It might be the most important position in sports and consequently, maybe the hardest. Quarterback, on any level, is different from every other position. That’s probably why Hall of Famer Troy Aikman said, “If you’ve been a quarterback, you’re a brother of mine.” Quarterback’s get too much of the credit for winning and a fair helping of the blame when their team loses. Blake Bortles, in his third year in the NFL, seems to have taken a step back from last year. But it still could be considered a “sophomore slump” if you look at his progression. He’s thinking too much, defenses are changing their coverages, and his favorite receivers are being double-teamed. Production is down, footwork is off and throwing mechanics are bad.

Sounds pretty dire? But Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley, and apparently GM Dave Caldwell don’t think Bortles is far off from other quarterbacks in the league of his age and experience level.

“We went back, Dave (Caldwell) and I were just watching in his office on some throws that were made around the league,” Bradley revealed Monday after the 24-21 loss to the Texans. ” Let’s just look at the misses and see what’s taking place and you see it. A lot of quarterbacks are doing it across the league. I think it’s to try to create a picture to see where we’re at with him. I think he’s doing some really good things.”

“Some” is the operative word there, but when they see Bortles in practice his whole game comes together. On the field, it’s the consistency that he lacks to win games.

“You go back, and it’s a head scratcher,” Gus explained. “Because you do see some great throws and some great decision-making. Other ones, just got away from him.”

There are a million reasons you can come up with as to while Bortles isn’t playing well. Everybody has their own theory from different defenses, bad mechanics, a different address and what’s described as an “active” social life. Whatever the reason, there’s no question he’s struggled in 2016. Statistically, he’s just fine, but much of his yardage and most of his TD passes have come when the game is already decided. The Jaguars haven’t won a game when Bortles throws for 300 yards. In the past two games, he’s missed some long TD throws to wide open receivers. Gus broke it down, talking about whether the route was on the hash mark, did the ball drift, did you not track it, etc. but if you’ve ever thrown that kind of pass, even in the backyard, you know it’s a total feel thing. Blake isn’t playing with much feel right now, so missing those throws isn’t that surprising.

What is surprising, but probably good for Blake is Bradley’s steadfast commitment to him as the Jaguars quarterback. Despite his failing this year, Bradley says Bortles is the Jaguars quarterback for the right reasons.

“I think he’s [saying] ‘what do I need to do, is there something I’m missing, I know I’m missing plays obviously that but what else, can I work harder, I believe I’m working hard, is there another step, can I work even harder in some areas?’ So those kinds of questions he’s asking,” Gus said.

Regarding his commitment to the game and to improving, Bradley says Bortles is completely on the other side of the equation, totally committed.

“Football is extremely important to him. Extremely important. I don’t know if he’s got a lot of other things other than football right now and he seems to think about it a lot. Driven in how can he improve and what can he do to help this team.”

Which all adds up to Bortles remaining the starter.

“Well, I have great confidence in him. I think when I speak for everybody, we all have great confidence with him. I think when you say if you’re not seeing the consistency in Blake I think we just need to keep working on that and gaining confidence in it, but I don’t see anything in the future that shows Blake Bortles is not our guy.”

Overall, Bradley is coaching the team with the confidence he can get it done and no hint that he might not be here after the season. He says he’s not dwelling on the past and looking to the future.

“You try not to look back too much,” he said when asked if it’s hard to focus on the next game instead of lamenting the seven losses. I think that could be dangerous and a waste of time. I think you need every minute of every day to prepare for the next opponent. So whatever you can do, if you can keep your mind there and guiding towards that direction, that gives you the best opportunity. Everything else is just really a waste of time.”

When Nathaniel Hackett was promoted to the offensive coordinator for the Jaguars he was described as a “little Gus.” Hackett has the same level of energy and enthusiasm Gus Bradley brings every day but it’s focused on one thing: the offense. Last week against Kansas City the Jaguars offense showed signs f improvement. They ran the ball, Blake Bortles played a little better and they were in it until the end. Part of that is because of the continued development of Marquise Lee. Possibly the best offensive player this year, Lee has figured out how to be a professional athlete with his approach on training, rest, nutrition and pre-practice and game routines.

“Marqise has that ‘X’ button that allows him to take off down the field.,” Hackett said with his usual enthusiasm on Thursday. “He has lot of juice and a lot of speed. He does a lot of different things compared to the other guys. You have A-Rob, the big guy. You have Hurnsy, the nifty guy. You even have Rashad Greene, B-Walt [Bryan Walters] and AB [Arrelious Benn]. He runs angry. He runs fast, which is awesome.”

Even Hackett agrees that he’s itching to get going and see what the Jaguars offense can do.

I’m always fired up,” he said in classic understatement. “So I kind of see everyone getting that confidence [The players] getting a feel for me and me getting a feel for them.”

In midseason, every NFL team deals with injuries. The Jaguars are not immune, signing WR Tony Washington to the practice squad on Thursday. Both Allen Hurns and Bryan Walters remain in the NFL’s concussion protocol program Hurns was limited in practice Thursday but it appears Walters will miss Sunday’s game. That limits what the offense can do in practice, in turn limiting what Hackett can feel confident with on Sunday.”

“You want to see what that picture is going to look like and you challenge the guys, ‘Hey, when you guys go out there if you make it look good that’s going to make us want to call it.’ I think it’s always an audition of if you love this play let’s make it work. Anytime you don’t have that practice aspect you have to go on feel and hope and maybe.

One thing Hackett showed differently than Greg Olson was a commitment to the run game. During numerous drives, the Jaguars ran the ball on back-to-back plays. It added up to over 200 yards rushing at the end of the day including Bortles scrambling yards. They got over 100 from Chris Ivory, including a dynamic 42-yard gain from their own eight-yard line.

“I get a little emotional. I get really excited,” Hackett explained without a tinge of embarrassment. “That’s what this game is about. It’s a fun and exciting game that has a lot of impacts on it. It’s a forceful – it’s about another guy beating the next guy in front of him.”

Although they’re 2-6 and 0-1 with Hackett as the OC, it hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm to try and get the job done. And apparently the players embrace his high-energy style.

“I love that about them. Even when I was here last week, walking in there they were like, ‘Hey, let’s go.’ That’s the type of group they are. I haven’t had the situation that they have looked back at all. They just want to go forward.”

It’s the routine things that keep most NFL games close. The simple throw and catch, the routine kick, the everyday tackle. When both teams do that, coaches lean on their best players to “play above the x’s and o’s” to make a play and win games. That’s why the NFL is pretty much a .500 league. It’s designed for everybody to get close to 8-8 and for some stars to make a difference.

For the Jaguars, the simple throw and catch, the routine kick and the everyday tackle are still at least an arms length away and consequently they’re 2-6 halfway through the 2016 schedule.

Sunday’s loss to Kansas City showed again the small margin for error the Jaguars and any NFL team has when it comes to winning and losing. Almost every time a team turns the ball over 4 times in a game and doesn’t create any of their own, they lose. If the turnovers take points away from you or create easy scoring opportunities for the opposition it’s doubly hard.

That’s where the Jaguars find themselves in their six losses. Mental errors, turnovers or missing the routine play, they haven’t been able to figure out that all of those things add up to the difference between winning and losing. Both TJ Yeldon and Chris Ivory had critical fumbles. Yeldon should know by now that running in jumbled space, particularly at the end of a play is when defenders will be banging around trying to create a turnover. Holding the ball “high and tight” didn’t become a thing because it was “cool.” It became a thing because it works. Knowing you might be a couple of inches short of a touchdown but there’s always third down and holding onto the ball at the goal line also became a thing because it works. Even reliable and “trustworthy” Bryan Walters fell victim to the lack of focus. Rule number one for a punt returner; catch the ball. Rule number two? Wrap it up and hold onto it when you go down because it’s too big of a field shift if you fumble.

After a week of working with his personal coach and saying he was “tightening things up,” Blake Bortles looked better in spurts but missed some critical throws that could have been game changers. Three times he hit Chiefs defensive players right in the chest. Luckily only one was an interception. New offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett gave a bit of a change up to the play calling and leaned on the running game effectively. Ivory had 18 carries for 107 yards. As a team the Jaguars averaged 6.4 yards per carry for 205 yards on the ground.

