Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Full Report Card Grades for Jags
With Week 3 behind us those of us still supporting the Jacksonville Jaguars are feeling a little conflicted. On one hand, the Jaguars lost 44-17 at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. On the other, Blake Bortles made his debut and looked really good.
This game was a tough one to watch, but if you made it through you were likely satisfied at the end.
The Jaguars were led in the first half by quarterback Chad Henne, who led the team to only two first downs. Henne was under duress on almost every attempt and was sacked three times.
Then came Bortles.
Bortles came in to start the second half and looked pretty good considering his circumstances. There were a few plays where Bortles made bad throws, but overall, he looked very good. He finished the game 14-of-24, 223 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
At the end of the day though, this is about the team, not Bortles.
As a team the Jaguars surrendered 529 total yards to the Colts, an average of 7.1 yards per play. Additionally, they continued to be inefficient on third down, converting just four of 10 attempts.
Furthermore and most alarming, the Jaguars continue to struggle to contain running backs and tight ends. The team was torched for 144 rushing yards on 29 attempts and surrendered 133 yards and three touchdowns in the air to running backs and tight ends combined.
While there is a lot to be excited about with this young team, the truth is that a lot of work needs to be done.
Let’s take a look at what position needs to improve the most.
Quarterback
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It was a tale of two halves at the quarterback position in this one. The first half can be summarized as a chaotic meltdown, while the second half can be called an exciting glimpse of the future.
After a shaky start by Chad Henne that resulted in the Jaguars converting only two first downs in the first two quarters, the Jaguars decided to put in Blake Bortles.
Bortles represents the future for this franchise, and while he wasn’t spectacular, he was effective. Bortles displayed his great athleticism and his gunslinger mentality as he pushed the ball downfield fearlessly. Was it pretty? Not exactly. But for his first game it was encouraging.
It’s likely that Bortles (14-of-24, 223 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions) will be the starting quarterback for the long haul. Hopefully he can continue to develop and lead this team to a great future.
Grade: C-
Running Back
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Here’s an example of a progressing unit. The Jaguars rushed the ball a total of 20 times for 105 yards—an average of 5.3 yards per carry.
For the first time all season it looked like Denard Robinson was a big part of the offense’s strategy. Robinson has incredible elusiveness to go with his speed. He’s the quintessential change-of-pace back, and he proved today that he can be counted on to make plays.
Throughout the preseason and regular season this unit was looking abysmal, averaging around three yards per carry. It was good to see it take some of the pressure off the passing game. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
Grade: C
Wide Receiver
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After being essentially nonexistent in Week 2 the receivers really showed up this week.
The Jaguars have to be pleasantly surprised with rookie Allen Robinson who caught seven passes for 79 yards. Most impressive about Robinson is his length. He can jump out of the stadium and has incredible hands when snatching the ball out of the air.
Another rookie, Allen Hurns, made a huge play, turning a 10-yard pass from Blake Bortles into a 63-yard touchdown. On the play, Hurns displayed his strength breaking through two would-be tacklers.
The Jaguars receivers combined for 191 yards, and most of them came in the second half. This is going to be an exciting unit to see grow over the next few weeks with Bortles at the helm. There's loads of potential here.
Grade: B+
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Tight End
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With Marcedes Lewis out on short-term injured reserve, the Jaguars sent out Marcel Jensen and Mickey Shuler.
Jensen and Shuler are inexperienced players, but I thought they did well in run support setting the edge. The rotating tandem was essentially nonexistent in the passing attack, and Shuler was called on a big holding penalty after a Blake Bortles first-down run.
Overall, it’s hard to grade this unit on a normal scale. Jensen and Shuler were essentially additional linemen. When they were called to run block they played well, but the Jaguars need to get a player who can be a threat in the passing game.
It’ll be interesting to see how this position develops in Lewis’ absence.
Grades: C
Offensive Line
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After a week where the Jaguars surrendered 10 sacks, the team had a much better performance in Week 3. The Jaguars still allowed four sacks, but the offensive line looked strong, especially on the edges.
One player who looked very good was rookie center Luke Bowanko. Bowanko received his first start of the season this week, and he did a great job anchoring the interior of the offensive line.
The Jaguars have the right guys in place and now just need to get them experience. It’s a young offensive line that got a lot better this week.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
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The defensive line continues to be the strength of the Jaguars defense. Defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks is a rising star and led this unit with two tackles, a sack and a quarterback hit.
For all the deficiencies the Jaguars have, they are very good at pressuring the quarterback. The team benefits from a deep rotation that keeps players fresh.
Overall, I thought the defensive line did a great job getting after quarterback Andrew Luck but unfortunately missed some opportunities due to Luck’s athleticism.
Grade: B
Linebacker
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For weeks I’ve been gushing about the potential of this linebackers group. Since the preseason, I thought the young guys in this group were going to develop into playmakers, but I don’t know that I’m seeing any development.
For the third straight week this group has been absolutely destroyed by running backs and tight ends. Time and time again the linebackers are missing easy tackles and getting brutalized in pursuit.
Until this unit shows it can contain an opponent’s running game or cover tight ends downfield, I’m not feeling optimistic about its ability.
Grade: F
Secondary
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This week the secondary was markedly better than it was last week against the Washington Redskins. That being said, it was still another poor performance for a young group with so much potential.
The secondary was burnt for four passing touchdowns by Andrew Luck and was repeatedly worked by T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne. It seems like the same story every week, and at this point I’m looking for progression from the young players—I’m not seeing any.
Probably most disappointing is Alan Ball. Despite one really solid play, Ball was caught flat-footed on a few plays and just completely out of position. As the veteran leader of this unit, he needs to be the one the team can count on.
Grade: F
Special Teams
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It’s hard to knock anything about the Jaguars special teams unit. Punter Bryan Anger and kicker Josh Scobee are as steady as they come.
Scobee connected on a 41-yard field goal, his only of the game, and Anger averaged 46 yards per kick.
These guys are the most solid unit on the team (yes, that’s depressing) and are consistently performing well.
Grade: B+
Coaching
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All season I’ve been knocking the coaches for not making proper adjustments, but today I think they finally got it right.
After an abysmal first half by Chad Henne, Gus Bradley made the call to put in Blake Bortles. Sure, Bortles wasn’t spectacular, but he sparked the offense and helped the Jaguars become more competitive.
Bradley and his staff have a lot to learn, but they’re showing signs of understanding that tough decisions can lead to big things.
Grade: C
Cumulative Grades
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| Quarterback | C- |
| Running Back | C |
| Wide Receiver | B+ |
| Tight End | C |
| Offensive Line | C |
| Defensive Line | B |
| Linebacker | F |
| Secondary | F |
| Special Teams | B+ |
| Coaching | C |
The bottom line here is that the Jaguars were victim of yet another blowout loss. At some point, you have to wonder if this team can be competitive at all this season. There are a lot of moving pieces in Jacksonville and a lot of good young players. Unfortunately, in Week 3 this didn't look like an NFL team.
Cumulative Grade: C-
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