Chiefs 27, Jaguars 17: Week 10 Loss Shows How Consequential Jacksonville's October Was
Entering the 2022 season, it is fair to say most assumed the Jacksonville Jaguars would leave Arrowhead Stadium with a loss in Week 10.
But what one wouldn't have expected after the Jaguars' 2-1 start to the season is for the Week 10 loss to essentially sink the Jaguars' ship. And in that fashion, we get to see just how consequential the Jaguars' 0-5 record in October has become.
Jacksonville showed plenty of fight in Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, fighting back after going down 20-0 and having a chance to make it a one-score game if not for a series of missed field goals.
But fight doesn't earn playoff births. Fight doesn't help settle patient fans and a young locker rook who deserve to win -- and who need to find out how to win.
Only winning football games does that, and Sunday's loss drops the Jaguars to 3-7. With 9 other AFC teams already having five wins, the clock is running on the Jaguars' chances to turn 2022 into a meaningful season and not a year of wasted opportunities.
“It’s important because we have to get on a run," Jaguars wide receiver Marvin Jones said on Monday as the Jaguars entered a new week.
"I think we all know that, and we know what type of team we are in that locker room, we know who we have, we know what we can do. I think we’ve shown that, and obviously, getting that game and getting over that hump, it’s a new season. That’s how we all put it. We had the nine games and started a new nine games, and that’s how we’re rocking. It’s good to have that and for us to push forward.”
Jones is a key voice in the Jaguars' locker room. When he talks, they listen. So when he is saying the Jaguars need to go on a run, that is showing you what the locker room knows and feels. They know the sand in the hour glass is slipping in 2022 because of an October that saw them blow leads to the Eagles, Texans, Colts, Giants and Broncos, five winnable games that saw the Jaguars stumble over themselves and get in their own way of victory.
Sunday was a big blown chance by the Jaguars ahead of the bye week, even with the context of the Chiefs being the best opponent the Jaguars will face all season long. And that is what happens when a team goes 0-5 in one-score games like the Jaguars did in October.
"The main thing is, you’ve got to get one before you can get two. We’re doing the one foot forward approach," Jones said last week.
"We have one, so it’s time to focus on the next one, and that’s all we’re focused on. That’s what we have to do in order to go on the run, but I think we’re in a good place with that, so now we’re just focused on the Chiefs. That’s our only goal, getting a W there. We can't think further after that.”
The Jaguars couldn't -- and didn't -- look past the Chiefs. But with the Tennessee Titans improving to 6-3 and the Colts improving to 4-5-1 in Week 10, the AFC South race looks like it i nearly over for the Jaguars.
Jacksonville had plenty of chances to turn the 2022 season into something memorable and important. But thanks to Week 10 and the five-game losing streak that pre-dated it, the Jaguars likely will have to wait until next year yet again.
