Are there any Jags assistants who should survive a coaching change?

There are two coaches who may stand a chance to survive a coaching change for the Jags in our books. One of them is Joe DeCamillis.

With a 4-9 record currently and five straight losses by at least 17 points, the Jacksonville Jaguars are unquestionably going to have a coaching change at the end of the year. Of course, the reason for their record and pending changes is somewhat due to the Jags’ current staff being out-coached at times and fans have been very vocal about getting Doug Marrone and his staff out of the facility.

That said, our question of the day is whether or you all at home feel there is a member of the current staff who should survive what will likely be a coaching staff change in a few weeks? Here are two candidates who we feel at least deserve another year:

Special teams coach – Joe DeCamillis

Joe DeCamillis is one of the league’s most respected special teams coaches and it’s easy to see why when looking at his body of work before joining the Jags and after. Prior to coming to Jacksonville, he was so highly regarded at his last stop that he served as the interim head coach for the Denver Broncos Week 6 of the 2016 season with Gary Kubiak dealing with and illness.

First and foremost, he deserves praise for what he’s gotten out of Josh Lambo, who is kicking at a Pro Bowl level this season. The veteran, who the Jags signed off the free-agent market during the 2017 regular season, has converted 96.3% of his field-goal attempts (26-of-27), good for the best in the league.

DeCamillis has also turned Logan Cooke into a stud punter. With the offense not offering much production, Cooke has been a weapon for the Jags averaging just under 44 yards per punt and constantly pinning the opposition behind the 20-yard line. The crazy part about it is that he’s only 24 and keeping DeCamillis by his side could make him an All-Pro down the road.

Receivers coach – Keenan McCardell

The other assistant who comes to mind when discussing the staff’s ability to teach is receivers coach and Jags great Keenan McCardell, who pretty much has done a well as you can with the young receivers he’s inherited.

During his first season on the Jags’ coaching staff, McCardell immediately showed his skills as a communicator. One series into the regular season, he lost his top receiver, Allen Robinson, for the year with an ACL tear but it didn’t stop him from getting the best out of what was left for Blake Bortles to utilize. He got some quality moments and play out of undrafted rookie Keelan Cole that season, who totaled a career-high in statistics with 42 catches, 748 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

McCardell’s other noteworthy achievement was coaching up second-year receiver DJ Chark Jr., who struggled mightily in 2018 but looks like one of the league’s most improved players now. Chark is currently just 44 yards shy of the 1000-yard mark this season and has impressed on all levels of the field despite the frequent changes at quarterback.

If there is a new staff, they almost certainly will recognize the coaching Chark and the other receivers have responded to and possibly consider keeping McCardell. It also may help his case that he was formerly a receiver in the league who was largely successful.

That said, we’d like to know if you all at home believe McCardell and DeCamillis deserve to remain assistants past 2019. Is there someone we missed on the staff that deserves to stay? Let us know in our Jags Wire forum.

9 things we learned from Sunday’s Week 14 games

Jimmy Garoppolo showing critics that he can win a big game highlights Touchdown Wire’s list of nine things we learned from Week 14.

On paper, Sunday’s slate of games for Week 14 looked like the best of the season. In reality, that’s how it turned out.

The day was highlighted by San Francisco against New Orleans, Baltimore and Buffalo and New England against Kansas City. All three of those games had major playoff implications. All those games lived up to their hype and several other contests were surprisingly exciting.

Let’s take a look at nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 14:

9. The Rams need to keep using Todd Gurley

In a move that is likely a precursor of things to come, the Rams used more of running back Todd Gurley than they have most of the season in Sunday’s victory against Seattle. Gurley got 23 carries (second only to his season high of 25 carries against Chicago) and four receptions. His production wasn’t spectacular with 79 rushing yards and a touchdown and 34 receiving yards. In a well-planned move, the Rams had been limiting Gurley’s touches to protect his knee most of the season. But the plan all along was to unleash Gurley when it came to the drive for the postseason. That time is now. A relatively high dose of Gurley allows the Rams to effectively use play action to help Jared Goff and the passing game. With the Rams at 8-5 and fighting for a playoff spot, Gurley will likely get a similar number of touches the rest of the way.

Pages: 123456789

Chargers vs. Jaguars: 3 causes for concern against Los Angeles

There are a lot of concerns for the Jags heading into Week 14, but the pass rushing duo of Bosa and Ingram should be atop the list.

The Jacksonville Jaguars 2019 season has been a forgettable one and most fans have been anticipating its end. The Los Angeles Chargers’ season has been equally disappointing, however, most tend to think they have a better chance to win Sunday’s game between them and the Jags.

