NFL Playoffs: 5 reasons Jacksonville Jaguars will make it
By John Buhler
5. Gus Bradley Probably Needs To
Gus Bradley is in year three as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. His combined record his first two years leading the Jaguars was an abysmal 7-25. Okay, so it’s not former Tennessee Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt bad (three wins in a year and a half), but if Gus Bradley wants to keep his job with Jacksonville, he’ll need to finish no worse than 7-9.
7-9 won’t likely win the AFC South or even sniff at either AFC Wild Card spot, but Jacksonville can’t afford to lose any more games if they want to keep their head coach heading into next season. Don’t think that owner Shad Khan won’t pull the plug on the Bradley Era in Jacksonville should he not get this team within a game or so of .500.
The stellar passing attack and the improved play of quarterback Blake Bortles seems to give the Jaguars an identity they haven’t had in years. The problem is that Bradley is a former defensive coordinator that still hasn’t found his footing in Jacksonville. Sure, it doesn’t help that No. 3 overall pick outside linebacker Dante Fowler, Jr. tore his ACL in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first day of rookie camp.
Since Bradley is essentially on the hot seat and nobody is talking about doesn’t mean he can continue to fly under the radar just because he coaches the Jacksonville Jaguars. A coach coaching for his job can be a dangerous x-factor at times. Perhaps a pressured Gus Bradley can help get the Jacksonville Jaguars over the top and into the AFC Playoffs for the first time since 2007.