With their injuries, the Chiefs were playing their second team in some key spots and gained only 231 total yards compared to 449 for the Jaguars. Defensively, the Jaguars took advantage of a banged up Kansas City offense and gave their team some chances to win.

It appears that opposing coaches know the Jaguars can’t score enough points when it counts to win, so just don’t beat yourself. Andy Reid didn’t let Nick Foles make mistakes to lose the game. The Jaguars ran 75 plays compared to 57 for KC. But the Chiefs didn’t turn it over once. Even the ball that should have been intercepted by Prince Amukamara was knocked loose by Tashaun Gipson and fell incomplete.

If the Jaguars had lost this game last year, or even in 2013 or 2014 you could take some positives away from the game. But even Gus Bradley says it’s too late for that.

“We didn’t come here to collect positives,” he said in his post game comments from Kansas City. “We came here to win and didn’t get it done.”

“Couldn’t really finish drives,” Blake Bortles said in the locker room. “It’s a good feeling that we were able to do what we wanted but we’re not here for moral victories. It’s good that we founds some balance but, we want to win the ballgame.”

Both are right. Time’s up for positives and moral victories. It’s time to win ball games. And both know that’s the only stat head coaches and quarterbacks are judged by.

On Friday afternoon, Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley gave a straightforward “no” to the question of changing his staff in the near future.

On Saturday he fired Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson.

There seemed to be a disconnect there, and understanding what has to be kept behind closed doors, Bradley revealed today that he was thinking about a change, even last Friday. And after “evaluating” it, as Bradley says, he decided to make a change, a move both General Manager Dave Caldwell and Owner Shad Khan approved of. Bradley was quick to point out it was his decision, alone.

“We started looking at things and gathering information and putting things together and it went into more of that direction,” Bradley said on Monday. “I didn’t know where the direction would take me. I didn’t know what would take place. I didn’t want it to lead to speculation nor did I think, at that time, there would be a coaching change. I try to share things with Shad and Dave and keep them up to date. It’s still my decision. It wasn’t Shad’s decision or wasn’t Dave’s decision. It was one that I had to feel comfortable with.”

So Bradley brought Olson in on Saturday morning and told him they were going to make a change. Olson calmly left the building before the whole Florida/Georgia festivities got into full swing. Bradley told the staff and the players, who he described as “shocked.”

“Oly had great impact on everybody in that room,” he explained about Olson and the offense. “I think there’s a part of them, it’s sad. It’s tough. No different than when you cut a player that’s close to the team and then he leaves. Players experience it. Coaches experience it. I think it’s the world we live in.”

Promoting quarterbacks coach Nathaniel Hackett to offensive coordinator keeps the relationship with Blake Bortles in tact and gives the team a “different vision” according to Bradley.

“I just called him up and talked to him about, hey, what direction would you go? How would you go about it? It was very good. I thought it was very clear which direction and I thought it really meshed with what we needed at this point.”

A change in coordinators isn’t extraordinary during the season in the NFL, but its not the end all, cure all for the Jaguars.

“I told the offense, I said, we made a change, okay, now we’re good,” Bradley said of his meeting. “No. It’s not like that. Players have to make plays. We all have to take responsibility. This was not solely Greg Olson.”

Now it’s Hackett’s job to try and get the offense untracked, starting with the quarterback. Although he doesn’t think the problem rests squarely on Bortles’ shoulders.

“I think that sometimes people try to focus on all the negative things with Blake,” he said today at his first meeting with the media. “I don’t really do that. I try to look at more of the positive things and see how we can do those more to get him into a more comfort level.”

Getting the running game going would be anybody’s priority when trying to fix the Jaguars. Hackett is no exception, adding that getting any kind of meaningful running game would take pressure off Bortles and the Jaguars receivers.

“I have always felt, like I said, the best thing in the world for a quarterback is the run game. I have always absolutely loved running the ball. Get it to Chris Ivory or T.J. Yeldon they’re going to run right down the field and get a couple yards. I think that even if it doesn’t work, they still have to defend it.”

On Saturday Bradley called Bortles to let him know about the changes. In turn, Bortles talked with Olson and Hackett to discuss the new “vision” for what they’re going to try and do on offense. Even Bortles admits it’s still about the players making plays.

“Things change and just because there has been a move made or a switch has happened it doesn’t mean we are all of sudden going to start putting up numbers offensively and winning games,” he said on Monday. “We still have to go out and find a way to execute and eliminate the stuff that has been happening the previous seven weeks.”

It’s a production-based business and because Bortles hasn’t been producing, Olson is out as the coordinator. That’s not lost on the Jaguars third-year quarterback.

“If I would have played well, better, the way I should, whatever you want to say, there would never be a coordinator switch. We would still be here with Jedd Fisch I guess. It’s always on the quarterback. Nowhere near was it all Greg Olson’s fault.”

A lack of “efficiency” is how Bortles termed his throwing motion this year so he had his personal QB coach Adam Dedaux come to Jacksonville on Monday to look him over and “tighten some things up.” Hackett said he was fine with Bortles seeking outside help since it “makes him comfortable.”

Something needed to change with the Jaguars after a 2-5 start. You can chalk up their losses to Green Bay and Baltimore to just not knowing how to win. The blowouts to San Diego, Oakland and Tennessee were inexcusable. So a new voice, a new approach was needed. Since Shad Khan said Gus Bradley was remaining as the head coach, the next in line to get the scrutiny and eventually the ax was offensive coordinator.

“I think you have to be realistic with it and understand what we’re doing isn’t working and hasn’t worked,” Bortles said. “You have to do something different and we’re figuring that out and we’re going to try to find something different this week.”

While Olson was laid-back and direct with the players, Hackett is a “mini Gus,” according to Marcedes Lewis. Bortles says no question he’ll bring a different energy to the practices and games.

“Nathaniel coming in was kind of the spark plug for the offense. That’s kind of his personality, that’s what he is. He is a little ball of energy. I think it’ll be good. I think it’ll be good to have that. We’ll find out. We have nine games left, a lot of football to go. We’re 1-1 in our division and I’m looking forward to the rest of it.”

After an embarrassing performance against Oakland at home last week, what were we expecting from the Jaguars on national television on the road against the Titans? Fire? Enthusiasm? Heart? Desire? Passion? Probably all of of that.

What did we get? Lackluster, undisciplined, half-hearted and just about every other negative adjective you can think of in the first half. CBS announcer Jim Nantz said the Jaguars were “out of sync.” And he was being kind.

Between Blake Bortles continued struggles and no running game, the offense produced 40 yards in the first half. The defense was on the field a lot, but seemed to be going through the motions in the second quarter as the Titans rolled up a 27-0 halftime lead.

Facing 3rd and 12 from their own 3, the Titans gave the ball to DeMarco Murray in the middle of the line, expecting to punt. Instead, Murray bounced it outside and ran 19 yards for the first down. It was the third time a Jaguars cornerback failed to play the contain, allowing the running back to step outside with nobody behind him. It’s the kind of undisciplined play that has been a hallmark of the 2016 Jaguars.

It was astounding how poorly the Jaguars played, so much so that both Bill Cowher and Deon Sanders called the players out at halftime saying they quit on their coach, Gus Bradley. It certainly appeared that way. Jogging on the backside of plays, free-lancing, not finishing routes. The Jaguars looked like they wanted to be somewhere else.

After a big pow-wow with Shad Khan, the coaches and players as well as GM Dave Caldwell could have produced something different. But instead it was a meltdown in front of everybody.

That’s the kind of thing that Khan won’t stand for. Back-to-back embarrassing losses, this one on national television. It won’t surprise anybody if Khan makes a move on Gus Bradley and the coaching staff simply to try something else. Whatever Gus was building in his first three years has crumbled. Half of the players bought in but the other half, including some of the new additions this year, haven’t gotten on board. Rookies are doing their own thing. Veteran free agents aren’t sure which side of the equation they should be on. There’s too much talent on the team to be losing this way. There are too many good guys on the team to react the way they have when things are going bad.

What happened? Where did that team that took Green Bay to the wire go? It appears the locker room couldn’t quite bring the rookies into the fold of personal accountability and team first. For all of his talent, Jalen Ramsey said it all when he said he wouldn’t be “disrespected” and would fight again if given the same circumstances. It’s that kind of “me first” that big time talented players have to push into the background for the greater good of the team. Maybe the coaches said something to him during the week but that’s the attitude that gets you beat. Dante Fowler showed it in the game getting a personal foul for punching a guy. He probably should have been thrown out of the game. The locker room is divided, nobody on the same page, and an embarrassing, blowout loss ensued.