With a 7-3 all-time record against the Jags and a better overall team than Jacksonville, there are several concerns we have here at Jags Wire for Week 14’s game. Here are three of our biggest concerns as they will look to end a four-game skid this Sunday:

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers pass rushing duo of Nick Bosa and Melvin Ingram

The Jags will be up against one of the fiercest passing defenses in football as the Chargers only allow an average of 199.3 passing yards a game. That’s good for fourth in the league, which means the Jags could struggle to find guys like DJ Chark Jr. and Dede Westbrook through the air.

Part of the reason for that is because of the dynamic duo they have as pass rushers in Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa, both of whom have grades of 77.9 and 86.2, respectively, via Pro Football Focus. The two will enter Sunday’s game with a combined total of 14 sacks and will be looking to get after rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

The most concerning part about going up against the Chargers pass rush is how Cam Robinson is playing at the moment as he hasn’t been overly impressive. Jawaan Taylor could also have issues against the dynamic pair as he’s had issues with penalties and leads the league in the category with 13.

This issue brings me to my next topic of concern.

Pages: 123

Report: Jags ‘likely’ to go through a coaching change after 2019

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo doesn’t know if it will be before the season, but believes the Jags are heading towards a coaching change.

The Jacksonville Jaguars season has been a big-time failure and the fans aren’t happy. Jags owner Shad Khan likely isn’t happy with the results he’s seen either as the Jags are on a four-game skid in which they’ve been outscored 129-47 and have looked like a dumpster fire organization along the way.

Due to all of the aforementioned issues, many have suspected changes are coming. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo seems to believe that those changes could definitely include acquiring a new head coach after stating that the Jags are “likely” to move on from Doug Marrone, who has been the Jags’ coach for almost three full seasons now.

“If you’re asking me if it is going to be before Week 17, I honestly have no idea. It’s gonna depend on what happens in these next couple of games here,” Garafolo said Tuesday afternoon. “But I think everyone is looking at this situation saying it’s a likely coaching change in Jacksonville.”

It’s worth noting that Garafolo was the source to break the news of Doug Marrone being hired by the Jags under Gus Bradley, so it appears he knows his stuff when it comes to the veteran head coach. It’s also worth noting Garafolo stated that Marrone could make a case to stay by finishing the season strong and showing he can win with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

The news is pretty much what most fans were expecting, however, when looking at how the Jags have looked over the last two years. In fact, since going to the AFC Championship the Jags are 9-19, which isn’t a good look —even when looking past 2018, which was a year full of key injuries for the Jags.

I think Marrone is a good coach but there may be varying opinions on him in the locker room because executive vice president of football operations, Tom Coughlin, has seemingly gotten involved with issues that the coach should more so control. A prime example is the Jalen Ramsey situation.

Speaking of Coughlin, Garafolo didn’t really offer any news about his job security or that of general manager Dave Caldwell, though he did say the front office wants to see how the season plays out. However, a half-measure by Khan wouldn’t be wise. Ultimately, he’d still be keeping two people who have played a key part in the organization’s mistakes of the past. There is also the fact that no head coach that’s worth having will want Coughlin hovering over him while he does his job.

Doug Marrone says he still believes in Nick Foles despite benching

Just because Doug Marrone benched Nick Foles doesn’t mean he’s lost confidence in the veteran.

Minshew Mania will be returning to Jacksonville soon as Jaguars coach Doug Marrone announced that the team will be starting rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II against the Los Angeles Chargers. The decision came after veteran Nick Foles struggled to get going since returning from the collarbone injury he sustained Week 1.

Marrone told the media the decision wasn’t an easy one in Monday’s media conference call, but in the end it came down to the mobility and elusiveness Minshew brings. He also added that he still believes in Foles and that his struggles solely weren’t his fault because the Jags weren’t playing well around him either.

“I still believe in him as the quarterback. I just think that a lot of times it’s never really just the one position, or one person. That’s the one position [where] it’s a team game, you need people around him to do a good job, and right now, we’re all not doing a good enough job. So, we’re just trying to put the best guys out there that give us the best chance to win. And it’s tough. It’s tough when you’re not doing a good job, starting with myself, to the coaches and at times obviously the players.”

Marrone’s statements on Foles sound identical to those he made when Minshew was sent back to the bench as he was on record for saying he believed in the rookie, who showed a lot of ability earlier in the season. After putting in the effort to cater the playbook to Foles this offseason alongside coordinator John DeFilippo, Marrone has built a strong bond with Foles. However, the Jags’ offensive line is an issue and the lack of mobility by Foles puts the unit at a disadvantage in most cases.

