It’s been a while since there was this kind of buzz around the Jaguars. While the national media has always considered putting a team in Jacksonville “a mistake” and has always looked at Jacksonville as an outpost, they couldn’t ignore the early success the franchise had particularly in 1996 and 1999.

Although they tried.

In ’96 the Jaguars post-season success was considered a fluke but when you look back at the talent on those teams and how they won games at Buffalo and Denver in the playoffs, it’s easy to see why they had that kind of success.

They were that good.

A talented quarterback, a hot running back and an opportunistic defense took them to the AFC Championship game. A couple of mistakes against the Patriots in New England in the bitter cold gave rise to the national chorus of “they were lucky and too young.” But it’s clear by looking at subsequent successful teams that the Jaguars deserved to be there.

In ’99 they were the best team in the league, hands down. Before their salary cap problems came home to roost and injuries took away some of their key players, this was the year they were dominant. But of course the national discourse was how easy the Jaguars schedule was during the regular season. A 14-2 record (both losses to Tennessee) gave them the division championship and a first round bye. When Miami came to town with Dan Marino on a roll, the Jaguars might be in trouble. Instead, again with a Pro Bowl quarterback, a hot running back, two talented receivers and an opportunistic defense the Jaguars dismantled the Dolphins 62-3.

Hosting the AFC Championship against Tennessee the Jaguars led at halftime but Head Coach Tom Coughlin gave them no credit in the locker room at intermission, highlighting their mistakes instead of their lead and they were dominated in the second half, losing their second chance at a trip to the Super Bowl in three years.

Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher called Jacksonville their “other home stadium” fueling the rivalry during Tennessee’s Super Bowl week. It was as much of a shot at Coughlin as anything. Their relationship might be different now as they’re both coaches on other clubs but at the time Fisher told friends he thoroughly enjoyed beating the Jaguars because Coughlin “acted like he @*&%! Invented football.”

I get asked all the time why the Jaguars don’t get any credit from the national networks and reporters. First of all, we’re not New York or Miami or Dallas or anywhere else in the league with restaurants and late night bars and adult entertainment. Most reporters coming to town to do a story go from the airport to the Hyatt to the stadium, back to the Hyatt and back to the airport. That route is no showcase for the city, but that’s pretty true just about everywhere. Nobody makes it to the Southside, the beaches, Riverside or San Marco, the river or anywhere else things are happening.

Also, as an organization, the Jaguars have never been stocked with “insiders.” The guys who talk about this team or that on the pregame shows on Sunday or on ESPN or the NFL Network rely on information from confidants in the league. The Jaguars were never stocked in the front office with those types who were chummy with anybody else in the league. When Coughlin was the GM as well as the Head Coach, he demanded that the team speak with one voice. Consequently, if there was information out there about his team that he didn’t reveal, he knew exactly where it came from.

So it didn’t happen.

Shack Harris, Gene Smith and Jack Del Rio weren’t “connected” throughout the league so juicy tidbits about the Jaguars were non-existent. And it didn’t help that the team was average to bad in those years as well. On top of that the other front office personnel with knowledge of what was going on were a banker and a lawyer who had somehow convinced Wayne Weaver that they knew something about football and running a team.

Recently there’s been a lot more information and chatter about the Jaguars movements in the offseason and their prospects for the future. Part of that is because of the free agents they’ve signed. All will be instant contributors if not starters for the 2014 team and the personnel types in the media have lauded the quality of player the Jaguars are seeking and signing.

Obviously, Gus Bradley’s engaging personality helps when it comes to PR but Dave Caldwell’s connection to Bill Polian and Thomas Dimitroff gives him the appearance of an NFL “insider.” And that’s what is helping cause that “buzz” around the Jaguars. Caldwell has plenty of name recognition and respect around the league. Not because he’s done anything, but because Polian and Dimitroff are telling everybody who’s asking that Caldwell is the real deal.

Last year’s draft class is, so far, a step in the right direction for showing that Caldwell does have the goods to get the job done. This year’s free agency signings look like the second step in that process.

So don’t be surprised if this year’s national coverage of the Jaguars includes a lot of raised eyebrows and “I told you so” moments with everybody taking credit for knowing that the Caldwell/Bradley combination would work. We’ll also get a lot of that, “There’s something going on in Jacksonville” storyline.