It was a grand experiment that failed in the end. Gus Bradley wanted to empower the players with accountability to each other, let them play without stress and reach their maximum potential. No fear. But you have to have the right players and the right personalities to turn the reigns over to a group of 53 players when all but two of them are in their 20’s. They couldn’t handle it. Bradley is a really good guy and a good coach but in this situation his big idea it didn’t work. If he gets another shot, a veteran squad might react differently. This one needed to.

Six games and seven weeks into the season the Jaguars should be talking about how to improve and hopefully get themselves into a division race. Instead, they sit a 2-4 and the conversation is about how the culture of the team eroded in the second half against Oakland on Sunday as their lost their poise and the game 33-16.

“It’s on us as a team to hold each other accountable.,” said Blake Bortles in his post game press conference. “To have two or three guys or whatever to get thrown out is kind of ridiculous and embarrassing.. I think the best thing for us is we get to play Thursday, so we don’t have time to think about this much longer.”

While the Jaguars have Tennessee on the schedule on Thursday night, Monday was spent talking about what happened Sunday on the field against the Raiders. Both Malik Jackson and Jalen Ramsey were ejected, Jackson for a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and Ramsey for fighting. Neither apologized for their actions but Jackson was somewhat contrite.

“It was a culmination of the whole day. Just a lot of things going on,” said Jackson. “I just got frustrated and lost my cool and we can’t have that happen. I cost my team a bunch of penalty yards and I don’t know what happened after that.”

On the other hand, Ramsey was somewhat defiant. On Monday, his 21st birthday, his attitude toward what happened Sunday was no different.

“If I was out there nine more times I would do the same exact thing,” said Ramsey. “I don’t think I should’ve been thrown out the game for it. Neither do I think he (Raiders WR Johnny Holton) should’ve been thrown out the game for it. I’m not going to be disrespected. I’m pretty sure you’ll know that about me by now. I would do the same thing.”

Maybe chalk that up to being young but more than anything it shows a lack of regard for the team, the coaches and the organization in general. It’s self-centered, showing more concern for “me” than anything else. Ramsey’s comments shouldn’t be lost on Head Coach Gus Bradley, who says he takes the lack of discipline personally.

“I do. That’s a reflection of me as a head coach,” he said on Monday. “It’s a reflection of our discipline. It’s a reflection of how our culture is and how we talk. And how we handle things. So yeah that part of it hits home with me because obviously it’s my responsibility. The demeanor of this team and how we approach things and how we play with poise. It is. I take personal responsibility of that.”

There’s no other way to describe it other than embarrassing. You can call it unacceptable but unless there are some consequences for that kind of behavior, I guess it’s actually acceptable. Gus needs to get it fixed and fast. At least Bradley doesn’t dispute that it’s an embarrassing display by the team.

“It’s an unacceptable moment,” he said. “To have two players disqualified from one game it is unacceptable. There’s no other way to look around it. To say it’s frustrating or embarrassing I’m with them.” And Bortles said what everybody was thinking when asked about the behavior and how to fix it.

“I mean you have a bunch of grown men playing football for a living,” he explained. “It’s kind of on us to do that as a group. It’s on each individual to hold themselves to a high standard and when they get out of line, it’s on the team to put them back in place.”

As far as their actual play on the field, particularly on offense, Bortles was also spot on admitting he hasn’t played well but at this point, the Jaguars need to try and get out o their own way first.

“I think it all starts with the self-inflicted stuff-the penalties and unforced errors that we create ourselves. We can’t do anything until we get past that. We’ll never be successful as an offense as long as we are turning it over and committing penalties, so we have to find a way to knock those out. We will never reach our potential until we do that.”

It started as another lethargic effort by the Jaguars offense. A quick three and out after a nice stop by the defense turned into points for the Raiders, a FG by Sebastian Janikowski and a 3-0 Oakland lead. While Blake Bortles was off the mark throwing the football, he did run effectively on the next drive getting the Jaguars into the red zone. But a throw to Marqis Lee was into triple coverage and short, intercepted by Oakland to stop the drive.

If Bortles is in a slump, perhaps it’s a year late from being a “sophomore.” But you hope that’s just what it is. He’s pressing, over thinking, making bad decisions and worse throws. Perhaps he’ll snap out of it and get back on track but as of now, he’s not only not getting it done, he’s hurting his team’s chances with his indecision and inaccurate throws. After Oakland took a 6-0 lead, Bortles had a couple of chances but couldn’t find the open receiver or just flat missed him. He was 3-11 to open the game for 38 yards through the air early but was effective running it out of the backfield either scrambling by design and the Jaguars trailed 6-3.

Last week against the Bears the Jaguars defense came to life in the second half, holding Chicago to zero third down conversions and stuffing the run. Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio decided to test that, running right at the Jaguars front seven and it was successful. The Raiders held the ball for seven minutes in the second quarter, pounding the interior of the line and scored a TD to make it 13-3.

A big run by Chris Ivory padded the Jaguars rushing stats and a good run after catch by Marqis Lee moved the ball inside the red zone around the two-minute warning. That’s where the offense bogged down, Bortles looking like he’s deciding where to throw it before the snap. A field goal made it 13-6.

“Freebies” is how Head Coach Gus Bradley describes plays the Jaguars have given to their opponent and against the Raiders they had their share. The Bortles interception, a fumbled punt by Rashad Greene and a long scramble pass to inside the five with under two minutes left in the half were just that kind of plays the Jaguars can’t afford to give up. Michael Crabtree worked Prince Amukamara over in the first half, catching a TD pass on a simple in route at the goal line to give the Raiders a 20-6 lead. Not many teams have the talent to give the opposition “freebies” and still win. The Jaguars certainly don’t have any sort of margin for error in that category and were down 20-6 at the half.

Opening the second half the Jaguars started to look like they had life on offense. Bortles had three nice completions but the drive stalled and they settled for a FG to make it 20-9. The next few series were a combination of penalties and field position, the Jaguars spending most of their time under their own goal post. Eventually the Raiders kicked another FG to make it 23-9.

That’s when things started to melt down for the Jaguars. Malik Jackson was called for a pretty bogus roughing the passer penalty and in his protest was assessed two unsportsmanlike penalties and kicked out of the game. The 30-yard gain gave the Raiders another FG and they converted to make it 26-9.

Giving the Jaguars a chance to chew some clock and pad their stats, the Raiders seemed pretty content to do both with a 17-point lead. Bortles threw a TD pass to Julius Thomas to make it 26-16 and the defense, despite missing Jalen Ramsey (ejection) Malik Jackson (ejection), Roy Miller (Achilles) and Sen’Derrick Marks (foot) did their job. They stopped the Raiders and forced a punt on 4th and 20 with just under 4 minutes to play. But after bobbling the snap, Oakland punter Marquette King ran around the right side for a 1st down. Derek Carr and company took advantage of the break and scored to seal the game at 33-16.

It’s an embarrassing loss for the Jaguars on the scoreboard and for their reputation. They lost their composure as the game wore on, suffering ejections and mental meltdowns. Not sure if it’s good or not that they play again on Thursday but just about everybody, especially the fans, should hope to forget about this one quickly.

In his previous three years as the head coach of the Jaguars, Gus Bradley’s teams are 1-2 in the game immediately after the bye. But a truer picture shows his teams playing better after the bye week. The Jaguars won two of three last year after the trip to London and beat the Giants here in 2013 two weeks after going overseas. This is the earliest the Jaguars have had their bye under Bradley, so he’s hoping the trend of better play after a break continues.

“I hope it starts with a good physical practice,” Bradley said this week when asked why his team plays well later in the year. “I really felt it on Monday. This team came back really fresh. We had some injuries and it gave us a chance to come back healthy. There was a certain spirit you saw at practice.”

Because the players haven’t had any contact since the Colts game, Bradley gave them a chance to get back at it in practice on Wednesday.

“Physical, really challenged the guys up front on both sides of the ball. You come off a bye week and you get a chance to take advantage of that. Highly, highly competitive. Pleased with that part of it. We got a chance to look at a lot of things with the extra day we had on Monday as well.”