Heading forward, Minshew has a grand opportunity to put together a strong case to be the starter in 2020, too, regardless as to who is the coach. However, if he doesn’t, the Jags will have to heavily consider drafting or signing a starter in the offseason.

8 NFL coaches on the hot seat

Jason Garrett, Ron Rivera and Dan Quinn are among the coaches who likely will find themselves on the hot seat.

It is the time for season’s beatings as records fall and the temperature rises on coaches who have not had success. A look at those who are flirting with becoming victims of the coaching carousel.

Dan Quinn

The Atlanta Falcons’ coach should wind up with another team. A fresh start would benefit him and everyone in the ATL. Point to the Super Bowl collapse as the start of the downfall, sure, but the Falcons simply are no longer close to contenders. They are not pretenders. They are a team that is playing poorly and when you do it for that long, your coach usually pays.

Pages: 123456789

5 takeaways from Tom Coughlin’s first presser since draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars shocked their fanbase by holding a press conference for executive Vice President of football operations Tom Coughlin, who has never spoken to the media in the regular season. He made it clear that the Jags have zero excuses …

Here are some takeaways we came away with in listening to the 13 minute presser:

Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

The point of the presser may have been to rally the fans more than to explain their issues

It initially looked as though the front office heard the fans’ cry to hear from someone in the front office about the Jags’ issues, but in the end, that wasn’t the case. While Coughlin did offer some thoughts on the team’s issues, it wasn’t much. Instead, he spoke to rally the fans, attempting to convince them that there is still a chance for a winning season.

Coughlin never addresses the media during the regular season, prompting reporters to ask if he was told or asked to have his presser. He insisted that wasn’t the case, but when considering the presser didn’t offer much insight into the team’s struggles, fans can’t help but think the opposite.

Only time will tell if the fans show up for the Jags’ next three home games, but it would be hard to blame them if they didn’t. Sure, Coughlin was right when he said the team has a chance for a winning season, but their performance in the last three games makes it difficult to see the Jags having a drastic turnaround.

Simply put, deploying Coughlin to rally support and optimism likely isn’t going to work as it would’ve in 2017. What will work is Khan putting a winning product on the field. and it’s hard to have faith that his current front office and coaching staff can do that.

Pages: 12345

3 takeaways from Jags’ 42-20 loss to Titans

There was a lot to unpack from the beatdown the Jags received from the Titans and a lot of the takeaways aren’t good.

The Jacksonville Jaguars once again left egg on the faces of their fans Sunday after another embarrassing loss within the division. This time, the Jags were handily defeated by the Tennessee Titans by a score of 42-20.

It goes without saying Sunday’s performance, in which the Jags were outmatched in every way, was hard to watch but somehow we’ve managed to gather some thoughts on the Jags’ abysmal performance.

Here are three next-day takeaways we came away with:

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

It’s just a matter of time for Doug Marrone

Sunday’s performance by the Jags may have been the worse we’ve seen all year. The team’s embarrassing loss to the Titans marked their third consecutive divisional loss by 20 points or more, which is a telling sign that points to coaching.

Neither side has played well, so let’s get that out of the way first. On offense, the team has only scored 36 points in three games, most of which occurred when the game was out of hand. Those struggles were due to game planning on John DeFilippo’s part and struggles at quarterback (which I’ll save for later).

On defense, it’s been downright dreadful. Apparently, Marcell Dareus was a bigger piece to the unit than I initially thought because Todd Wash’s unit just doesn’t know what to do about the run especially. Derrick Henry once again made the unit look like an elementary school team, racking up 159 total rushing yards. In total, the unit gave up over 200 rushing yards and 471 total yards. To put it lightly, the Titans moved the ball at will after the first half and all Wash could do is take it.

The struggles of Wash and DeFilippo are ultimately a reflection of Doug Marrone. He ultimately is the overseer of the Jags’ game-planning in the end, and it appears that he and his lieutenants simply aren’t breaking through to the team. The veteran head coach has been asked about coaching changes two consecutive weeks and has seemed certain of himself when stating that no changes will be made. That said, it appears he’d like to stick with them to the end, which in all probability will result in his firing.

Pages: 123

The good, the bad and the ugly of the Jaguars 42-20 loss to the Titans

There wasn’t much good to talk about after the Jags loss to the Titans Week 12 aside from running back Leonard Fournette.

Another week, another absolute shellacking from a division rival to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars wrapped up another disappointing week with a loss to the Tennessee Titans by a score 42-20 in a game where they were flat-out dominated. With the loss, the Jaguars fall to 4-7 on the year and are dead last in the AFC South. This is the third straight loss to a AFC South division rival and also their third consecutive loss by 20 or more points.

