AFC Notes: Matt Ryan, Colts, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Colts

Colts HC Frank Reich believes that not all is lost for the Colts this season, despite the loss to the Titans that means their division rivals have swept them for the second straight season.

“Here’s the good news to me: As bad as this feels — I’m not looking for any silver linings, but as the head coach, you gotta have a little perspective here — we’re 3-3-1,” Reich said, via Zak Keefer of TheAthletic.com. “We’re 3-3-1. We lost a game today that hurt. We got outplayed and outcoached. We deserve all of the negative stuff. We do. I do. We do. But we’re 3-3-1. There’s a lot of football left. I believe in this team and I believe in this coaching staff and I believe we’ll get to where we wanna get to.”

• Per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Reich said they decided to bench starting QB Matt Ryan after a meeting Sunday night with GM Chris Ballard and owner Jim Irsay.
• Holder notes Irsay has been more involved behind the scenes recently, and while Reich didn’t say this, Holder tweeted Irsay had a big hand in this decision. 
• Reich said the team spoke to Ryan about his being benched and was willing to take some of the blame: “I told this to Matt: We did not hold up to our end of the bargain… We have not delivered.” (Holder)
• Reich on new starting QB Sam Ehlinger: “He’ll be ready. He’ll be ready. Is he gonna make mistakes? Of course he’s gonna make mistakes. But he’s gonna make plays for our offense.” (Keefer)

Jaguars

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence had a victory over the Giants within reach but felt the team couldn’t make the big plays to put the game away. 

“We’re just not making enough of those plays right now,” Lawrence said, via Pro Football Talk. “We’re that close. That’s what’s frustrating for us, too, as players. You know, you put so much into it, and coaches too, obviously. You put so much into it. To come up that short especially this many times, early in the season, is frustrating. Everybody feels that. The guys are sticking together. We have a lot of belief in that locker room, and you saw it today. We came up a yard short at the very end to [potentially] win that game by a point. [If we were to] kick the extra point, we beat them. So that’s how close it is. That’s why I think you see the look on the guys’ faces and just the energy. That’s the way it should be when you are losing like that. No one is, obviously, happy about it.”

Lawrence also commented on his throw to WR Christian Kirk in the endzone that didn’t go to plan.

“We’ve practiced that play and others too,” Lawrence said. “That one, honestly, when I caught the snap, hit the top of my drop, it looked like the exact look we wanted. It looked like it was shaping up where he was just going to sneak in right underneath everyone and get in. When I let it go, I thought we were going to score. As I said, the safety came flying in and hit him right when he caught it and kept him short. Then they all rallied and pushed him back. It sucks watching that when you are that close. But yeah, they made a good play.”

• Jaguars HC Doug Pederson says RB James Robinson is dealing with knee soreness but will continue to be involved offensively despite barely playing in Week 7: “I’ve got a lot of confidence in James. We’re going to continue to find ways to get him on the field. … We are better when both those guys are playing.” (Michael DiRocco)

Texans

• Texans HC Lovie Smith on second-round LB Christian Harris being a fit in the team’s defense: “We found a way to start the process yesterday. He didn’t do anything yesterday that said we should give him less. To me, he did things that say we should give him more.” (Brooks Kubena)
• Smith says there are no issues with QB Davis Mills: “We have some issues we need to clean up, but the quarterback position is not (one of them).” (Kubena)
• Smith is also concerned about the team’s pass rushers in the absence of DE Jonathan Greenard: “Our pass rush hasn’t been what we need it to be. We’re looking at ways to improve that.” (Aaron Wilson)

Titans

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer mentions the Eagles, Titans, Ravens and Rams are teams to watch as potential trade partners for the Bears and DE Robert Quinn. 
• Titans HC Mike Vrabel said QB Ryan Tannehill is doing well and currently undergoing treatment for a leg injury. (Terry McCormick)