The Jaguars now have no margin for error as they attempt to make the playoffs for the third time in coach Jack Del Rio's seven-year tenure.

With a 6-5 record, they need to win four of their last five games to finish 10-6, which would likely get them a playoff spot.

Since one of those games is against New England's Tom Brady, a player they've never beaten, they probably need to win the other four against the Texans, Dolphins, Colts and Browns to finish 10-6.

That's why the Jaguars have a sense of urgency as they prepare for the Texans game Sunday. And that explains why tight end Marcedes Lewis told quarterback David Garrard after the 20-3 loss in San Francisco on Sunday that it was time to call a meeting of the offensive players.

"I was like, 'Dave, we need to call a meeting. What I saw out there wasn't good (a 20-3 loss to the 49ers). I think it's important you call a meeting and open it up to the veteran guys,'" Lewis said.

Garrard called the offensive players together for a meeting Monday that lasted about 15 minutes.

Garrard and Lewis were the only two players who spoke at the meeting.

"I just felt like it was something that needed to be done," Garrard said. "I talked with Marcedes and a few of the other guys and they thought it was a good idea, too. Marcedes was trying to make a big push for it. I've been watching (Marcedes) and he's been taking more of a leadership role. It's got to be from the guys that have been here and have done things so it's good to see him stepping up."

Lewis said his message was the importance of accountability and each player sticking to doing his own job.

"When you're not focusing on your job and start trying to help everybody else out (it's a problem). Don't try to do anything more than our job and everything will be fine. If we're all accountable for each other, we'll be fine," he said.

Lewis said he told his teammates, "When I go out there and block, I don't block for me. I block for David to get the time to throw the ball downfield. I block for Maurice (Jones-Drew) to run for an 80-yard touchdown. You've got to be selfless and put the team before yourself. I felt like there were moments we lost sight of that."

Lewis added, "I felt it was important they hear it from me. They know I don't blow smoke or yell at you. I try to lead by example. They know if I said something, they know I was being real about it."

As soon as the meeting ended, Lewis said he got positive vibes from his teammates.

"It was like, 'Man, we appreciate that. You needed to say that. What you said was right and it's real,'" Lewis said.

As the Jaguars battle for a wild-card spot, Garrard said, "We made sure everybody knows what's at stake and is on the same page. That was a big step for the offense to understand that we are still a good offense."

Lewis said, "We've been facing adversity this whole year up and down, up and down. This five game stretch is important. And it doesn't get any easier against Houston. You've got to claw, fight and strain your gut every play (against the Texans)."

Jones-Drew, who played with Lewis at UCLA, said of the meeting, "I mean, it was definitely something we needed after coming off of the game we played and didn't put up any points (touchdowns). As an offense, you always want to score touchdowns and everyone knows -- no disrespect to Josh Scobee -- but you never want to settle for field goals. Everyone was kind of breaking down in certain situations so we did have a team meeting and it was pretty much everybody holding each other accountable."

Jones-Drew said it was important that Lewis spoke along with Garrard.

"If it was just David that thought something was wrong, nobody would really take it to heart," he said. "It was a great point David was making -- that we need to change some things around here."

Del Rio said that Lewis' role shows how he's emerging in his fourth season after being drafted on the first round in 2006.

"I think Marcedes has had a really good year," Del Rio said. "I think he's been one of the top tight ends in the conference. I think there's not a more complete tight end in the league right now in terms of blocking and catching, being a vertical threat and being a guy that can dominate defensive ends in the run game."

Lewis is an old-fashioned tight end who blocks as well as catches, but that costs him some recognition because many tight ends tend to be mainly receivers and are judged on their receptions.

Lewis has only 25 catches, but assistant coach Mike Tice, who coaches the tight ends, said that Lewis would have more catches if he weren't such a good blocker. The Jaguars often keep him home because he's their best blocking tight end.

"I think Marcedes has been playing great," Jones-Drew said. "A lot of people haven't noticed he's been blocking well, he's been making plays in the passing game and it's not just even by catching the ball (but) by attracting the defenders to him. And when he does get the ball thrown to him, he does catch it."

SERIES HISTORY
16th regular-season meeting. Texans lead series 8-7. The Jaguars won the first meeting this season, 31-24. For an expansion team, the Texans have traditionally played the Jaguars tough -- they even swept them in 2004 and again in 2006. One of their two wins in 2004, on the day after Christmas, cost the Jaguars a playoff berth. They were home and needed only to beat two losing teams, the Texans and Raiders, to get into the playoffs. Instead, they lost to the Texans, 21-0, and wound up 9-7 and missed the playoffs.

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