Dec 3rd 2008 2:20PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, NFL CoachingI wouldn’t blame Rashean Mathis for going on injured reserve, even if he wasn’t, you know, injured. The 2008 Jaguars have been a complete failure on every level, and Monday night’s meltdown against the Texans was a microcosm of that.

Mathis is probably the best player on the team but since everybody has seemingly quit on this once-promising season, he won’t be missed. And despite the obvious signs that Jacksonville plays like an outfit eager for things to just end already, head coach Jack Del Rio will hear none of it. The only time Del Rio showed any emotion [during the post-game press conference] was when he was questioned about whether or not his team has packed it in.

“You wouldn’t say there was a lack of want-to. That can’t even be a sincere comment,” Del Rio said. “We’re going to continue to do the right things for the right reason and look to execute better. I don’t like to hear those questions [about whether the team quit].” To be fair, Del Rio, who is due a visit from Tim Gunn any day now, preceded those comments with adjectives like “ridiculous,” mistake-filled,” “sloppy,” “embarrassing” and “totally unacceptable” when talking about the Jags’ performance. So it’s not like he’s blind, just protective. Which is part of his job.

So while Jacksonville might be one of the most disappointing teams of the season, Mathis is the 11th player they’ve put on IR. I know, every team has injuries, but Jags have had it worse than most.

Still, I’m not sure that’s an excuse for what happened Monday night.