Jaguars vs. Buccaneers: Grades, Notes and Quotes
The Jacksonville Jaguars are now 1-4 and have suffered two straight losses where victory was a very attainable, almost expected, outcome. The 38-31 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw a lot of action, but most of it wasn't pleasing to the eye.
Costly turnovers, mental errors and providing Tampa Bay with good field position to score ended up being the Jaguars' downfall. They played well on the field, but weren't prepared or able to finish the game.
It's the same problem from Weeks 1 and 4, and it's quickly becoming apparent that it has something to do with the game's off-the-field aspects. Sure, turnovers are inevitable, but committing them in such advantageous places for Tampa cost the Jaguars a win.
Despite immense offensive success, the Jaguars still could not come through with a victory. It seemed like the Jaguars offense would be a key piece to the puzzle, but it has instead shed light on other issues.
Position Grades
1 of 5
| Position | Grade |
| QB | A- |
| RB | C+ |
| WR | B |
| TE | C+ |
| OL | C- |
| DL | C+ |
| LB | C |
| DB | C+ |
| Special Teams | D |
| Coaching | D |
The Jaguars performed relatively well, although every group had errors. Linebacker Paul Posluszny's absence really showed for the linebacking corps and the rest of the defense, but they were consistently playing on a short field so it's hard to fault them completely for Tampa's 38 points.
The offense had its best game by far, with the only concern being a lack of a strong running game and a below-average performance from the offensive line. Quarterback Blake Bortles was sacked six times, and running back T.J. Yeldon was met by opposition before he could make cuts on most of his runs.
Special teams saw poor punts, punt coverage and a kickoff go out of bounds, culminating in their worst day of the year. The Jaguars were simply unprepared and looked like a team that wasn't well-coached or ready to win on Sunday.
Tampa Bay Scores 28 Points off Turnovers and Gifted Field Position
2 of 5
The Buccaneers scored 21 points from drives that started at the Jaguars' 41-, 40- and 17-yard lines. Tack on RB Corey Grant's fumble inside the Jaguars' 20-yard line returned for a touchdown, and it quickly becomes apparent that the Jaguars shouldn't have even been in the game toward the end.
Twenty-eight points is something the Jaguars haven't allowed to anyone but the New England Patriots this season, but they managed to turn the ball over twice and give Tampa great field position off punts to allow those easy scores.
Bortles' interception was an awful decision on his part, but it wasn't necessarily unexpected. When you account for his four touchdowns as well, it's hard to put a lot of blame on him for that turnover.
The two punts returned to the 17 and the 40 were killers in both the first half and the second half. Their eventual scores would put the Jaguars down two scores on two separate occasions, with the second event being the victory-securing score.
Grant's fumble came the drive before the punt that gave Tampa the ball at the 40 and a chance to go ahead by two touchdowns. Grant hasn't been terrible in all of his duties, but this play was a monumental mistake that gave the Buccaneers the momentum and put the offense is a short disarray.
Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson Combine for an Outstanding Game
3 of 5
The sophomore tandem of WRs Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns has provided Bortles and Jaguars fans with an exciting pair of receiving options. However, the trend has been that one will perform well, while the other may have an off day.
That wasn't the case on Sunday, in which Hurns totaled 116 yards and a touchdown off five receptions, while Robinson hauled in seven catches for 72 yards and two scores himself.
As Bortles improves, it was important that his receivers also grow and perform. While TE Julius Thomas made his debut and earned plenty of attention for it, the real stars were Hurns and Robinson, who consistently got open and were vital in the red zone.
Going forward, the Jaguars need to plan around this pair. WR Marqise Lee's injury issues are unfortunate, but Hurns and Robinson are performing well, and this game may be the springboard they needed to both be consistent threats.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Gus Bradley Talks Preparation
4 of 5
In his postgame press conference, head coach Gus Bradley had a lot to address. The past two weeks have been two of the hardest losses of Bradley's tenure in Jacksonville, and he has to take responsibility.
As the Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran reported, Bradley talked about plenty of varying aspects from the game, but his most interesting quote concerned preparation.
"Maybe there is a difference between feeling ready and prepared," Bradley said. "And we weren’t prepared as well as we needed to be."
It's not necessarily an insightful quote in respect to the game, but it does say a lot about Bradley's thought process and his coaching style. He's had no trouble having the team up and "ready," but being prepared for any situation on the field is something he has to provide.
He hasn't done that for the past two weeks, and one has to wonder how much longer the Jaguars will allow that to happen. If the Jaguars don't look "prepared" in the coming weeks, Bradley's job will be on the line.
Roy Miller Has No Excuses and Realizes Situation
5 of 5
Defensive tackle Roy Miller was able to register his first sack of 2015 against the Buccaneers, but his and the rest of the defense's efforts were futile in the Jaguars' loss to Tampa Bay.
As the Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran reported, Miller wasn't happy with the final result and understands things need to change sooner rather than later.
“It’s one thing if you’re getting your [butt] blown out every week," Miller said. "To be in close games and fight to the end and then lose because of the details, that’s the alarming thing. I could sit here and talk about the guys who are missing or coming back, but the only thing that matters is we lost and it [stinks].”
Miller owning up to the loss is something needed, and his comments are likely representative of the entire locker room. It's getting to be a do-or-die situation for the Jaguars, and they have to respond.
All stats provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter @evanreier.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