Still searching for the winning formula prepping his 2016 team, Bradley says he’s aware of his team’s attitude during the week. After the close loss to Green Bay, he’s mentioned several times that lingered into the next game at San Diego and possibly longer.

“I hate to go back and talk about the past, but I think what took place that was-opening game, that was tough on us. That was really tough so I think to bounce back quickly and go through a mindset. And sometimes as coaches you over-analyze things and I think just that whole week and how we did things and how we approached it, I felt like it was good.”

But with the result on the west coast, as well as the first quarter of the season, Bradley knows he had to change some things during the mid-week practices.

“Yeah. I think that over the bye week as we analyzed our team and figured out more about our team we applied this week. More over the course of four games,” he explained.

With injuries still looming and the addition of Aaron Colvin to the defensive backfield, the team is going to Chicago not exactly sure who can play and who can’t. It’ll be a game day decision for several players and Bradley gave us some insight as to how he’ll select the active 46 players from the 53 on the roster.

“This is a tough week for us. Going through it I know we spent a lot of time on this and just looking at our philosophy going into the game, as far as number of D-linemen, linebacker and [defensive backs]. It is a challenging week for that because we have some guys who are playing really well that may have to be out.”

It’s pretty simple in the NFL: if you’re quarterback isn’t playing well, you’re not going to win. For most of 2016 Blake *Bortles hasn’t played well and the Jaguars are 2-7. But despite his slump and the Jaguars record, Gus Bradley was plain when he was asked if Bortles should sit for a while and watch.

“No,” he said in his post-game press conference. “I think we’re 59 percent on third down. He made some plays on the run, things we’re going to keep going after, keep taking these shots.”

While he’s right about the statistics, he’s not seeing the whole picture. Or rather he’s not seeing the small picture and plays that can change the landscape of the game with one throw. Bortles has missed wide-open guys for touchdowns at least four times in the last two weeks but Bradley is sticking by him. Blake’s footwork is bad, his mechanics are bad and it appears his confidence in throwing the ball where he wants it is also waning. But Bortles disputed that after the game.

“No, I feel good about it,” he said when asked about his ability to throw the ball downfield. “I mean we had some big P.I.’s (pass interference calls), gave a couple of guys a chance to make plays. I obviously missed (Allen) Hurns on the touchdown down the middle. It’s a work in progress.”

Good answer for your rookie year and even last season. But in your third year in the league, throwing the routine pass should be just that, routine. Those are game-changing plays on the scoreboard, physically and mentally. And when they’re not there, the whole team can feel it. Bradley said the *Bortles in practice is a little different than the *Bortles in games. Blake apparently makes those throws during the week. It’s on Sunday where he’s struggling. That’s a mechanics and mentality problem. It’s like making the 4-footer on the practice green but missing it to win the tournament.

“I believe he had a good week last week in practice,” Gus explained, ever the optimist. “I think there’s going to be plays every week. Missing some deep balls like that, it can happen. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to shy away from it. We have to come up and make those connections when the time calls for it.”

Even Bradley knows the team is underperforming based on the upgrades they made in the off-season. The draft picks and free agents they added to the defense have made it competitive but without solid quarterback play, none of it matters.

“I think we’re a talented team, but talent alone isn’t enough,” the head coach said, echoing what everybody is thinking. “I think that it’s talent and work ethic and the guys working together to accomplish this and playing smart and not having foolish penalties so a combination of things.”

All of those comments are just what you’d expect from Bradley, and pretty much what he has to say. But at 2-7, he sounds a bit Pollyanna-ish when he talks about the future.

“I think we all feel like we’re closer where we can get on a run and it’s not happening. To get on a run, you got to win one game. So we got to start that. You see some plays out there that we are very close.”

No, no. It’s the small things, the discipline, and the precision that wins games in the NFL. There are no “runs” without that. He’s right to ask for “a little more” from each player.

So far this season Marqise Lee has been the best offensive player the Jaguars have and the most improved as well. He’s figured out how to play in the NFL and how to stay healthy enough to stay on the field. He’s able to see a big picture idea of what the difference is between winning and losing at this level.

“At the end of the day, we’ve been in position the last couple of weeks and have had opportunities,” he said standing in front of his locker. “We’ve got to capitalize on those opportunities. At the end of the day, I think that’s what good teams do. It’s not going to be pretty for all four quarters or the whole sixty minutes. We’re not going to play flawless football, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to capitalize on our opportunities.”

“You can’t really do anything about it,” Blake said of the frustration of losing. “It does no good to get mad at the fans for whatever they do. They’re in control of nothing, so it’s on us, it’s on me, to go out and go play. Go play as hard as you can and have fun and be successful. I know people are agitated and frustrated with everything–as are we. This isn’t fun for anybody.”

Amen to that.

It’s apparent that Gus Bradley knows where the issues are on his team and will spend the next two weeks trying to fix them. Despite the much-needed win in London against the Colts Bradley’s post-game locker room speech was about “cleaning things up.” At one point in the second quarter the Jaguars had more penalty yards than offensive yards, keeping Indianapolis in the game.

“I know it wasn’t the cleanest game of football, especially on our side, but we talked about being aggressive, especially in the run game,” Bradley said in his post game comments. “We felt offensively we needed to get that going, and I felt like we were more aggressive up front.”

All of that’s fine and I’ve thought Bradley’s comments in his first few years were the right things to say when building a young team. But at this point the “little things” they talk about that bite you in the NFL in the form of getting beat.

End game situation, tight quarters, veteran quarterback, somehow the safety and the corner got mixed up on the call and Andrew Luck threw a 64-yard TD pass to a wide open receiver. Bradley likes to talk about “situational football” so in that situation the only thing that you can’t let happen, happened. Gus had an explanation but I thought he should have been more in an “unacceptable” mode.

“Yeah, the scissors route, yeah,” he said when I asked him about it. “We missed the coverage. We didn’t play it according to the call. Whether there was some confusion, I think we’ll all take responsibility for that one. Sometimes you have double-digit calls based on formation and based on where personnel is, things like that. When it’s a no-huddle situation, to get that communication across the board is difficult.”

Whether there are double-digit calls or no-huddle, good teams get that kind of thing done in critical situations. Understanding the reason it happened I suppose is the first step to getting it fixed. And perhaps he can’t say much else in public but accountability is one of the reasons those guys are getting paid on Sundays.

When I pressed him, Gus still saw the positive part of what his defense was doing.

“I felt like we played pretty good up until the last couple of series,” he explained. “We had a couple coverage busts, no-huddle situations, where we just weren’t on the same page, and we’ll learn from that one now. You just can’t do it in a no-huddle situation.”

While Indy doesn’t look like world beaters, the Jaguars did show some resiliency by hanging on for a victory. I know they showed a stat about blown leads in the Gus Bradley era, the most in the NFL, but this time a couple of guys made plays and they got their first win of the year.

“Well, I think we’ve been a team, other than our second game, that has fought and battled our way, we just didn’t have some things go our way, whether it’s breaks or we just didn’t make plays when we had the opportunity,” Gus said when I asked him about the sideline attitude during the Colts’ run in the second half. “We felt as a coaching staff, we’re right there. We need to make those plays in critical times, and today you saw it. Just really critical plays made by our team.”

There is a lot that goes into the trip to London but the Jaguars have won back to back games there despite the long plane flight and the logistics of getting the team, staff, cheerleaders, D-Line and it seems everybody else in teal and black across the Atlantic.

“We think every victory is important,” Blake *Bortles said in front of a mixed US/UK post-game media gathering. “Obviously the situation and the circumstances of this one is big, it’s good. We’re excited about it. We’ll celebrate it, and it feels good to go through a week of preparation, to come over here, to handle some different things with the flight and do some different stuff and come out and still win, handle adversity well.”

It’s starting to feel like a home game there with the familiarity of the trip, hotel, stadium and schedule. There’s also a growing fan base in London, not just on Regent Street the day before the game but in the stadium, cheering for the Jaguars.

Being committed to London through 2020 is a positive thing for the business side of the franchise. Perhaps it’s the same for the football team as well.

