JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- There's no worse insult for a football player at any level than to be called soft.

Players can handle criticisms of poor play and mental errors, but calling them soft is a jab at the very heart of what it takes to play the game. It's an attack on their character.

Yet that's what NBC Sports NFL analyst Rodney Harrison called the Jacksonville Jaguars defense during "Football Night in America" on Sunday, hours after the team lost to the Houston Texans, 20-7. Twice. It was, understandably, not well received.

"Everybody's trying to call us front-runners and stuff like that," linebacker Telvin Smith said. "Now you're talking about my character. Now you're talking about me as a man, so, we're going to see about it.

"Everybody's going to say a lot of stuff right now. I get it. But again, tell people be careful what you ask for."

It's a bit of an unfair criticism. The Jaguars defense is not playing at the same level it did last season when the unit scored a league-high seven touchdowns and finished No. 1 in pass defense and second in sacks, turnovers and interceptions. However, the Jaguars still have one of the NFL's best defenses: They lead the league in pass defense and rank in the top 10 in total defense, rush defense and third-down defense.

They're just getting no help from the offense. During their current three-game losing streak, the offense has turned the ball over eight times -- including three inside its own territory, another returned for a touchdown, and two others in the end zone. Plus, the offense has had drives last four or fewer plays on 16 of its 36 possessions.

Still, the Jaguars are not pleased with the way the defense has been playing, and safety Tashaun Gipson said the reasons go beyond coverages and fronts.

"I just think that we really truly have to go back to the basics, and I think that that chip [on their shoulder] was what drove us and fed us last year," Gipson said. "Guys [are] not playing with that same chip, and it's not specifically singling out anybody. It's just collectively we're not playing with that type of urgency, that type of anger, that type of aggression, and it's starting to show.

"You can tell teams are comfortable now against this defense compared to last year [when] I don't think teams were comfortable. Teams knew week in, week out, whether the front seven or back four, it was going to be a dogfight. I think that teams are, I guess, they're testing us, if you will. Great teams respond to that."

Nobody is denying the defense has some problems. The Jaguars are giving up 121.9 yards per game rushing (25th in the NFL), have forced only five turnovers (second-fewest in the league) and have only 15 sacks despite having the second-highest pressure rate, per ESPN Stats & Information.

One other thing is missing as well, Gipson said.

"We used to take the field and there was just an aura and confidence," he said. "Not cockiness. An aura and a confidence and people mistake it for cockiness because of the type of guys that we have over here. Some guys are very vocal. But we're not playing with that. And I think that's what it comes down to."

That is an issue, though Smith said he's starting to see some of his teammates regain the lack-of-respect attitude that fueled the defense last season. He's hopeful that can spark a turnaround and change people's perception of the defense.

The only sure way to do that -- and eliminate the "soft" criticism -- is to start winning, defensive tackle Malik Jackson said.

"Guys can sit here and start attacking the defense and saying what we are and what we aren't, [and] it's up to us to go out there and change that," Jackson said. "Right now they can say that. We lost three games. We gave up a few more points than we like to. OK, but keep that same tune when we start doing what we have to do."