Jaguars DL Calais Campbell on Blowout Loss to Chargers: 'We got whipped. It’s as simple as that'
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — To say the Los Angeles Chargers dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars during a 45-10 blowout at TIAA Bank Field in Week 14 would be stating the obvious.
The Jaguars' defense allowed a season-high in both points (45) and yards (528) and the game was so lopsided that Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers was pulled after the third quarter for backup Tyrod Taylor. All season long, the Chargers have had to pull out close games at the end or have been on the losing end. Not on Sunday in Jacksonville, however.
“Well that felt good for a change, not a nail biter," Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn astutely said after the game.
The loss was so bad that Jaguars defensive lineman and captain Calais Campbell, known as the voice of reason and sometimes optimism in the Jaguars' locker room, was at a loss after the game. He has been through his fair share of bad Jaguars' losses since joining the team as a free agent in 2017, but this was different.
“I don’t know what to say honestly. We got whipped. It’s as simple as that," Campbell said. "I feel like I didn’t do enough. I didn’t make enough plays to give us a chance. You prepare hard, you’re doing everything that you’re supposed to do and you go out there and it just doesn’t transition on the football field. It is tough because we have a lot of pride when we play this game, but they took a big shot today.
"That one hurt. It feels worse than the other ones. I don’t even know what to say.”
Since the brutal loss, many have questioned the Jaguars' effort, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. But numerous players have said they felt like the effort was there, and Campbell agreed in this assessment. But while they tried hard, they still got thoroughly dominated.
"The effort was there. It’s never been an effort thing. Guys are frustrated and we got beat, but I don’t question anybody’s effort ever because these guys, they work hard, come out here, and give everything they got. It’s just bad," Campbell said. "Guys are running full speed. They scored a 90-yard touchdown on a screen and there are four or five guys running right behind him. The effort was there. We just got beat."
Some of the failures were due to simply a lack of talent on the defensive side, as the Jaguars had to turn to several backups that were composed of journeymen, special teams players, and undrafted rookies. The effort seemed like it was there, but it didn't matter much. The execution from top to bottom was poor.
And as Campbell would point out, this falls on him as well.
"Every play that’s there for you to make, you have to make. It hurts because this is a reflection of me as a captain. It’s a reflection of me," he said. "Personally, I need to do a better job of getting the guys going. Me, personally, I have to do a better job of making plays on the field. Find a way to make a play to keep us in the game. I didn’t get it done today.”