Jaguars vs. Colts: 4 to watch 4

1. Stopping the run, running the ball
In the loss to San Diego, it was apparent the Chargers were going to get things done from the first drive. San Diego ran the ball effectively and scored easily on their first drive taking a 7-0 lead. The Jaguars went three and out on their first drive and the Chargers went on to dominate from there. The difference? San Diego ran the ball at will. The Jaguars couldn’t and the game got out of hand quickly. With Chris Ivory back in the lineup and Brandon Linder and Kelvin Beachum expected to return to the offensive line, the Jaguars should be able to run the ball. Gus Bradley said this week the Jaguars have to be able to run the ball even when the other team knows they’re going to run the ball. But if they can’t stop the run they won’t get the opportunity.

2. Take advantage of London
It’s the fourth year the Jaguars have played at Wembley Stadium where they won for the first time in 2015. That’s why this year they followed last season’s trip schedule to a “T.” Nobody in the league will admit to being superstitious but if they win, they’ll do exactly the same thing, week after week. The Jaguars have left on Sunday, left on Monday and on Thursday. Leaving on Sunday saw the Jaguars lost to the 49ers. Leaving on Monday they lost to the Cowboys. Leaving on Thursday, they beat the Bills. So this year they left on Thursday at the same time, stayed in the same hotel, practiced at the same place and followed the same schedule. Bradley said this week they think they found the right schedule that works for his team, with the input of the players. That might sound juvenile but every team does it. On the other hand, most of the players on the Jaguars roster have been on this trip before so they know the routine. Nothing is going to surprise them. On the other hand the Colts don’t know the routine. With some leadership, the Jaguars should settle into a routine that worked and make it work for them again.

3. Preach what they’ve practiced
After each of their three losses the Jaguars have talked about “doing the little things,” and “sweeping the corners.” But those little things that they haven’t swept have cost them all three games. I asked Gus Bradley if he thought he had enough veteran leadership in the locker room to explain the nuanced difference between winning and losing in the NFL. “That’s what today’s meeting was about,” was Bradley’s immediate response, recognizing that could be an issue on a young team. Around the league the Jaguars reputation is that of a young, undisciplined team on the field. Not undisciplined as in running afoul of the law but rather committing critical errors at critical times. Bradley admits that his team’s consistency is lacking on the big plays, but that’s what separates winners from losers in a “50-50” league like the NFL. If they’re going to talk about getting the little things right, then do it.

4. Bortles must play better
This week Blake said he wasn’t sure why he was in a funk but admitted that his mistakes were “stupid and easily correctable.” Bortles hasn’t been in any kind of rhythm this year save for a 9 of 10 stretch in the third quarter against Baltimore. He’s been flat-footed, hasn’t felt the pressure and is willing to check down quickly instead of giving his playmakers a chance to get something done. Thus the Jaguars haven’t had any “explosive” plays. Bortles overall completion percentage is up (63%) but his consistency is down. Bradley pointed out the missed balls to Marqis Lee, Allen Hurns and Julius Thomas that could have been big plays and possibly touchdowns. On the other hand, the two throws to Allen Robinson for touchdowns against Baltimore were perfect. So consistency is the key for Bortles this week.

Randomly: With a triceps injury it’s just about the time it takes to heal for Jarod Odrick. He didn’t tear the muscle off the bone but rather has a soft tissue injury that will keep him out of the game against Indianapolis. He didn’t make the trip and neither did Nick Marshall. Dan Skuta and Julius Thomas will be game time decisions. Everybody else is expected to play. Former Jaguar Kyle Brady has been in London this week helping to represent the team for the NFL. Brady also has some family close to London so he’s enjoyed the stay and plans to make it a regular trip. When NFL teams fly to London they charter through Virgin Atlantic. The teams fly the A340-600, the longest commercial plane in the world. Indianapolis’ flight was a bit delayed on Thursday and the Jaguars got to London a little early Friday morning so the two teams missed each other by about 10 minutes in baggage claim at Heathrow. Back at Allianz field, home of the Saracens Rugby Club, they went through an up-tempo walk through this week. Saracens won both the English and the European Rugby Championship this past season. The Jaguars hope some of that rubs off.

When you step on the practice field in the middle of the week in the NFL you can tell what day it is, whether the team won or lost and usually who’s going to get a chance to play the following Sunday. For the Jaguars, this was a Wednesday practice, but different than last Wednesday’s practice and the one before that.

“I thought one of the things after the Green Bay game was that really hung around for a while,” Gus Bradley explained after practice. It just was heavy on us. I thought we handled it much, much better this Wednesday.”

Headed to London, the Jaguars have experience on their side, heading overseas with an 8-hour plane flight a couple of days before the game. They’ve left on a Sunday and a Monday but they beat Buffalo last year at Wembley after leaving Thursday night so they’ll follow that schedule exactly.

“Leaving on a Sunday, leave on a Monday, leave on a Thursday and then before the games, just talk to our players about how they felt and how their bodies responded and going into the game, not after the game,” Gus said about the thought process. He didn’t take into account the general superstition factor NFL teams have but rather “Just some of the studies that we have found. For us, for our team, we felt like Thursday was the better option.”

Perhaps this was a good opportunity after three straight losses to get away, have an “us against the world” mentality headed to London. Bradley was having none of that.

“Hopefully we are circling the wagons in our locker room. It doesn’t take a road trip to do it.

Playing in London is important for the Jaguars from a revenue standpoint. Around 20% of the team’s total revenue is generated by the London game through tickets sales and sponsorships specific to the game in the UK. It’s also changed in the four years the Jaguars have made the trip into much more of a home game. Each year, the number of Jaguars jerseys in the stands grows.

You are seeing the fan excitement and the fan loyalty towards us,” Gus Said. “It has changed over the last couple of years. I know the number of Union Jax fans and all that has grown. It is beginning to feel more like a home game as much as it can over there. It is a great atmosphere.”

Following last year’s schedule the Jaguars will depart for London on Thursday evening, arriving Friday morning at Heathrow. They’ll practice that afternoon at a rugby facility, and head back to their hotel. Standard meetings as well as an appearance on Regent Street are on the schedule on Saturday. Sunday the game is at 2:30 BDT, 9:30 EDT here in Jacksonville. It will be shown by the national network around the country instead of being streamed outside of the local markets.

It was a pretty forgettable first quarter for the Jaguars against the Ravens. Two first downs, two penalties and a bunch of punts that moved the field position around a bit. The Jaguars got a couple of breaks thanks to Ravens mistakes but they looked sluggish and out of sync for the 5th quarter in a row. Quarterback Blake Bortles was still off, making a bad decision and a worse throw that led to an interception and killed the only offensive momentum the team had.

Despite giving up a Ravens TD on a Joe Flacco scramble, the defense seemed to have an idea against Baltimore and started to gain some momentum in the second quarter. The offense did the same, taking advantage of another 40+ punt return by Rashad Greene and scoring to make it 10-7.

It looked like a good defensive stand for the Jaguars as the Ravens went into their 2-minute drill but Malik Jackson was called for roughing the passer on 3rd down and Dante Fowler was called for “leverage,” jumping over the tackle on a short FG attempt and gave the Ravens three points to trail at halftime 13-7.

If that’s the rule, that’s the rule but Jackson’s hand touched Flacco’s helmet after the play and he was called for making contact. That’s not much, but it kept the drive alive. Fowler was called for jumping over the lineman, something he should know is illegal and it gave the Ravens three points. No matter if Fowler is fired up or just dumb, that’s the kind of thing that comes down to coaching. If he doesn’t know the rule, he should. If he does and did it anyway, he should be on the bench.

Despite giving up a FG on the Ravens opening drive, the whole Jaguars team started to play better in the second half, making plays on both offense and defense. Again, mediocre officiating kept the Jaguars at bay but they had a call overturned in the end zone for a TD to pull within 16-14. Bortles gave himself up on a scramble and was hit on the ground but no call was made saying “the defender had committed.” That’s baloney and every other QB in the league gets that call. Bortles will get it eventually if the Jaguars start winning, but apparently not now.

It takes some breaks to go your wan in any game and the Jaguars got on early in the fourth quarter when Devin Hester muffed a punt and Denard Robinson recovered at the 38-yard line. Jason Myers kicked a 49-yard field goal to give the home team a 17-16 lead. They had some chances on that offensive series but on 3rd and 1, Bortles had the ball batted down for the second time in the game forcing the FG try.

