AFC Notes: Jaguars, Lovie Smith, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

The Jaguars got a lot of grief for all they money they tossed at Christian Kirk and Zay Jones this offseason, but Kirk has been excellent for them and Jones has really started to come on in recent weeks. He came up huge with three touchdowns and over 100 yards in the overtime win against the Cowboys this week, and over the past four games he has 27 catches, 347 yards and four scores. It’s the best four-game stretch of his career. 

“I think honestly, just the consistency of playing through a duration of the season,” Jones said via SI.com’s John Shipley. “I did it earlier in my career. I moreso had to take a different approach and role when I was with Las Vegas as far as knowing the dynamic of our team and what my role was, and this one, I’m more a part of it, more games, more opportunities, maintenance on my body. Trying to stay as healthy as possible, understanding that when I look at Christian (Kirk) and Marv (Jones Jr.) and Ag, it’s just us, we have to go make the play.  No one else is going to do it. We’re the ones that has to do it. Earlier in my career as a younger player you understand that there’s more so the responsibility on the guys that are ahead of you and understanding that we are those guys.

“It’s an interesting challenge to accept that and accept that role, to know what it means to be the player or one of the players to make a moment or catch or play for your team, and I think just that process of growing, enjoying the space that you’re in and accepting that challenge I think is something that I’ve been adapting to and learning over the duration of the season.”

Texans

The job status of Texans HC Lovie Smith is going to be a big topic in the coming weeks as the end of the regular season gets closer and Houston remains stuck on just one win. Smith’s squad has come within a whisker of knocking off both the Cowboys and Chiefs the past two weeks, however, showing the kind of flashes that could get him another year, especially if ownership doesn’t want to fire their third coach in as many years. 

There are some outside influences to consider, too. The NFL sent a memo to teams about the total cost of paying fired coaches and executives exceeding $800 million in recent seasons, a not-so-subtle suggestion to exhibit more patience. Chiefs HC Andy Reid opened his presser after the win with a defense of Smith. 

“My hat goes off to Lovie for the great job he’s done here,” Reid said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “I mean, you’ve seen it the last two weeks. It’s a hard job, and it takes time as a head coach. Lovie, my word of advice, is just give him time. He’s a tremendous football coach. I’ve had a chance to compete against him for a number of years and just rock-solid football teams. The thing I was proudest about our guys was they kept playing. They didn’t let anything hinder them, whether it was calls, whether it was fumbles, whatever. They kept playing.”

Titans

• Titans HC Mike Vrabel said the team hasn’t lost faith in their postseason hopes: “I don’t think anyone has lost any faith. It sucks when you lose. It sucks when we’re in a game & you lose in the last couple seconds. If you watch the effort & the competitiveness, I don’t think that anybody has lost any faith.” (Mike Giardi)
• Vrabel plans to evaluate LB Zach Cunningham in practices this week to determine his status for Saturday. (Jim Wyatt)