Offense Again Shows Promise, but Critical Mistakes Continue to Kill Jacksonville

When you look at Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles' stats from Sunday's 42-39 loss to the Tennessee Titans, you may take a second to check your eyes.

While Bortles has had some really good performances this season, nothing compared to his showing in Week 13.

That makes this loss that much more painful. The offense has made strides in a variety of ways this season, and Sunday was the conquering of the red zone. The Jaguars took six trips to the red zone and ended up with a touchdown each time.

But despite Bortles throwing five TD passes, rookie running back T.J. Yeldon finally scoring another touchdown and wide receiver Allen Robinson having a career day, the Jaguars still found a way to lose.

Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	Rating	Completion Percentage
322	5	0	134.5	66%

There were plenty of culprits that played a part in the loss. The most notable were the defense's poor tackling, center Stefen Wisniewski snapping the ball over Bortles' head—leading to a Titans recovery for a touchdown—or the unbelievable two missed extra points from kicker Jason Myers.

You can break down all these mistakes a bunch of different ways, but the fact of the matter is that the Jaguars continue to find ways to lose games that they shouldn't.

The Titans are a considerably less talented squad, but the Jaguars gave them a home victory.

As the season has progressed, the offense has improved while the defense has regressed. The defense was explosive and somewhat impressive in 2014, but despite new additions and improving youth, it is failing to get things done.

The Jaguars absolutely need help with their defensive personnel, but defensive coordinator Bob Babich may need to be replaced as well. Considering that head coach Gus Bradley will likely be in Jacksonville through next season, some type of change may need to occur.

STEPHEN MORTON/Associated Press/Associated Press

It's not fair to call for a coach's head after a series of poor performances, but the defense has become a liability on more than a few occasions.

If the offense continues to improve and score as well, it will make the pressure on Babich and Bradley even more intense.

But the loss is not completely on the defense either.

Two players, Wisniewski and Myers, had mistakes that can only be described as atrocious. Many have been as patient as needed with Myers, but adding two more missed PATs to his season on Sunday—making six total misses on the season—is getting to be a major issue.

Depending on how the Jaguars feel about their chances in a still-open AFC South, it may be time to go ahead and make a change there as well. The season has four vital games remaining, and if the Jaguars are taking it seriously, it wouldn't be surprising to see a change.

Though it's easy to point out the various players making mistakes each week, it's still a major issue that the Jaguars will commit a multitude of errors to keep opponents competitive or even gift them a win.

One has to wonder if the Jaguars' numerous errors can be fixed. It seems to be something new every week, and such lapses can only be attributed to the team's mindset and composure.

The Jaguars have been in close games all season, and while that was a foreign idea coming into the season, it's now been 12 games. At what point does this team learn its lessons and play together to win soundly?

Even Jacksonville's wins this season have been mighty struggles. The team doesn't have a "definitive" win, and it's concerning that the Jaguars have appeared to move laterally.

There is still life in this season, but time is running out. They may not be legitimate contenders for the AFC South title, but the Jaguars have to prove that they have learned something from their slip-ups in the final quarter of the season.

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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.