There is not a lot — if anything — that went the Jaguars way on Sunday. Nevertheless, here are the good, the bad and the ugly moments from the Jaguars and TitansWeek 12 matchup:

The good: Leonard Fournette continuously showing that he is a franchise running back

While the Jaguars offense left much to be desired, one player who showed up to play was Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette.

Fournette put the team on his back to the best of his ability as he finished with 97 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Fournette now has 951 total rushing yards on the season, which is good for sixth in the NFL. He even led the team in receptions with nine for 62 receiving yards.

Fournette’s continued growth has been completely lost in the Jaguars’ miserable season. He is currently fourth in the NFL in receiving among running backs with 391 yards. That would represent the highest total since his rookie season where he finished with 302 yards on 36 receptions.

Fournette is also on pace to rush for 1,366 yards which would shatter his rookie total of 1,040. In a season filled with disarray and disappointment, the Jaguars at least can be excited with knowing Fournette is truly panning out to be the productive No. 4 overall pick that they hoped for.

The bad AND the ugly: Every single thing on the Jaguars’ side of the ball not named Fournette

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

This game was so bad for the Jaguars that it can not be separated between being bad and ugly.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Jaguars were almost helpless.

The Jaguars didn’t score their first touchdown until 2:23 in the third quarter when the game was already out of hand at a score of 35-11. Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles finished with 272 passing yards with a large majority of most of those yards coming in the fourth quarter when the Jaguars were down as much as 42-17.

On the defensive side, the main issue all season was the Jaguars’ sieve-like rush defense. This game was no different as the Jaguars’ defense was completely victimized by Titans running back Derrick Henry to the tune of 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Henry even broke out for a 74-yard run in the third quarter.

The real story was Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who started the season as the backup to Marcus Mariota. He absolutely eviscerated the Jaguars’ defense and showed some toughness overall leaping into the air for a 21-yard rushing touchdown. The Jags’ defense allowed Tannehill to not only pass for 259 yards with a 14.4 yards per pass average and two touchdowns, but he also ran for 40 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. In total, Tannehill finished with a 93.0 quarterback rating and a 155.8 passer rating and completely demoralized the Jags’ defense.

The Titans not only dominated the entire game, but also erased the hopes of a respectable season from Jaguars fans. The loss put them further down the standings in the AFC South and could possibly lead to them acquiring the last spot in the division.

A loss is one thing, but another extremely brutal loss to a division rival is flat out embarrassing at this point. Something needs to change and the bleeding has to stop eventually. Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will have to take a deep look at the game film and the makeup of this team and figure out where their hearts are at this point in the season.

Doug Marrone says he’s not considering QB or DC change after Titans loss

The Jags will stay the course with Nick Foles and Todd Wash despite the scrutiny both have received for the Jags’ struggles.

The Jacksonville Jaguars continued their theme of losing to divisional opponents by over 20 points this Sunday after another poor showing against the Tennessee Titans. In a game in which they kept close in the first half, it never felt like the Jags were going to find themselves — and they didn’t — as the wheels fell off in the second half, leaving both the fans and players looking for answers.

When looking at the box score, there were issues all over the place and the team as a whole didn’t show up. However, the defense failed the team once again by not only allowing the opposition to have another big day on the ground with over 200 rushing yards, but through the air as well after allowing 252 total passing yards on the night.

Needless to say, a performance like that led to fans once again questioning if Todd Wash will get fired but head coach Doug Marrone shot those speculations down by telling the media he has no plans to do so. Marrone also shot down any speculations as to if the Jags would bench quarterback Nick Foles, who also hasn’t been the answer for the offense since returning from his collarbone injury.

Jaguars coach Doug Marrone says he’s not considering a change at defensive coordinator or quarterback.

— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) November 25, 2019

Of course, neither statement will make fans happy but they also aren’t shocking. In Wash’s case, Marrone may feel that the staff should all go down together, which is actually a respectable stance if that’s his thought process. In all probability, the playoffs are out of reach when considering how the team has played in their last three games, so a change at defensive coordinator might not make much of a difference.

As for Foles, the coaching staff put a lot of time into making him the offense’s guy. While it also shouldn’t be ruled out that the front office is influencing the situation because of the money they invested in the veteran, I believe Marrone rather place the fate of his job in the hands of a veteran like Foles over a rookie in Gardner Minshew II. When looking at the momentum the rookie had earlier in the season, that may be a questionable call, but one Marrone is fine with losing his job over.