Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville Grades, Notes and Quotes

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to 5-9 this past Sunday and were unable to take down the Atlanta Falcons (7-7) in the last regular-season game of the season. The disappointing 23-17 loss put the Jaguars' playoff hopes into an even more dismal situation.

The Jaguars struggled early, but it seemed like they put it together in the second half. However, in familiar fashion, late mistakes kept the Jaguars offense from continuing its success, although there were plenty of mistakes in the first half as well.

It was a polar opposite performance from the offense, and while the defense struggled at times, it didn't perform that much worse than the strong showing against the Indianapolis Colts the week before.

The Jaguars did well to come back from a 17-3 deficit, but they once again failed to finish. It has closed the door to the postseason even more, and the Jaguars have to win out and hope some results fall in their favor.

Positional Grades

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Dec 13, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) looks on during pre-game against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Field. The Jaguars won 51-16. Mandatory Credit: Jim Steve-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback: C+

While quarterback Blake Bortles wasn't fantastic on Sunday, he was decent. The interception at the 1-yard line that ended up in a 10-point swing was especially painful, but overall, Sunday's loss shouldn't rest on Bortles' shoulders.

Bortles' mistakes are still a major factor, but he's limiting them for the most part, and the Jaguars' lack of time on that drive forced the Jaguars to press and throw the ball. It won't be a favorite game, but it was relatively sufficient.

Running Back: C-

Running back Denard Robinson put in a valiant performance, but he just couldn't quite hit his burst as we've seen him do before, and that led to 28 yards on 14 carries. He was also active in the passing game with eight catches on 46 yards, but his main issue was the actual carrying of the ball.

Robinson, on consecutive drives, put the ball on the ground. The Jaguars didn't lose either to the Falcons, but they absolutely stunted those drives and were a major reason the offense was in a funk.

Wide Receiver: C+

Wide receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns combined for 101 yards and a touchdown, and fans also saw wide receiver Marqise Lee get involved with two important catches for 46 yards. They didn't get consistently open, but they made various big plays when needed.

Robinson scored his 13th touchdown of the season, and Hurns continued to put in a solid performance. The Jaguars have the weapons for the pass game, but the offense was completely stagnant just the same.

Tight End: B

It was a really impressive day for tight end Julius Thomas, bringing down six catches for 79 yards. Tight end Marcedes Lewis also had an important 26-yard grab, and they were a big part of some of the offense's success.

Thomas continues to play a huge factor in the second half of the season, and it's great to see him gel in this offense. It seems hard that a talent like Thomas would ever struggle, but he overcame some early issues and is now excelling.

Offensive Line: C+

It was a completely average day for the offense, and, while it only allowed two sacks on the day, the O-line didn't do much to create a lot for Robinson in the run game.

The Jaguars offensive line has improved with the season, but Sunday saw the importance of getting space for the running game consistently. Running back T.J. Yeldon is able to get pickups with little space, but Robinson could not, and that played a huge role in the Jaguars' loss.

Defensive Line: C-

The defensive line played an important role in stopping Falcons running back Devonta Freeman to a 2.2 average, but it was completely nonexistent in the pass rush. Defensive end Jared Odrick got a sack, but it was more of circumstance than actual pressure.

Falcons QB Matt Ryan shredded the Jaguars without pressure, and having to rush five or six men to assist the line is a solution, but it provides openings elsewhere. It was a standard day for the D-line when you look at its overall performance this season.

Linebacker: B-

The return of linebacker Paul Posluszny was visible on Sunday, as he put in a monstrous performance even with a cast-covered hand. His teammates, linebackers Telvin Smith and Dan Skuta, were solid but nowhere near Posluszny's production.

The linebackers plugged the running lanes fine, and the Jags didn't call them to blitz all that much. And, while they can be a liability in coverage, they weren't looked at often, so it's hard to blame them for Ryan's success.

Secondary: C-

Ryan decimated the secondary, but it's hard to completely blame it when there is little or no pressure from the defensive front. However, wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White consistently beat the secondary.

It went about as expected for the secondary, but you can't excuse a lack of impact on other positional groups. This unit has been a major flaw this season, and it continued to show on Sunday.