Which happens to be true.

I’m not surprised, but I am impressed.

For what seems like forever, the Jaguars in free agency were a non-factor. And even when they were a factor, it didn’t matter. Jerry Porter, Drayton Florence and Tory Holt were supposed to make a splash. They did, more looking like a belly flop. A bunch of journeymen fill-ins barely made a ripple. Part of the fault was Jack Del Rio and Gene Smith thinking the Jaguars were better than they were. Just a few tweaks here and there and they’d contend. That turned out not to be true. Even in his first year of ownership, Shad Khan was told that if they acquired CB Aaron Ross, resigned Jeremy Mincey, and picked up WR Laurent Robinson, they’ve have a chance in the division. Instead, they won two games and Khan decided to go back to the drawing board.

In comes a new GM Dave Caldwell and a new head coach, Gus Bradley. A couple of free agent signings in the first year of Sen’Derrick Marks and Roy Miller barely were noticed among the purge of players like Montel Owens, Daryl Smith and others. And while Marks and Miller exceeded expectations, there was no reason to think that the Jaguars of 2014 would be a player in the free-agent market where it would make a difference.

But all along Caldwell and Bradley have talked about “the plan” and clearly in the second year of their plan, free agency was a major part of the upgrade of the roster.

Before it even officially began, the Jaguars had agreed to terms with Red Bryant. Bryant, a DT off Seattle’s world championship team was a team captain and brought in for not only his ability to stop the run, but his leadership as a locker room guy. Upgrade.

When the free agency period began, OG Zane Beadles signed here from the Broncos and will be plugged in as a starter. “I’m only entering my 5th year. In some people’s eyes, that’s not hugely experienced. But I’ve played a lot of football, a lot of snaps and been through a lot of situations.” Upgrade

Shortly thereafter, RB Toby Gerhardt, the backup to Adrian Peterson in Minnesota signed a deal to play in a Jaguars uniform. Four years in the league, Gerhardt has less than 260 carries. “I’m a veteran without a lot of miles on these legs,” is how he put his level of experience. He expects to start. Upgrade

Dekoda Watson wasn’t impressed when he first saw downtown Jacksonville. “This is it? Is what I thought,” he said with a laugh at his press conference announcing his signing. “But then they took me over the bridge and I said, O, K, !” Watson will plug holes AND rush the passer from the edge. Upgrade.

After day one, the Jaguars were a better team. Day two brought the signings of DL Ziggy Hood and DE Chris Clemons. Clemons had more than 30 sacks in three years playing under Gus Bradley in Seattle. Hood started every game for the Steelers last year. Upgrade.

In kind of a surprise, Jason Babin re-signed with the Jaguars saying it was the plan all along. “They knew this is where I wanted to be. They knew all along I would void my contract.” While Babin is a known quantity, clearly Bradley thinks he brings enough to the table to give him a shot in competing for a spot here.

Add Will Blackmon’s signing as a free agent and you get a picture of what the Jaguars are trying to do before the draft. Just about all of these guys are in their late 20’s, have been around the league for 4 or 5 years, have played on some good and bad teams but all are either in, or about to be in the prime of their careers. They can be a core nucleus for Bradley and Caldwell going forward.

The other interesting part is how the players have gravitated to the Jaguars as a choice. Almost all said they heard about the energy Bradley brings to the team and admitted that they were curious but not convinced: Until they got here. Bradley’s culture has a reputation in the league already, and it has some players curious. Besides their age and experience, the other thread that runs through these free agents is their work ethic. All are know for going full bore, competing and hard work. In other words, according to Bradley, they love football.

They still need help at WR (Emmanuel Sanders?) and on the offensive line but year two of the three year plan is starting to take shape.

Whether they do a little more in free agency or wait until the draft (right now they have 11 picks in 2014) they’ll continue to follow Gus’ mantra of “Get Better.”

They are.

I was talking to my friend Dennis the other day, dissecting the Jaguars under Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley and what their plan has been and will be for the future. A season ticket holder, Dennis cut me off saying, “Yeah, whatever, it’s been miserable for the fans.”

You can talk all you want about culture change, phase one and phase two, buying in and staying true to your convictions but when it comes down to it, the experience for the fans is what the NFL is selling. And fans don’t want to get much past win or lose when it comes to what their experience is like. Win and it’s a lot of fun. Lose, especially a lot, and the fan experience is no fun, even if your guys are playing hard.

