Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans: Full Report Card Grades for Jaguars
In a perfect world, this would be a positive article from a giddy fan excited about a last-minute victory. As it is, this is not a positive review; it is yet another recap of a game that the Jacksonville Jaguars couldn’t finish.
In case you didn’t see the score, the Jacksonville Jaguars fell in a close one to the Tennessee Titans 16-14 on Sunday.
The bottom line is that Blake Bortles deserved this win, and his teammates should have helped him get it. Time after time Bortles sacrificed his body to make plays, and time and time again his teammates let him down with a pedestrian effort.
It’s becoming a tired story.
Bortles finished the day with his first 300-yard game. He looked polished and improved—like a quarterback who was ready to win. Unfortunately, the rest of the team wasn’t ready to join him.
The biggest help Bortles received from a teammate was from tight end Clay Harbor, who reeled in three catches for 91 yards and touchdown. Other than that, it was an unimpressive day from the offense.
On defense, the Jaguars managed to keep the Titans to 290 total yards but were unable to keep them out of the end zone. Just like the past five week, the defense struggled to make tackles and cover tight ends. In the end, it was a bad effort from a lethargic defense.
The Jaguars have gone all-in on Bortles, but unless the team steps up to help him, it’s going to be a long, winless season.
Quarterback
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No, Bortles wasn’t perfect, but he was pretty dang good in this game. He finished 32-of-46 for 336 yards and a touchdown.
What I really noticed about Bortles against the Titans was his improved pocket presence. He has learned how to step up in the pocket to avoid pressure, and because of that he was a much better passer.
Bortles has all the tools to be a successful NFL quarterback. He has excellent athleticism, an elite arm and improving vision. Once he gets comfortable and gains some weapons around him, he’ll be among the best in the league.
Grade: A-
Running Back
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The bottom line is that the rushing attack for this team is awful. At the end of the game the Jaguars were averaging 3.6 yards per carry, but much of that had to do with Bortles’ five carries for 38 yards.
We’re at the point where these running backs can’t be relied upon. It seems like every week this unit is unable to convert key opportunities. Until the Jaguars can put together an effective rushing attack, the passing game is going to continue to struggle.
It’s not a great situation right now, and it might not get better until the offseason.
Grade: D-
Wide Receiver
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This receiver group gave a marginal effort against the Titans. While it was far from perfect, it was nice to see just how many weapons this unit has when healthy.
The key contributor was Cecil Shorts, who put together a 10-catch, 103-yard performance but lost a key fumble in the fourth quarter inside the red zone.
Perhaps the greatest potential in this unit lies with rookies Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee, who both showed that they can be productive players in this offense. Robinson finished with 68 yards on eight catches, including some tough ones in traffic. Lee showed off his quickness as he turned short passes into big gains, averaging 13 yards per catch.
There is no doubt that this unit has work to do, but it’s nice to see that there are potentially dynamic players who capitalize on opportunity.
Grade: B-
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Tight End
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What an unbelievable effort by Clay Harbor against the Titans. He has come in and played his butt off since being back in the lineup.
Harbor is an unbelievable pass-catching tight end, as evidenced by his 91-yard, one touchdown performance. While he could improve as a run-blocker, it’s clear that he has excellent chemistry with Bortles.
Harbor might be the tight end of the future, and he continues to prove that he belongs.
Grade: B+
Offensive Line
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Week 6 was a big regression for the Jaguars offensive line. Last week the unit showed some cohesion and really provided some excellent protection to Bortles.
That wasn’t the case this week.
The biggest concerns are the tackles. Luke Joeckel is a former first-round pick who has just been atrocious. He’s struggling against mediocre pass-rushers, which is concerning since he sees Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt twice per year.
On the other hand, Austin Pasztor is struggling just as much. He gets confused easily and is constantly exploited by stunts and complicated blitz schemes.
Overall, this unit needs to improve. The O-line allowed another six sacks on Bortles Sunday, and at this rate it will be a miracle if the rookie quarterback escapes the season in one piece.
Grade: F
Defensive Line
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The Jaguars defensive line is your typical case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One moment it is explosive and dominating, but the other it is practically non-existent.
Sure, the Jaguars were able to get three sacks, but there were way too many occasions where Charlie Whitehurst didn’t face any pressure at all.
What the Jaguars need is consistency from what should be their best unit. The defensive line is the key to this defense and needs to be getting pressure more effectively.
Grade: C-
Linebacker
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Let me just put it all out there: These linebackers can’t tackle, cover or maintain their gaps.
Simply put, they stink.
The biggest issue is that the Jaguars don’t have the right personnel for their scheme. While Paul Posluszny is a fantastic linebacker, he’s not fast or instinctive enough to cover deep middle zones or carry receivers.
The Jaguars’ Cover 3 scheme needs fast athletic linebackers—that’s why Telvin Smith made plays as soon as he came into the game. Until the Jaguars learn to play to the abilities of their personnel, they’ll continue to see their players get exploited.
Grade: D-
Secondary
8 of 11
For some reason Charlie Whitehurst looked like a serviceable quarterback against the Jaguars, finishing the day 17-of-28 for 233 yards. I blame the secondary for that.
This shouldn’t be a surprise, though; this unit has been one of the team’s worst all year. The truth is that the Jaguars don’t have a legitimate free safety, which keeps strong safety Johnathan Cyprien from playing closer to the line of scrimmage—perhaps his biggest strength. Additionally, the cornerbacks are young, inexperienced and suspect.
It was good to see Cyprien and Josh Evans rack up so many tackles, but I’d much rather see them racking up passes defensed and interceptions. This unit just isn’t aggressive enough and will continue to be bullied by quarterbacks until the defensive backs prove they can make plays.
Grade: F
Special Teams
9 of 11
Despite normally being very reliable, this unit had a rough day.
Bryan Anger attempted six punts but was only able to get one of them inside the 20-yard line. He is a good punter, but he needs to improve his directional punting in order to give the Jaguars better field position.
Josh Scobee, who is one of the best kickers in the league, had his attempt at the game-winner blocked. He epitomizes consistency, but this was a heartbreaker.
Grade: C
Coaching
10 of 11
I’ve been a Gus Bradley supporter all season, but I’m drawing the line here. On two occasions the coach challenged plays that were blatantly unchallengeable.
The most frustrating thing is that Bradley seems hell-bent on his strategy. I can’t recall a time this season where the Jaguars made the proper adjustments during halftime to put the team in a better situation.
The coaching staff continues to call plays in a conservative manner, and the defense seems committed to its soft Cover 3 defense. At this rate, the Jaguars will give up more yards than the 2013 Dallas Cowboys and won’t see the win column until 2015 at the earliest.
Grade: F
Cumulative Grade
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| Quarterback | A- |
| Running Back | D- |
| Wide Receiver | B- |
| Tight End | B+ |
| Offensive Line | F |
| Defensive Line | C- |
| Linebacker | D- |
| Secondary | F |
| Special Teams | C |
| Coaching | F |
Every week I say the same thing: This team won’t go anywhere until it learns to play a complete game. The truth is that the Jaguars are lacking passion and—aside from Bortles—a will to win.
When you watched the Jaguars against the Titans, you saw a lethargic bunch that had given up until Bortles put them in a position to win. That’s not how a team acts, and that’s not how you win football games.
It has to get better, fast.
Overall Grade: D-
*All stats courtesy NFL.com.
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