Off-season acquisitions paid off on the next series on defense. Malik Jackson pressured Flacco into a bad throw that was tipped by Jalen Ramsey and intercepted by Tashaun Gipson. None of those guys were on the Jaguars last year. And that play wouldn’t have happened with last year’s personnel. Another tipped pass at the line of scrimmage gave the ball back to the Ravens but Paul Posluszny jumped over Justin Forsett to intercept Flacco who was under pressure. The officials huddled for an eternity before calling personal fouls on both teams including Jalen Ramsey. Somebody needs to tell the rookies that this is pro football. Make a play and get off the field.

So here’s where good teams take advantage of the breaks and put the game away. But the Jaguars looked tentative on offense both in their play calling and their execution in the following series. Instead of rising up and asserting themselves, the Ravens took control. Bortles again suffered a sack, just about the only thing he couldn’t do in that situation, forcing Myers to attempt a 52-yard field goal. That was blocked and the Ravens had a chance to take the lead.

Methodically moving the ball in small chunks of yardage, they got it to the 37 where Justin Tucker blasted a 54-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 19-17 lead.

Still with 1:02 and a timeout left, the Jaguars only needed a field goal. Instead, Bortles held the ball on second down and was sacked and was intercepted on third down to end the game.

This was a game of missed opportunities and turnovers as well as mediocre play by Bortles for the third week in a row. If he doesn’t step it up, or if other players on offense don’t pick him up, changes are in the offing for the team perhaps sooner rather than later.

Even in the aftermath, there wasn’t anything to like in the Jaguars 38-14 loss to the Chargers on Sunday. Just about every phase of the game broke down leaving many more questions than answers from the coaches and the players. Head Coach Gus Bradley’s assessment was about the same.

“We talk about the truth. There was not much good to take from the game,” Gus said during a conference call Monday after reviewing the Jaguars performance. “We’re well aware that as a team we did not play very well. It wasn’t to our standard. You try to find some things that are positive, and I’m sure there are. As a whole, when you’re down 35-0 going into the fourth quarter, there’s not a lot of good that took place.”

That is the truth, but in the fourth year of the rebuilding of the roster and the franchise, the football team was supposed to be past that kind of failure across the board. Bradley says everybody shoulders the responsibility, but getting it right is the key.

“We have to get right,” Bradley explained. “They all understand that we cannot have that kind of performance. We all believe that we are a good team, but we just didn’t play like we we’re a good team.”

“I think you really rely on the character of the team,” he continued. “The character and the pride of this team is great. There wasn’t a lot of good that took place yesterday. I think we’ve owned up to that. That’s what is frustrating. That’s more of a feeling now talking to our players is that we know we have the capability of playing at a much higher level and we didn’t.”

Those are all the right things to say and if they’re going to get some wins this year Bradley and the team will have to put that into action. When asked if the next two weeks were a crossroads for the team, Bradley said you have to reflect on what’s happened already this season and move forward. When asked if it was a crossroads for him as the head coach Bradley quickly denied that.

“No,” he said immediately. “All the intention is we have to get right. You are not defined by one game. If this brings us to the right places then that’s my concern right now. To make sure this game, this experience that we had, elevates our play and takes us to the right place.”

Maybe that’s the only thing he could say but Bradley is a smart guy and certainly knows that Shad Khan’s and the fans’ patience is wearing thin. After all the money spent in free agency, the good fortune in the draft and the preseason success, expectations were higher than ever going into this season. The time for learning and building is over. “It’s built,” is how Bradley put it. So now is the time for winning games.

As good a guy as he is, and as good a football coach he is, Bradley’s philosophy as a head coach, empowering the players to be accountable to each other, is still a big experiment. You can hear it taking shape when you talk to the players but it’s a results business and sometime soon, if not now, winning will be the only result anybody is interested in.

There is a difference between performance and results. On opening day, the Jaguars performance was stellar but the result wasn’t what anybody, save for the Packers and their fans, was looking for. In San Diego both the performance and the result were lacking, so much so that it calls everything into question. Bradley admits as much.

“You have to dissect it, take a look at it, what led to this? Was it our preparation? Was it our mindset? Was it discipline? I cannot argue the fact, we talk about what getting better looks like and that’s not what get better looks like and it is really evident.”

You’ll never meet a more positive, focused guy than Gus Bradley. Likeable and driven to be as good as he can be. But at some point winning games is the only measuring stick.

“We’ll be fine. We’ll get back on this,” Bradley said with his usual confidence. “Our players have been great in the meetings we’ve had. No one wants to get it more right than the players and the coaches.”

In recent years the breakdown of every Jaguars loss included some form of “We’re getting better, we’re getting closer” when you talked to the players and coaching staff.

Not so after Sunday’s game against Green Bay. If there was one overriding emotion in the locker room it was anger. Even Head Coach Gus Bradley’s press conference was a little flat. He’s usually upbeat about “lessons learned” but Sunday he was just down because they lost. He confirmed that today after reviewing video of the game.

“Yeah, when we we’re planning for this game, I expected our best,” he explained of his pre and post game emotions. “I felt that we were going to play really well. I am shocked that we didn’t play well. I think that what I am surprised is that I really felt that we are going to win this game. That is a good sign. It is a good sign for our team, too.”

He’s exactly right about that. Perhaps the best thing to come out of the opener is the fact that the team was angry that they didn’t get the job done. If you’ve ever played in any game at any level and lost, you know exactly how they felt.

“There is a difference between you expecting to win and you knowing you are going to win.” Bradley added. “When you know you are going to win, you are shocked if you lost and that is what this team is feeling now. I think that is a good step for our team. We do not accept the loss. We do not accept it. How they are handling it now shows me a lot about them.”

Through training camp and the preseason games the Jaguars had the look and feel of a legitimate NFL team. It wasn’t guys trying to figure out how to play in the NFL. The free-agent additions gave the team the feel of a competitive group. That carried over to the regular season opener and while the significance of this game won’t be revealed until the end of the season, it looked like a matchup of two good teams. We expected that of Green Bay. We didn’t know that about the Jaguars. Even their reaction to the turnover and touchdown by the Packers in the first quarter showed a different Jaguars mindset.

“It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, here it comes, what’s going to happen?’ Bradley said today referring to what had happened to his teams in the last three years after adversity struck. “There was none of that. The tension on the sideline, their focus on the sideline, it was great.”

In fact the Jaguars scored themselves and even took the lead, all done early on without involving their two top receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Neither apparently said a word and were eventually very productive with quarterback Blake Bortles.

“One of our rules is no whining, no complaining and no excuses. No one wants to hear it anyway. Let’s move on,” Gus said when asked if Robinson had asked for the ball more.

Seeing him in person it might be hard to dispute that Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the game right now. Put a different quarterback on the Packers on Sunday and the Jaguars win that game. With a strong arm and accurate, Rodgers can still run and moves in the pocket just enough to frustrate defenders. Bradley said part of the game plan was to try and limit his mobility. He says that’s why the sack number was low. It was part of the plan.

“It is tough on the defensive line,” he said of the scheme. “They are going after it. We did not turn them loose. It was not a game like that. It was more of a detailed pass rush to really try to constrict him and force him to stay in the pocket.”

It generally worked, limiting the Green Bay offense to just 199 yards passing. And maybe the same kind of rush this week turns into a few sacks of Phillip Rivers in San Diego. But there’s still that “Where’s that guy coming from?” factor that the Jaguars don’t have. Strong and sturdy up front, they need a high speed, occasionally dominating pass rusher to compliment what they have. They’re hoping that Dante Fowler and Yannick Ngakoue turn into those players.

The sooner the better.

Jaguars: 4 to watch 4

1. Does the left side of the offensive line work? When he named Kelvin Beachum as the starting left tackle, Head Coach Gus Bradley admitted that it really wasn’t a competition. He awarded Beachum the job for his “body of work.” Yes, Beachum was an elite left tackle for the Steelers before his injury in October of last year. His rehab has been long and while he’s approved to go 100% he’s only played a few series in the preseason. His conditioning will be in question as the opener drags on. Beachum admitted it’s “a marriage” when it comes to the relationship between him and Luke Joeckel at left guard. Joeckel had performed well in the first two preseason games at tackle but was also given kudos by the coaching staff for the way he approached the move to guard. It might take a while but here’s to ‘hoping’ that the coaches aren’t ‘hoping’ this works out. Perhaps they’ve seen something that convinced them it’s the best combination available.

