In 2013 Gus Bradley was named the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars by newly appointed general manager David Caldwell. The first time head coach was seen as a solid hire. He’s a high energy coach and was spoken highly of by Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, whom Bradley served under as the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks in 2012. Bradley was also well thought of by Jon Gruden and Monte Kiffin, whom he worked for during his tenure as linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’s Now or Never for Gus Bradley
Bradley brought in his own style when he came to Jacksonville. His defensive schemes were modelled after the championship calibre unit he had in Seattle. A hybrid defense that incorporates elements of both the 4-3 and 3-4. With his new strategies and ideas, Bradley also brought in a level of excitement that the Jaguars and their fan base hadn’t experienced since they fell in the divisional round of the 2007-2008 playoffs at the hands of the 16-0 Patriots in Foxborough.
Bradley’s appointment sparked genuine optimism surrounding a Jaguars team coming off of a 2-14 season with Blaine Gabbert starting at quarterback. So there can be no question that Gus Bradley seemed as though he would be the man to bring good fortune back to Jacksonville.
Slow Start
By the start of the 2013 season, it was evident that it would take much longer than an offseason to get the Jaguars ready to compete at a high level. The team started the season 0-8, and had all the makings of a historically awful team. Then, something clicked and the team came out and won 50% of their remaining games to finish 4-12. The team was playing hard for Bradley, because of Bradley. The arrow was certainly pointing up. It was clear to everyone that Gabbert was not going to be a part of the team’s plans moving forward, and he was traded away in the offseason.
The Jaguars selected Blake Bortles with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. A young, inexperienced team added a strong armed quarterback, and a pair of receivers in the second round – Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, to begin their offensive overhaul. Whilst the team experienced a tough year as a whole, there were many bright spots. Players like Bortles, Robinson, and linebacker Telvin Smith showed that they were likely to be key cogs in the team moving forward.
The 2015 season was met with the highest expectations since Bradley took over the team. Despite getting off to a 1-5 start, the team looked drastically better. The young players were making further strides and every game seemingly finished one fewer mistake away from being a win. The team then put together a string of solid performances and improved to 4-6.
Disappointingly, despite Bortles huge production and the emergence of Robinson and fellow receiver Allen Hurns; the Jaguars were unable to capitalize on a favorable schedule and incredibly poor division, ultimately finishing a lackluster 5-11.
Great Expectations
That brings us to 2016. Despite Gus Bradley’s woeful career mark of just 12-36, the Jaguars extended his contract, once again showing a great deal of faith in their exuberant head coach. David Caldwell delivered once again with a stellar draft class, lauded by the vast majority of NFL pundits. This was the year of the Jaguars, Bradley was supposed to lead this team into battle and go toe-to-toe with the NFL’s best. He seemed capable of doing it after an admirable effort in a week one home loss to the Green Bay Packers.
But then Jaguars headed out to San Diego to take on the Chargers.
In San Diego, it became evident. Everything was suddenly so clear, and even the more optimistic of fans realized, this team is not as good as they should be. Jacksonville lost 38-14, which could have been easily a lot even worse. The current roster is far too talented to be getting blown out by mediocre teams. With the loss last Sunday, Bradley is now 12-38, which is the second worst mark in the history of the NFL for head coaches with at least 50 games under their belt.
Moving forward, if Bradley plans on keeping his job and leading this team beyond this season – or even to the end of it- he’ll need to successfully complete a historic turnaround. The Jaguars are facing the Baltimore Ravens at home this Sunday, in what is virtually a must win in week three of the season. Jacksonville beat the Ravens last season on an untimed down that the NFL later admitted should have never occurred. The Ravens will undoubtedly be out for revenge.
While Bradley may not have a concrete record which would allow him to keep his job, his team needs to win the games that they are supposed to win. The time is now for Bradley to prove that all of his positive energy and optimism can translate into wins, otherwise his seat will be the hottest in the league as the team heads to Wembley.
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