NFL

20 games and counting: Will the Jacksonville Jaguars' losing streak break the NFL record?

The Times-Union

Jacksonville Jaguars fans know it well by now: Losing hurts.

Multiply that by 20, and the result is nearly 400 days worth of emotional ouch.

NFL history — the wrong kind — is in sight for the Jaguars, head coach Urban Meyer and rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The Jags have lost their last 20 games, going back to the start of the 2020 season under then-coach Doug Marrone. Lose six more, and they'll tie the modern NFL record of the formerly-hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost their first 26 games from the franchise's inception in 1976 until December 1977.

The all-time record belongs to the Chicago Cardinals, who lost 29 consecutive games from 1942 to 1945. That streak, however, includes a stretch during which World War II depleted the Cardinals' ranks, and the club was forced to temporarily merge with the Pittsburgh Steelers (a team called Card-Pitt) in order to continue.

Streak takes a toll:K'Lavon Chaisson 'hurting' from Jaguars' 20-game NFL losing streak

More on the streak:Jaguars move closer toward tying 1976-77 Buccaneers' 26-game losing streak

That's a lot of losing. Here's how the Jaguars got here.

Jaguar fan Rick Goodman leaves Sunday's game with a paper bag over his head ofter another Jaguar loss. According to Goodman, "I've never missed a game, preseason, postseason or regular season. I probably could have bought 2 houses by now." The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Detroit Lions at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL October 18, 2020. The Jaguars trailed 17 to 3 at the end of the first half of play and lost the game with a final score of 34 to 16. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

Sept. 20, 2020: Titans 33, Jaguars 30

Stephen Gostkowski's game-winning field goal meant that a 339-yard passing performance from Gardner Minshew wasn't enough for the Jaguars, who dropped to 1-1 after winning their opener against Indianapolis. | Read more

Sept. 24, 2020: Dolphins 31, Jaguars 13

Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't Dan Marino, but the Jaguars' pass defense allowed Fitzpatrick to set a Dolphins franchise record — 90 percent completion on 18 of 20 passes — and the offense sputtered with two turnovers and four sacks allowed. | Read more

Oct. 4, 2020: Bengals 33, Jaguars 25

The Joe and Joe Show: Joe Mixon rushed for 151 yards and scored three touchdowns, Joe Burrow connected with receivers for 300 more yards and the Jaguars' defense went down hard at Paul Brown Stadium. | Read more

Oct. 11, 2020: Texans 30, Jaguars 14

The Jaguars missed field goals of 24 and 49 yards, had safety Josh Jones ejected for targeting and gave up 20 second-half points for their fourth consecutive defeat. | Read more

Oct. 18, 2020: Lions 34, Jaguars 16

Former Georgia Bulldogs D'Andre Swift and Matthew Stafford mauled the Jaguars for more than 400 yards of total offense in a game that was never in doubt. | Read more

Oct. 25, 2020: Chargers 39, Jaguars 29

Rookie Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert sealed his first NFL win, passing for 347 yards and running for the go-ahead touchdown as the Jags became only the third team to allow 30 or more points in six consecutive games. | Read more

Nov. 8, 2020: Texans 27, Jaguars 25

The Jake Luton micro-era began with the sixth-round rookie filling in for the injured Gardner Minshew, and although Luton threw for 304 yards and Josh Lambo converted a 59-yard field goal, it wasn't quite enough to top the Texans. | Read more

Nov. 15, 2020: Packers 24, Jaguars 20

With Jake Luton at the helm, the Jaguars survived the cold and the Lake Michigan wind, but couldn't beat Aaron Rodgers — the veteran Packers QB led Green Bay upfield for a go-ahead touchdown strike to Davante Adams and denying Jacksonville's gritty upset bid. | Read more

Nov. 22, 2020: Steelers 27, Jaguars 3

This time, the rookie looked like a rookie: Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick picked off Jake Luton two times each, Ben Roethlisberger passed for a pair of scores and the Jaguars' quarterback finished with an ultra-low passer rating of 15.5. | Read more

Nov. 29, 2020: Browns 27, Jaguars 25

Mike Glennon passed for 235 yards and two scores in his Jaguars debut, but Cleveland's Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 206 yards on the ground and a pair of two-point tries came up short as the Jaguars' skid hit 10. | Read more

Dec. 6, 2020: Vikings 27, Jaguars 24 (OT)

So close, but not enough: Joe Schobert's pick-six and a pair of Dawuane Smoot sacks on defense couldn't bring a win for the Jaguars, who were denied in overtime by Dan Bailey's 23-yard field goal. | Read more

Dec. 13, 2020: Titans 31, Jaguars 10

A Derrick Henry demolition: The former Yulee High School star pulverized the Jacksonville defense with 215 yards and two rushing touchdowns in a game that was one-sided from the start. | Read more

Dec. 20, 2020: Ravens 40, Jaguars 14

Lamar Jackson against the Jaguars turned into the expected mismatch, with Gardner Minshew getting downed for a safety on the Jags' second snap and the Ravens' quarterback throwing for 243 yards. | Read more

Dec. 27, 2020: Bears 41, Jaguars 17

Chicago unleashed a barrage of 31 unanswered points to hand the Jaguars the most welcome loss in franchise history — coupled with the Jets' upset victory, the result gave Jacksonville the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. | Read more

Jan. 3, 2021: Colts 28, Jaguars 14

A miserable season ended in misery: Former Wisconsin tailback Jonathan Taylor trampled the Jacksonville defense for 253 rushing yards in the final game of Doug Marrone's Jaguars tenure. | Read more

Sept. 12, 2021: Texans 37, Jaguars 21

The Urban Meyer-Trevor Lawrence era opened in an embarrassing, error-filled loss against a Houston squad widely projected as the weakest in the NFL. | Read more

Sept. 19, 2021: Broncos 23, Jaguars 13

Veteran Teddy Bridgewater outgained Trevor Lawrence 328 yards to 118 and the Jacksonville offense turned ice-cold after a promising start. | Read more

Sept. 26, 2021: Cardinals 31, Jaguars 19

Jamal Agnew's record 109-yard return off a missed field goal gave Jacksonville the lead entering the half, but four turnovers — one of them a Byron Murphy pick-six on a failed flea-flicker — doomed the Jaguars to another defeat. | Read more

Sept. 30, 2021: Bengals 24, Jaguars 21

Up two touchdowns, the Jaguars faded again, giving up 348 yards to Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow and finally losing on a last-second field goal off the foot of Evan McPherson. | Read more

Oct. 10, 2021: Titans 37, Jaguars 19

Despite 149 yards from James Robinson, the Jaguars tumbled against the Titans, thwarted by a second-half defensive collapse, a fourth-down flop and another big game by Yulee native Derrick Henry. | Read more