth quarter?

When you produce that kind of fourth quarter, it's all sort of disgraceful and messy. But you lean toward the defensive performance being a little more surprising. The Texans' defense is good and the thought here entering the game was points were going to be difficult – particularly with multiple front-line skill players out. The Jaguars' secondary entered Sunday injured, too, but the thought here was that the Jaguars' defensive front could pressure Texans backup Davis Mills into enough mistakes to be the difference. That thought was very incorrect.

Josh from Denver

Defensive end Danny Striggow looked solid in the time he saw the field Sunday. With the pass rush struggling the way it is, do you think the coaching staff will give defensive end B.J. Green and Striggow some run? They both looked really sharp in preseason, and at this point it couldn't hurt to try, right?

Not really, no.

Darwin from Cebu, Philippines

KOAF. What the bleep happened? Isn't this supposed to be the "easy" part of the schedule? I just can't trust this team to win when they're expected to. Enough about the parity of the NFL or that there is little separation between the good teams and bad teams. But come on, when the other team is starting their backup quarterback, and when you have a 19-point lead through three quarters, you're supposed to take care of business. Right?

The Texans are the two-time defending AFC South champions with the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL, so Sunday was never going to be "easy" – and no, the Jaguars are not yet a team you can trust to win when they're expected to win. And parity in the NFL is real. But yes … when you're leading by 19 points entering the fourth quarter, you're well supposed to take care of business.

James from Socorro, NM

Technically not the Same Old Jags because they've never blown a lead that large before.

James' got jokes. Good on James.

Thomas from Williamsburg VA

While it certainly is not Lawrence's job to rush the passer, play defensive back or pass block, would you agree it is his job to keep the offense on the field to run out the clock while they have a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter?

Of course. It's also the offensive line's job to play well enough to give Lawrence time to throw, and it's his teammate's job to pick up blitzes, and to not commit key penalties, and to run well enough to be in good down-and-distance situations for Lawrence to convert third downs. Lawrence must be better. He wasn't great Sunday. He didn't cost the Jaguars the game, but he also didn't lift the team in a way a franchise quarterback should lift it. That's where we are.

James from Socorro, NM

After taking a 29-10 lead, Trevor had a 100% pressure rate on six dropbacks. What happened to the semi-competent offensive line play from earlier in the year?

Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.

Colette from Wapwallopen, PA

What did you think of the decision to go for two when we were already up? It feels like everything shifted after we failed to convert.

I think "analytics" tell you to go for two when you're up by 19 points because getting two puts you up three touchdowns and three conventional extra points. I think it's an analytics game these days, for better or worse, and you do what analytics says more often than not.

Holger from Zurich, Switzerland

I can't blame the offense for the loss. This is the No. 1-ranked defense, and they were down a lot of players on offense. The defense, however, has no excuses. To me, it's inexcusable that the Jaguars did nothing to address their biggest need, even during last year's season: Defensive tackle. They needed not one but two new players at the position, and all they got was Khalen Saunders and Austin Johnson, plus they moved Arik Armstead inside. They addressed the pass rusher with Emmanuel Ogbah and Duwuane Smoot, but that did not work out. The defense has played poorly against the pass for several weeks, including against the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks. The Tyson Campbell trade does not seem to have improved the secondary. The loss of Eric Murray is significant, and even last year, Antonio Johnson was poor in coverage. Yes, we don't have Travis Hunter and Jourdan Lewis as well, but failing to upgrade the defensive line until very late in free agency is a self-inflicted wound, and we are now 27th in pass defense in the NFL.

The secondary is really beat up. Lewis, Hunter and Murray are out – and those might be three of your four best defensive backs. They are also without rookie safety Caleb Ransaw, who likely would have pushed to start at least by early in the season. The Jaguars are healthy on the interior of the defensive line.

Chris from Tampa, FL

Us naysayers are still correct. This team is terrible. Maybe next year. But definitely not with this quarterback.

When a team loses a 19-point lead in the fashion the Jaguars lost on Sunday, naysayers will nay – and those nays understandably drown out all else. But the Jaguars to this point in the season have not been "terrible." They in fact have been what might have been expected in Year One of a regime – good at times, really not good at other times. Sometimes they have been good and really not good in the same game. That has been good enough to get them to 5-4 and in seventh position in the AFC. They are at a crossroads right now. They need to get injured players such as Lewis, Murray and tight end Brenton Strange back. They need to find a way to get more big plays from wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. If they can do those things, the thought here is they can still win enough close games to get to the postseason or at least be contending for it in December and January. We'll see.

Michael from Middleburg

So, O. What exactly is the outcome of Hunter's injury?

Hunter is on injured reserve with a knee injury. He is eligible to return after two more games. Whether he will be able to return this season remains to be seen.

Jase from Houston

Everyone seems to be blaming this on Trevor, but to me it's hard to. He didn't play a great game and yes, he could've been better at times, but this is one of the best defenses in the league. On that last drive he got us into a position for kicker Cam Little to potentially try a game-winner, but the illegal-hands-to-the-face call ended up blowing it. I don't know, just kind of hard to blame this all on him, which it seems like a lot of Jags fans are doing.

It's the nature of the NFL that it is often the quarterback's fault whether or not it's the quarterback's fault.