Quote:I'll give you another example...


 

When Reggie Nelson was in Jacksonville, he was even worse than Cyp. He never correct angles, couldn't tackle and rarely if ever made big plays. But if you'd seen Reggie lately he's developed into a very good player. Watching him against the Steelers this past Sunday I couldn't help but think how much better our defense would be if we only kept him. Maybe we should give Cyp some real time to develop into the player we thought we were drafting.

Nelson wasn't traded solely due to on-field struggles, though. As I recall, he and Del Rio clashed often, with Nelson at one point loudly complaining about being forced to play corner. Instead of handling it behind closed doors, Del Rio told reporters that if he told Nelson to kick, Nelson would kick, like it or not. I'm not saying that was the wrong stance to take, but it was one more red flag about Del Rio's coaching. I think at this point, there are more than enough red flags about Gus' ability to develop and utilize his talent--including putting the right guys in the lineup--to make you wonder how much better Cyprien would be under a different coach, and if Cyprien will ever meet his potential under Bradley.

 

Quote:And during the bye week...   I thought to myself the Jaguars are better than their record for the first time in about a decade.  That is very significant.  This team is improving and getting there.  I don't know if these coaches can do it but watching the rest of the NFL this weekend, average play abounds.

The Jaguars are better than their record, and that's what's so frustrating. We have a solid roster with a few holes, yet our record is that of a team that is nowhere near competitive. That's on coaching.

 

Quote:Given the incredibly sad state of our entire division, we may still be able to compete this year.

The AFC South, sadly, may well end up being a race to 6-10 decided by tiebreakers--of which the Jaguars currently hold none.

 

Quote:Actually three chances, but who's counting? Still though, I blame that loss even more-so on five penalties in one drive that literally handed the Colts a TD. Just don't be so stupid there and it never would have come down to FGs.

Once again, coaching. Mental errors like game-killing penalties are on the coach to alleviate, either by coaching up guys so they avoid them, or by replacing serial penalty machines with guys who aren't as prone to tackling receivers while the ball is in the air. Myers being as reliable as a punctured condom doesn't help things, but you could convincingly argue that he's as much on Caldwell as he is on Bradley.

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