Special Teams: C

It was an average day for punter Bryan Anger and kicker Jason Myers, which saw Myers miss none of his attempts and Anger average 42.3 yards a punt.

The real star of the special teams was wide receiver Rashad Greene. He had two really good returns, but a holding penalty canceled one of them. He's continuing to grow, and his consistent returns will play a huge role in the future.

Coaching: C-

In terms of executive decisions, head coach Gus Bradley did fine. He called smart timeouts and threw a good challenge flag in the second half, but it abruptly stops from there.

Offensive coordinator Greg Olson and defensive coordinator Bob Babich struggled heavily on Sunday, and it's confusing considering their successes last week. Both will have to rethink their strategies for Week 16. 

The Return of Paul Posluszny

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

The Jaguars missed Posluszny's presence against the Colts, but linebacker Jordan Tripp did well to maintain in his place. But the return of Poz saw better organization and huge plays, as Posluszny totaled nine solo tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception.

Posluszny has had another great season, and Sunday may have been one of his best all-around performances of 2015. He dominated in the run defense, and he completed a huge play in the pass by bringing down his third interception of the season.

It's not often that a player reaching the last part of his career puts in seasons like Posluszny has, but he's been as good as ever—and possibly better. Like anyone on the defense, he's made mistakes, but he's been incredible overall.

Having him back for the final stretch is crucial, and considering the Jaguars still have something to play for, his presence does matter. The Jaguars will be elated to have him for the final two weeks.

Early Struggles Put the Jaguars in an Unrecoverable Hole

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press/Associated Press

Gus Bradley

The Jaguars looked slow on both sides of the ball early, and they deservedly trailed 17-3 at the half. They put it together in the second half, outscoring the Falcons 14-6, but it was still not enough to pull out the victory.

The offense failed to put together drives consistently through the whole game, but the first half saw the Jaguars lose the battle for field position, and they did little to get out of it.

Ryan sliced the Jaguars to pieces, and to make matters worse, Freeman was getting solid yards early. The Falcons were able to drive without much resistance, except for a couple of stops after Atlanta's first touchdown.

And while the Jaguars did improve in the second half, their inability to put together a complete performance for four quarters continues to sink them. 

The 51-16 victory over the Colts seemed to be the result of that kind of play, but the Jaguars weren't able to recreate it. With two games left in the season, putting it together at this point may be too little, too late.

Gus Bradley Talks Third-Down Defensive Struggles

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 13: Head coach Gus Bradley of the Jacksonville Jaguars watches the action during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Field on December 13, 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The Jaguars allowed the Falcons to convert seven of 14 third downs, which is a pretty poor result for Jacksonville. However, the onslaught of conversions didn't come until the second half, as Bradley pointed out in his postgame press conference streamed on Jaguars.com.

"I think they were 0-for-6 in the first half on third down," Bradley said. "We were mixing it up. We just didn't make the plays."

A curt and somewhat vague quote, but it's the primary comment Bradley made about the Jaguars' inability to stop the Falcons in crucial situations, and it's true. The Falcons kept the Jaguars' offensive opportunities to a minimum, and that played a huge part in the loss.

The Jaguars needed their defensive playmakers to be the difference late, and they failed to do so. It happens, and the Falcons deserve credit for being clutch, but whatever Jacksonville was able to do in the first half on third down didn't carry to crunch time.

Blake Bortles Explains

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Bortles had a major mistake on Sunday, which is something that has become a common occurrence over the season. However, his high-volume production has made those tough pills much easier to swallow.

Bortles talked about his first-half interception in his postgame press conference on Jaguars.com, but he made sure to also acknowledge an offensive rebound to keep the Jaguars in the game.

"You get a chance like that right before half to put up seven points and get back in the game," Bortles said. "It obviously hurts. I thought the guys did a really good job of bouncing back, coming back and scoring on our first possession of the second half."

The Jaguars did do surprisingly well to tie the game up at 17, but they failed to continue their success in the fourth quarter, which ultimately made the difference.

Bortles will make mistakes, and the 2015 season has seen plenty of poorly timed ones, including his pick on Sunday. But as long as he continues to drive the offense and improve, it's hard to be too disappointed.

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.