Jacksonville Jaguars Showing Little Signs of Progress After Week 6

The Jacksonville Jaguars have faced three straight opponents with records equal to theirs in the past three weeks. Each time, the Jaguars lost in discouraging fashion, with the latest loss coming in the form of a 31-20 implosion to the Houston Texans.

The loss drops the Jaguars to 1-5 and, perhaps more importantly, put head coach Gus Bradley's record as the Jaguars head coach at 8-30. Thirty losses in less than three years is awful, but it's somewhat understandable given the rebuild.

However, it is not acceptable to be 1-5 through the span of five winnable games and an expected loss to the New England Patriots. So what's the difference between this season and the last?

The Jaguars have competed. They've been in plenty of positions to win games or to make an impact, but instead of doing that, they commit awful errors and gift opponents easy wins. 

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Last week, it was a matter of minutes in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored 18 points and broke the game open. This week was a similar story, with the Texans scoring 21 points in less than four minutes thanks to poor defense and an interception returned for a touchdown.

It's become apparent that this team isn't better at winning games than last season, despite improved performances from the offense and new, important talent on the defense. The team isn't "built" yet, but it's certainly not 1-5 quality either. 

The talent, depth and overall ability of the team has improved. Tight end Julius Thomas is an upgrade. Linebacker Dan Skuta is an upgrade. Tackle Jermey Parnell is an upgrade.

Meanwhile, the youngsters are continuing to improve. Wide receivers Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson are two of the best-performing receivers in the NFL. Quarterback Blake Bortles has made great strides, and defensive youngsters Aaron Colvin at corner and Telvin Smith at linebacker have also made considerable progress.

The Jaguars are improving on an individual level across the board. However, the team's progress is stunted, and that is made most apparent by its inability to win.

And when a team is improved but still can't win, the coaching staff remains the primary reason. Sure, errors and luck play a part, but not in every game, and the amount of evidence against Bradley piles with each game.

A well-coached team does not implode in the second half on a consistent basis. It doesn't have new problems and mistakes on a weekly basis, either.

But the Jaguars do, and it's undeniable that the coaching staff is responsible for their inability to win. Bradley has proved that he can't win with improved talent, and the return of Thomas, defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and other injured players haven't helped his case.

It doesn't matter if the players fiercely support the coach, there has to be a point at which the Jaguars put their foot down and look at the situation objectively. It's not about being likable, it's about winning.

Having the locker room united under one coach is important, but there must be someone else who can keep the team intact and also produce on the field. 

This is not about Bradley's personality, it's about results. And going off results, it's crystal clear that Bradley isn't the person to take this team to its full potential, no matter how motivational he is.

There are now 10 games left in the season, and the hope for something "more," as the Jaguars have advertised coming up to the 2015 season, is essentially gone. If the Jaguars can't secure a single win against three teams whose combined record is 7-9, whom can they beat?

It's a rhetorical question, but it's also a practical one. You have to win games against similar quality teams to warrant any progress in the NFL, and the Jaguars have completely failed to do that.

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Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter: @evanreier.