2. Did they spend money in the right place? Acquiring Malik Jackson and Tashaun Gipson through free agency seemed to create an immediate upgrade for the defense. Gus Bradley likes to use a nine-player rotation on the defensive line so Jackson being fresh throughout the game, and a healthy Sen’Derrick Marks also only playing 30-40 snaps should keep them fresh. Any kind of push up the middle from those two will put pressure on the passer along with Jared Odrick. They also are pretty stout when it comes to sheer size in the middle with Roy Miller and Abry Jones so they should be effective against the run. Gipson is the kind of free safety Bradley wants. One that can cover from side to side, is a ball hawk and isn’t afraid to hit. Gipson’s confidence and leadership will also go a long way in the defensive backfield.

3. Can they run the ball? Which leads to the free agent acquisition of Chris Ivory. Thought to be a thumper, Ivory has shown speed to get to the edge and an ability to quickly get his shoulders turned and head up field. He’ll bring plenty of punch behind his pads. Quarterback Blake *Bortles called him a “ball of muscle” in the preseason, but he also has speed that might catch some defenders off guard. If T.J. Yeldon is a classic “run from color” ball carrier who does well in a zone blocking scheme, Ivory can be a very effective “gap” runner, especially in short yardage. Brandon Linder at center will be the key to the offensive line getting a push for the running game. Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson says Linder has adapted well to his new position, and brings that “physical presence” that they need up front. No question Linder is a tough guy. They missed him last year after his injury.

4. Can the rush Aaron Rodgers and keep him contained? After sitting out a year with a torn ACL, Dante Fowler is being counted on to provide an edge rush for the Jaguars, something they haven’t had in a while. In fact, the only guy you can compare Fowler to who’s ever worn a Jaguars uniform is Tony Brackens. If you’re a Gator fan and haven’t paid attention to Fowler since he left Gainesville, you might not recognize him. He’s completely changed his body style and is faster and stronger than ever. He dominated early in training camp but ran into a wall, literally, starting with the practices against Tampa Bay. The coaches challenged him to be a “pro,” study more tape and take the mental part of the game as seriously as he does the physical side. Between Fowler, Yannick Ngakoue, and Myles Jack the Jaguars have plenty of speed to get to the passer. Part of their problem with Rodgers will be what he can do outside of the pocket when he’s flushed. Getting to him and getting him on the ground will be the key to keeping the Packers offense in check.

Looking over the 75 players who were vying for the 56 final roster spots on the 2016 Jaguars, Head Coach Gus Bradley declared this team “bigger, faster and stronger,” than teams he’s’ coached in Jacksonville in the past.

“It’s an exciting time,” Bradley continued, talking about the cutting process. “We have some really good football players we’re going forward with and that’s exciting.

While agreeing with Bradley that it was “exciting,” General Manager Dave Caldwell had a slightly different take.

“Exciting because in the past few years we’ve been looking at guys being cut from other teams,” he said with a laugh. “This year, we’ve got our guys right here.

Even making the final 53 on Saturday didn’t mean you were around for game one. Joe Banyard was cut and Josh Wells put on IR to make room for other free agents who could help right now.

“Yeah we had some very tough decisions. Very tough decisions,” Bradley said on Monday. “To us that is a good thing. When you are getting down to those last four or five cuts and you have multiple discussions about what role everyone can play. I think from top to bottom without a doubt this is the best team we have had, personnel wise.”

It’s not always the starting 22 that have to be adjusted. The Jaguars will have 14 new players on the roster this year, all will be expected to contribute on special teams (except QB Brandon Allen. Getting what you’re looking for on special teams means sometimes it comes down to just what a guy ‘looks’ like.

“That is hard. It is hard,” Bradley said, explaining part of the process. “I think that you are looking at what roles people fill and what we are looking for at certain positions. At times we need length. When you lose a guy like Ryan Davis we had Clay Harbor and that size and length is what we were looking at. I think sometimes it is body type what you are looking for and it might not mean that they can go elsewhere and be a good special teams player.”

When it comes to deciding between two players, it can be a ruthless process. Coaches have to be overly-analytical to find the smallest thing that will make the difference between being on the squad or looking for a job. Josh Johnson is a good example of how easily it is to be out of the league and how hard it is to make your way back in. Johnson was playing in the CFL when the Jaguars brought him in for a workout. His performance on special teams and his versatility as a defensive back helped him earn a spot on the 2016 Jaguars.

“Josh Johnson is a guy that’s obviously production has earned him to be on this team,’ Caldwell explained. “He’s around the ball, he makes plays on the ball when given the opportunity. Not only that but he’s been a sure tackler. He’s been a good blitzer, he can play both nickel inside for us and outside, and on special teams, he is an emergency returner for us. So it was a difficult decision. Nick (Marshall) is more of just an outside corner for us and Josh brings a little bit more versatility for us.”

So it’s a little of this and a little of that that can help you get into the league. And when it comes to the competitive part of it, you have to shine or generally you’re gone. Sometimes it’s just that other guys played really well. That’s the case for the Jaguars in deciding between Ryan Davis and Chris Smith.

“It was some of the guys like Chris Smith playing really well, Dan Skuta using him and our surplus of guys that’s interior rushers; Malik Jackson, Sheldon Day, Sen’Derrick Marks and Jared Odrick all can play inside,” Caldwell said after the cuts were made. “Then you got three LEOs there and then you got some flexibility with Hayes Pullard and Myles Jack in terms of MIKE, WILL and OTTO. And then it came down to special teams too and then who was going to be up so that was really the thing that came down to was special teams and not really having a great fit for him anymore.”

“I’m not a big fan of hope,” former Jaguars linebacker Tom McManus once said to me during an analysis of a game.

Hope is a funny word when it comes to professional sports. On one hand fans can hope things go well. On the other, hope shouldn’t be a part of a coaching staff’s decision making.

That’s why I’m hoping that the Jaguars staff isn’t hoping things work out on the left side of their offensive line.

During his daily press conference, Head Coach Gus Bradley said they decision has been made to start Kelvin Beachum at left tackle and Luke Joeckel at left guard for the regular season opener against Green Bay on September 11th. All along they expected Beachum to be back for the third preseason game, at the same time saying it would be a competition for the starting spot.

Clearly, the competition was only between Beachum and himself, whether he’d be physically able to play when asked. His 23 plays against Cincinnati showed what he’s capable of doing at the same time showing how he’s not conditioned well enough to play an entire game.

Still, Bradley says it was a “body of work” decision and admitted it wasn’t a true competition at all.

“I can credit as far as where at left guard he really elevated himself and, I cannot argue, that’s what I told him, I cannot argue the fact that you’re playing left tackle better than you did last year.,” Bradley said of his conversation with Joeckel. “I can’t argue the fact that this was a competition back and forth; that’s not accurate because Beachum wasn’t playing much in training camp. It was more the body of work we saw in what was best.”

“The competition did not come out where it was straight from the start because of the number of reps Beachum got, so we went about it a little bit of a different way,” Bradley said, trying to put the best spin on an awkward situation. It’s the first time in his tenure as head coach that Bradley had to “clarify” some things that were going on. I’m not sure what the big mystery was or if they were just trying to protect Joeckel for some reason but it’s obvious they intended for Beachum to be the starter at left tackle, if physically able, from the day they signed him as a free-agent.

“I really appreciate Luke and how he competed at guard and tackle,” Bradley continued, echoing what he said earlier in camp. “He improved at both areas. We felt like he did a really good job with Beachum, you know the body of work that he has had and also what he has shown to us in camp.”

Most fans will only remember the two times Joeckel was put flat on his back against Cincinnati, once falling into Blake Bortles. Bradley says he saw those as well but is looking beyond and in a larger scope.

“There’s plays here and there that you look at, but going into it, we just think that he’s got a high, high upside at guard and for us, we got a guard that’s playing very well and a guy that’s improved at tackle versus where he was last year. For us, selfishly speaking, pretty good deal, a guard and another left tackle for us.”

