JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As bad as the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense was under Gus Bradley during the first three years of his tenure, it was the offense that was the reason he was fired on Sunday.
The Jaguars had made significant strides on defense in 2016, thanks to key personnel additions and the work of first-time defensive coordinator Todd Wash, but the offense has deteriorated and is the main reason the Jaguars are 2-12 and have lost nine consecutive games.
Bradley could never get things right on offense. He went through three offensive coordinators, and quarterback Blake Bortles regressed to the way he played as a rookie. His loyalty to Bortles ended up being his ultimate undoing.
Bortles set franchise records in passing yards (4,428) and passing touchdowns (35) in 2015, and that came after he spent two months during the offseason working on and fixing his flawed fundamentals and footwork. But he didn’t spend as much time working on those issues this past offseason, and he played poorly throughout the 2016 season. He has 20 turnovers, the most of any player in the NFL this season, and he has thrown three pick-sixes to bring his career total to 11.
Despite those struggles, though, Bradley stuck with Bortles as the starter. He was repeatedly asked if it would be good for Bortles to sit a game to get a different perspective or just get a breather, but each time Bradley said that was something he wasn’t even considering.
It made sense to a degree, because one of the most important things Bortles wanted from his coach was unwavering loyalty. It was an important part of their relationship. That’s something other coaches and quarterbacks have, and sometimes it’s the only thing that can sustain the relationship.
Unfortunately, it cost Bradley his job.
Just watching what happened during the Jaguars’ 21-20 loss to Houston on Sunday drove that point home. Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler, whom GM Rick Smith signed to a $72 million contract with $37 million guaranteed, was benched in favor of backup Tom Savage after throwing two first-half interceptions. Savage, who hadn’t played in more than two years, completed 23 of 36 passes for 260 yards and keyed the Texans' rally from a 20-8 third-quarter deficit.
How much differently would the Jaguars' season have gone had Bradley opted to put Bortles on the bench for Chad Henne? The Jaguars were 2-3 after a come-from-behind victory in Chicago in which they scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 51-yard pass to Arrelious Benn because a defensive back slipped. They haven’t won since.
During the nine-game losing streak, Bortles has completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,958 yards and 13 touchdowns with nine interceptions -- three of which were returned for touchdowns. The Jaguars never scored more than 21 points in any game.
Receiver Allen Robinson went from a Pro Bowl player (80 passes for 1,400 yards and a franchise-record 14 touchdowns last season) to an afterthought. He and Bortles never clicked, and there was a meeting between the two along with offensive coordinator Nate Hackett -- who took over after Greg Olson was fired in late October -- to try to get them both back on the same page. Since that meeting, Robinson has caught three passes for 32 yards.
There were reports that at least one starter wanted Bortles benched for Henne, and looking back on the last nine games, that may have made a difference in the Jaguars’ season. The Jaguars have lost those games by an average of 8.1 points.
Even after Sunday’s loss to Houston, Bradley responded to a question about possibly giving sixth-round pick Brandon Allen, who has been inactive for every game, a look in the final two games by saying Bortles is the Jaguars’ quarterback.
Bradley's loyalty to Bortles is admirable. It’s the kind of support every player wants from their head coach. But had Bradley made the move to Henne, the Jaguars might have been in the thick of things in the AFC South in a season in which owner Shad Khan said a winning record was “everyone’s reasonable expectation.”
It may have saved his job.