Despite Struggling Start, Jacksonville Jaguars Defense Has Delivered

On paper, the Jacksonville Jaguars defense looked relatively poor in this past Sunday's 38-31 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Thirty-eight points given up to a rookie quarterback and a struggling offense isn't exactly a great look.

In some ways, it was a poor game. The Jaguars have been pretty good against the run this year, but they were absolutely dominated off the line and had a few awful tackles. That allowed Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin to rack up 154 yards and two touchdowns off 24 carries.

However, it's not fair to completely blame the defense, especially considering the situations it was put in by poor special teams play and crucial offensive mistakes.

The best stat to sum up that situation is the fact that Tampa didn't score a single touchdown from drives that started from within its side of the 50. The Bucs made three field goals, but the three drives that started in Jaguars territory all resulted in touchdowns.

But, as mentioned, the defense was not anywhere close to perfect. Martin ran freely, as seen below, and the lack of pressure on Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston, who has had a horrid time with turnovers in his rookie season, allowed him to make plays through the air and on foot.

	Yards	Touchdowns	Average
Week 1 (Jonathan Stewart)	56	0	3.1
Week 2 (Lamar Miller)	14	0	1.4
Week 3 (LeGarrette Blount)	78	3	4.3
Week 4 (Frank Gore)	53	0	3.1
Week 5 (Doug Martin)	123	2	5.1

Through the first five weeks of the season, it seems like this defense won't be like the one last year, which consistently forced turnovers and got to the QB. But this defense is much better at containing opponents rather than being explosive.

While it's not nearly as entertaining or common to what is pictured as the successful NFL defense, it is one that can succeed with offensive execution. The 31 points scored in the loss in Tampa was a step in the right direction for the offense, but errors like running back Corey Grant's fumble put the game out of reach.

Stopping the run and forcing teams to be one-dimensional has been something the Jaguars have done relatively well this season, but Sunday was a different story, and the Jaguars defense can consider itself somewhat lucky they weren't playing a better QB.

Allowing nine points the entire game from manageable situations deserves praise, especially considering the yards the defense let up to Martin. It prevented the Buccaneers from getting in the end zone on those drives, and that should've made it a probable win.

Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Errors are a part of the game and will occur more frequently with a young team like the Jaguars, but Sunday was a debacle. The best passing offensive performance of the year and a solid defensive effort were rewarded with an awful loss.

The talent and quality of play is there, or it is at least moving in the right direction. With that in mind, the coaching staff is responsible for lack of preparation and inability to finish games. The defense has done its job, and the offense is on its way.

All that's left is winning, and honestly, it seems unlikely that this staff has what it takes to reach that goal in time.

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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.