Key Reasons Gus Bradley Should Already Be Out In Jacksonville

Oct 23, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley reacts during a post game press conference after a game against the Oakland Raiders at EverBank Field. Oakland Raiders won 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /

The Jacksonville Jaguars are on their way to yet another down season after a 2-5 start. This has inevitably led to criticism of head coach Gus Bradley.

Many fans and local media have been calling for his job even before this year began. After accepting the idea of a rebuild, it’s felt the lack of progress is beginning to show the head coach for his faults. He’s had more than enough time to do something and hasn’t. In fact his failures are about as complete as it gets.

Let us recap, shall we?

Record:

Nothing details the success or failure of an NFL head coach like their win-loss record does. Normally coaches who have good runs tend to improve through the first three seasons. If they don’t show it by the third year, they’re out. Gus Bradley is in his fourth and has done better than a 5-11 season to date. He’s 14-41 in his career with the Jaguars. That is not good. Even decent coaches would’ve gotten more results in less time than that.

Lack of development:

Go back through the NFL drafts since 2013 for Jacksonville. One will find that the team received fairly impressive grades for many of their picks. Yet so far only wide receiver Allen Robinson has made a Pro Bowl over that span. More than anything, this explains the problems with winning. Bradley has failed to get the most out of the players the team has spent so much money and picks collecting. This is not a talent problem. These kids just aren’t playing at their full potential.

Under-performing area of expertise:

Or what about the defense? Keep in mind Bradley came in with a reputation as a top defensive guru. He proved as much with his unit up in Seattle prior to heading south. Turns out the great players the Seahawks had may have been the ones elevating him. While Seattle continues to boast an elite defense, Bradley has done nothing with the Jaguars defense in four years. They ranked 28th, 26th and 31st between 2013 and 2015. So far this season? They rank 26th.

Not protecting his quarterback:

Perhaps one of the biggest cardinal sins of a head coach is not doing the vital job of ensuring his quarterback is adequately protected. That means finding an offensive coordinator who can scheme to keep pass rushers off balance and locating offensive linemen who can block. Bradley has done neither for Blake Bortles. So far in 37 games he has been sacked 123 times. That is 3.32 times per game. Totally unacceptable.

Maybe ownership is trying to show confidence and belief that Bradley can figure things out. The results just don’t match that hope. It is time for this team to find a new man in charge.

Home/NFL Hot Takes