“We’re going to have passionate, spirited competitive players on our team, that’s for sure,” Bradley said at his year-end press conference echoing what Caldwell said he expected in the kind of players they’ll acquire through the draft and free agency.

As a reporter, you generally don’t become a “fan” of the teams you’re covering. But it makes your job a lot more pleasant and fun when the teams win, that’s for sure. But having covered the Jaguars since their inception, I’ve learned that you can’t help but be come a “fan” of some of the people you interact with. You want success for certain people. Gus Bradley is one of those. Easy to like, easy to root for because he’s authentic.

“Believe me I’d like to see some victories as well.” Bradley said when I asked him what he’d say to fans at this point in his tenure. “But I have so much conviction that in order to get there, we have to do it this way. We all want what they want but we have to stay true to this in order to get there.”

You can talk about conviction to the media and your staff and even to your boss, but the ticket buying public wants wins, wants a competitive team. That’s where Bradley said it’s coming. That this year was a building block and trust that he and Dave Caldwell know what they’re doing.

“I’m into this ‘step 2’ part of it,” explaining his overall philosophy when it comes to building a winner. “What it means to the fans is that they (the Jaguars) completed step one, and they must have vision. OK we completed step one and we have a vision on how this thing is going to play out in step two.”

I’ve said a couple of times this year it was different covering this team because they did a lot of things right but still lost because they were just outmanned. That’s why it was like covering the expansion year. It was fun to see the process but eventually that has to pay dividends with wins.

Bradley says he understands that.

‘We’re looking for sustained success and sometimes that’s a process. I know they’re (the fans) competitive too. They can trust that we’ll compete our tails off, that’s for sure.”

So in other words he’s asking for patience.

I asked Tom Coughlin during the expansion year what he was going to do about a certain personnel weakness other teams were exploiting in mid-season.

“These are our players,” Coughlin answered without another syllable. Which was pretty simple to translate. Hey, I can’t cut everybody.

Nobody knows the team was outmanned better than Caldwell and Bradley. And they’re both well aware that they’re on a time clock when it comes to how long owner Shad Khan will listen to talk about culture and conviction without producing victories.

The ‘step 2’ Bradley talks about is upgrading the roster and having everybody understand what they’re trying to accomplish. Not just knowing, but mastering the playbook on offense and defense. Understanding what the coaches are asking you to do and how you and your teammates can make that happen.

Next season we’ll see a better and more competitive Jaguars team. Upgrades on the roster through “modest” free agency and the draft are expected.

But without more wins, Bradley and Caldwell’s seats will be significantly warmer.

Never one to say much, Jaguars Center Brad Meester said a lot on Sunday in his final home game for the Jaguars. “I’ve talked more this week than I have in my entire career,” Meester joked after the Jaguars fell 20-16 to Tennessee.

While this week was mainly focused on the Titans, Meester was a close second when it came to what the team was playing for.

“He taught me how to act,” Marcedes Lewis told us in the locker room. “Any time I needed to know what to do when I came in the league, I just looked at Brad and followed that.”

“It started to hit me when I was walking through the Prowl,” Meester admitted. “I got a emotional realizing it was my last time walking on that field as a player.”

The Jaguars introduced Meester and only Meester during the pre-game player introductions; something he said was very special.

“I’ve never had anything like that happen to me before. I saw the signs; I heard the fans calling my name. After the catch I heard the stadium calling my name, I’ve never had anything like that happen to me in my career.”

Oh yeah, the catch.

During the week, the Jaguars installed a “Jumbo” package that put Meester as an eligible receiver at tight end. As they approached the goal line, Gus Bradley and Offensive coordinator Judd Fisch called the play that was going to give Meester a chance to make his first catch in the NFL. They had practiced it three times, walking through it each time during the week.

“I was exhausted,” Brad explained after the game. We had just run a zone run and I had a bunch of guys pile on top of me. As I went back to the huddle I heard “Jumbo, Jumbo” which is the call for me to go to tight end. I was nervous. I’ve always played inside.”

When “63 eligible” was announced, Meester thought the Titans would figure it out right away. But they didn’t. He engaged the guy in front of him and slipped outside.

