Losing their fourth game in five was frustrating enough for the Jaguars.
But when word of a post-game scuffle in the locker room got out, it was impossible to hide the truth — the Jaguars are tired of the way things are going.
Specifically, the defense is feeing the pressure of having to carry an offense that can’t do anything in the absence of Leonard Fournette and with the return of Bad Blake Bortles.
Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue didn’t talk to reporters after having to be held back from something by Calais Campbell (before locker room doors were closed to reporters), and cornerback Jalen Ramsey admitted that they’re a mess right now.
“You all walk in here, you all see how it is in here, you all see how we vibe with each other, you all see how we vibe towards the coaches, you all see how it is. It is no secret what’s going on here right now,” cornerback Jalen Ramsey said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic. “Ain’t nobody going to say it because we can’t, but it ain’t no secret what’s going on and it ain’t right right now. It is what it is.”
Others tried to spin the frustration as a positive.
“Me personally, I appreciate it, because at the end of the day, that’s all because we didn’t win,” linebacker Myles Jack said. “Everyone wants to win in this locker room. Everyone wants the same thing. So I don’t take nothing from it. The game just ended. Emotions are high. Everybody’s pissed off. We’ll come back tomorrow and fix it. We’ll be all right.”
This isn’t some general anger, either. Their defense was gashed a week ago by the Cowboys, but the general trend of them having to carry the team continues, and there’s no denying it.
Bortles is an easy scapegoat after yesterday’s benching, but their problems run deeper than just one player, and the strain of trying to keep it together is clearly wearing on them.