They’ll have to trim another 22 players off the current 75-man roster by this weekend. That’s why Thursday’s game against the Falcons is so fiercely competitive. Roster spots and some NFL futures are on the line. The Jaguars have a lot of decisions between helping now and developing players down the road. Offensive line is one of those positions they’ll have to release some players who are capable of staying in the league.

“I think that the depth is coming along there.,” Bradley explained. “We feel like [Tyler] Shatley’s really starting to perform really well. He had some good plays we showed in the team meeting today. So did [Chris] Reed. He’s doing a pretty good job in there, too. We got some decisions to make, that’s why this game, a lot of those guys will play.”

Without committing to not playing the starters on Thursday night, Bradley said the plan is to see just about everybody else get some playing time. He’ll look at the general health of the team regarding tightness, soreness, etc., before he decides if any of the starters will see action against Atlanta. Blake Bortles will not play but Chad Henne could also be on the bench for the entire game. The head coach says it could be Brandon Allen at quarterback and he could play the whole game. Plagued with a back problem for most of training camp, Sheldon Day went through practice on Tuesday and the staff is planning on him getting some reps in the game against the Falcons.. Bradley was asked if he had addressed his players’ actions during the National Anthem in light of the recent Colin Kaepernick controversy.

“I have, individually. Just when it comes up in conversation, but we have not addressed it as a team. I think with our team, it is more the communication, they all have their freedoms and things like that, but to communicate and have good conversations about their thoughts, I think is important.”

Bradley added he didn’t anticipate any similar action by the Jaguars.

Game time is at 7pm Thursday on Channel 4. The pregame show is scheduled for 6:30.

If nothing else, the first half against the Bengals should have served as a giant wake up call for everybody associated with the Jaguars.

“We played pretty bad at every position. When you play bad, you don’t score a lot of points,” quarterback Blake Bortles said in the second half.

Players, coaches, front office people and even fans who have been full of optimism had that tempered a bit by many of the same mistakes that have plagued the team in the last three years.

A reminder: it is still preseason.

But against a perennial playoff team, the Jaguars turned it over, missed assignments on defense, and had 14 yards of total offense midway through the second quarter.

And oh by the way, they were down 14-0.

When it was first team vs. first team, the Jaguars were no match for the Bengals, getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage and outsmarted in the field. If Gus Bradley was looking at this game as a “fact finding” situation, what he found out is that his team has a lot of work to do.

Early in the week Bradley said having the game on s Sunday night in front of a national TV audience would give him a chance to see how his players reacted to that spotlight. When they kicked it off, the Jaguars, unlike the first two-preseason games, looked tentative and a step slow.

Andy Dalton and the Bengals turned a TJ Yeldon fumble in the first quarter quickly into a touchdown. Three plays, twenty-two yards and it was 7-0. Their next drive, after a Jaguars punt, chewed up 8:57 on the clock and ended in another Cincinnati TD, 14-0 Bengals. The Jaguars looked outmanned up front and were out of place on defense consistently. If Bradley and the coaching staff were asking the players to do something different (i.e. play a base defense) it might be explainable. But teams do prepare and game plan for the third preseason game much like the regular season so it’s hard not to just see the first half as not much better than anything we’ve seen in the past three years.

Simple things kept the Jaguars from having any success.

Hays Pullard was so excited to be in the game as the fullback, he forgot (or wasn’t coached to) to report to the ref as an eligible receiver his touchdown catch was negated.

That’s just basic football stuff that can’t be ignored.

That was followed by a couple of miscues that led to a field goal from Sam Ficken that bounced off the left upright and in for three points. Ficken and punter Ryan Quigley were in the game for starters Brad Nortman and Jason Myers. Both were auditioning for other teams in the league.

As the defending division champs and a 2015 playoff team, the Bengals are good, not great. But Bortles was right when he said they were the perfect team to go up against in the third preseason game on national television. Tough, big and solid, they exposed the Jaguars starters as “not ready for prime time” yet. It might not mean it’s time to panic but it should get everybody’s attention.

If the Jaguars are still in the building and learning process, hoping to be a competitive team in the division, the Bengals are several years in front of them, already thinking about a deep playoff run.

From the look on Gus’ face on the sideline, he’s not going to have too much good to say about this one when it comes to the starters. His thought that anybody thinking “I got this” is the enemy of all success will be a theme this week.

They’ll cut 15 players on Monday and give the second and third teamers a chance to start and make an impression on Thursday in Atlanta. While the starters won’t play for either side, that game, as is the case with the final preseason game, will feature fierce competition with guys trying to make an impression and stay in the league. After that, they’ll cut again to 53 and look to sign up to as many as 10 players to the practice squad.

Everybody should be happy it’s just preseason. If it is a wake up call, the bell is sounding loud and clear.

In February of this year when the Jaguars made a big splash unveiling their Shipyards project vision; Jaguars Owner Shad Khan said a renovation of the South End Zone could be completed before the 2016 football season began.

While the project went through various design stages and permitting processes, that timeline got pushed back with Khan saying, “We’re only going to build this once, so let’s get it right.”

Today’s announcement of the project called “Daily’s Place” as part of a multi-year naming rights agreement put the completion in March of 2017.

At the original announcement seven months ago, Khan told me he’d like to see the Jacksonville host the NFL Draft. He reiterated that today.

“It could be a great venue for the draft with all the amenities,” Khan said. “We’re going do our utmost.”

Last year’s draft was held in and around Grant Park near Chicago’s waterfront. The NFL estimated 750,000 people made their way through the exhibits, displays and temporary amphitheater over four days.

All along Khan has said his vision was “iconic, a signature piece for Jacksonville.” Today’s renderings backed up his idea of more “Sydney opera house” than strip mall.

Here’s how they describe the combination covered practice field and entertainment venue in today’s press release:

Daily’s Place will house the new 5,500-person capacity amphitheater and 94,000-square foot covered flex field, as well as a luxurious back-of-house artist building. The soon-to-be-iconic superstructure will reside underneath a roof that covers both venues. Fabric and steel comprise more than eighty percent of the design materials for the project. Polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”) fabric will be suspended from a series of steel trusses, each spanning 430 feet from the south end zone of the stadium to the southern façade of the flex field.

Daily’s Place will be fully integrated into EverBank Field, creating a cohesive environment for events and festivals to utilize the entire stadium premises. At the ground level, the new south end zone field super-tunnel will lead to a brand new central bar connected to the amphitheater entrance. The existing Bud Light Party Zone and Terrace Suite areas will now be linked to the amphitheater’s elevated seating decks via access bridges at each level.

The covered flex field includes a regulation size football field with over 20 feet of auxiliary space around the artificial playing surface. At its highest point along the 50-yard-line, the roof rises nearly 80 feet. Flanked on the north and south side by massive hangar doors, the facility can be used independently or opened up to the amphitheater via a sliding door behind the stage that measures approximately 53 feet tall by 60 feet wide. Along the south side of the property are four more sliding doors of similar size that, when opened, create an open air experience measuring 222 feet wide. When the doors are closed to the flex field, the space is fully climate controlled.

With the inside of the stadium renovations completed, for now, Khan says the south end zone project will provide the impetus to get the entire Shipyards project going.

“What this means for the Shipyards is very good, because you have to have some inertia to get something going,” Khan said. “We have now, across the highway, would be a great opportunity for a high-end hotel and convention center, which really this town needs. We’ll try to work with the city and then as you move towards downtown, the city is wrestling with a lot of challenges environmentally. As that is addressed, then you can really have the growth. I think it’s very good. It’s embryonic, but important.”

All along developers have known that the old Jacksonville Shipyards was an environmental challenge, costing upwards of $50 million to clean up before any construction can begin. The city, as well as Khan, is trying to engage the State of Florida and the federal government to participate in the cleanup.

Starting at the stadium and moving west, Khan wants to reshape downtown, saying a strong urban core is a vital part of any city’s success. He originally wanted to buy the Jacksonville Suns franchise from the Bragan family as part of the project but the timing and the price at the time weren’t right.

“These new facilities are part of our ambitious vision for the future of downtown Jacksonville as a world-class sports and entertainment destination,” Khan said today. “The proximity of Daily’s Place to the St. Johns River, EverBank Field and the Sports Complex will further shape the identity of Downtown Jacksonville as a cool place to be. And, we should expect all of this to serve as a catalyst for future development in the area. It’s a great day for Jacksonville.”