“I was open and I was thinking, ‘Now what?’ All I was concentrating on was not dropping the ball. ‘Catch it, catch is what I was saying to myself. Once I caught it I started to run and ran right into somebody (Nwaneri). And I didn’t know where to go. So I ran left. I’m sorry I didn’t score but I did get the first down.”

Meester’s first down allowed the Jaguars to then throw it to Marcedes Lewis for his 4th straight game with a TD. It was Meester’s first catch ever, at any level.

“I had some interceptions in high school because I played some defense. And I recovered a few fumbles, but that’s my first catch. Ever.

One scribe did the match at the game and estimated Brad had played nearly 14,000 snaps before making a catch.

“I’ll remember that for a long time,” Meester said afterwards. “That ball has to go in my office somewhere.”

Toward the end of any NFL season, teams are going in all kinds of different directions. Some are already looking ahead to the playoffs. Others are fighting for a spot in the postseason and still others are looking ahead to next year, checking their current roster to see who might be able to help them in the future.

The Jaguars are unique among that latter group because they’re playing with an intensity that would suggest there’s more football to play. Instead, they know their season ends in Indianapolis in two weeks but the players also know what they do this week and next will have a big impact on whether they’ll get a chance to be on this team next year.

Is that what they really want anyway?

I’ve been surprised how the locker room has reacted to Gus Bradley and what he and Dave Caldwell are trying to build with the Jaguars franchise. “I want to be here,” Paul Posluszny said as the second half of the season started. “I’d like to stay here,” Maurice Jones Drew echoed two weeks ago, knowing his contract is ending and he’ll be a free agent.

No question Bradley has this group of players believing that he’s building a winner that won’t go away soon. They won’t win soon either, but once they start, they won’t stop. The culture of empowerment that the players are a part of gets the most out of their talent. Sometimes that’s not even enough to win games, but when the talent level starts to rise, the outcome will different.

“I don’t want the players to be motivated by wins and losses,” Bradley said last week. “I want them to be motivated by performing at their personal best.” That would have been considered heresy in the league 20 years ago, but to give the players the power and to act as a “servant leader” is what Gus Bradley has adopted.

Mel Tucker was the same way. “I want to be here to help the players become the best they can be,” Tucker said during his tenure as the Jaguars interim head coach.

In 2013, Gus Bradley has said the scenario has developed “perfectly.” “We had a stretch where we didn’t win, then we had a little success, then we got punched in the mouth a little but. We were going to find out if this team can take a punch. And we found out they can.”

Bradley never talks about winning but always about “getting better.” And he knows at the end of this year the team is a bit thin at certain positions because of injury, like most teams in the league. He’s adjusted the practice regimen because of it and moved some players around, trying to stay competitive.

“We really weren’t sure as a coaching staff where our depth was early in the year so we had to really work on developing guys,” Bradley said while preparing for Sunday’s match with the Titans. “But that’s our job, developing guys, brining them up off the practice squad and seeing if they can play. It’s been pretty good.”

Without the playoffs as a goal, the Jaguars have continued to strive according to Bradley. “It hasn’t changed,” he said about their motivation. “When they get in the meetings, in the locker room, the practice field, they’re still working hard. I don’t see any difference. They’re still trying to get better.”

And he was able to cite some specific examples of guys getting in games and perhaps performing better than the coaching staff expected.

“Austin Pasztor and Cam Bradfield, we didn’t know what they might do. As a coaching staff we went ‘uh-oh’ but we put them in there and they did great.”

Bradley also named Kerry Taylor as an example. “Sometimes guys just need a chance to compete and they show you what they can do.

That’s what the coaching staff will be looking for in the last two weeks, and what we should be looking at as well.

Who wants to be here?

Coaches talk all the time about “overcoming adversity.” When it comes to a young team like the Jaguars, sometimes the adversity is self-imposed. For the first eight games of the season, they made mistakes and failed to capitalize on the mistakes of their opponents enroute to an 0-8 record. For that adversity, Head Coach Gus Bradley kept the team together and told him they were getting better and hang in there.

That’s how they got to 4-1 in the second half of the year.

Almost as if the first 8 games hadn’t happened.

Early against the Buffalo Bills, Chad Henne threw an interception that lead to three points. No problem, they bounced back from that to tie the game at 3 with a Josh Scobee field goal. They even took a 10-7 lead on a nifty play by Ace Sanders. Say one thing for Jedd Fisch: He’s designing plays that take advantage of the players’ talents. Sanders doesn’t have great straight line speed but he can juke with the best of them. So getting the ball to him in open space in short yardage is a very positive move.

So things are going well for the Jaguars, even backing the Bills up inside their own ten after a punt and a penalty. But then the adversity or a “lull’ started to creep in. The Bills completed a 29-yard pass on third down and subsequently marched right down the field for a 94-yard touchdown drive. After a 3 and out from the Jaguars offense, the Bills went right down the field again for 73 yards to make it17-10. And when the Jaguars looked like they were going to at least get a field goal on the half’s final drive, Mike Brown’s drop was ruled a fumble, leading to a field goal and a 20-10 halftime lead for Buffalo.

So how do the Jaguars respond to that adversity?

They stop the Bills on a 3 and out to open the second half and march right down field, only to have Denard Robinson fumble the ball at the goal line while he was trying to reach into the end zone. (Instead of just plowing through the goal line) Those are the kind of plays you hope young players like Robinson learn from. Secure the ball in this league all the way to the ground if you have to.

The guys in the NFL are pretty good and know what to do, even out of desperation.

Instead of folding, the Jaguars still hung in there. You have to think that all of the bad things they’ve been through and some of the success they’ve had are allowing them to focus on what they’re doing RIGHT NOW instead of wallowing in either their success or failure.

Bradley’s philosophy of being motivated “be being your personal best” doesn’t involve the scoreboard. It encourages the players to go play to play without thinking about the past or the future. It’s why you see the Jaguars playing hard at the end of games, even if they’re out of it.

So each time Buffalo did something good, the Jaguars would answer.

At some point their youth, inexperience and lack of talent will catch up with them in these situations where they let the other team stay in the game with turnovers and mistakes. But against Buffalo, an equally challenged team, they stayed in it until the end. They had their chances but a 4th turnover (Henne’s second INT) stopped a Jaguars drive right at the goal line. I’m not sure why you would throw a “jump ball” to Jordan Todman, a 5’10” running back instead of 6’6″ Marcedes Lewis doesn’t make any sense and Henne and the Jaguars paid for it.

Even if the defense did force a Buffalo punt, the Jaguars just didn’t have enough talent, especially at receiver to mount a drive. Henne’s 4th down pass was well out of bounds anyway, and the Bills win 27-20.

If there’s still no such think as a moral victory in the league, the Jaguars just come away with a loss but to turn it over 4 times and have a mid-game lapse that put the Bills ahead . . .and still be in it at the end is another step in the right direction for Bradley’s troops.

If the team had taken three steps forward during the three game winning streak, the loss to the Bills as at least a half step backwards.

It’s not hard to like the improvement the Jaguars have made from the first of the year. They look like a NFL football team, albeit one that has a lot of holes in it, but they’re competitive even if they’re outmanned. At home on Sunday, they held their own, even getting a variety of bad breaks in the second half thanks to a less-than-perfect officiating crew. A muffed punt, a questionable timeout and a very generous spot on a first down all went the Cardinals way.

Against Arizona, the Jaguars used their will, coaching and even some deception to take the lead early.

Chad Henne has solidified his spot as the starting quarterback, mainly for just staying in the game and keeping the Jaguars afloat. He doesn’t do a lot of great things, but most of the game he’s making the right decisions and the other players on offense have confidence in him. Getting the team into the right play on offense and executing it when it’s open is all the Jaguars want at quarterback right now, and a majority of the time, Henne is doing just that.

Part of the problem on offense is who to throw it to. With Justin Blackmon out for the year, virtually nobody is open when Henne goes back to throw. When I asked Gus Bradley about the 50% increase in passing yards when Blackmon was in the game, he agreed that “He’s special,” but only said he’d expect more from everybody else on how to replace that kind of production.

So far, that’s not happening.

The Jaguars will have to get more out of guys like Mike Brown, Kerry Taylor and Stephen Burton if they’re going to improve on offense. Note I didn’t say “win games” because while that’s always the ultimate goal, Bradley and company are still working on who can play as much as the final score.

Against the Cardinals they got production from guys like Danny Noble and Clay Harbor, but not enough from their offensive line.

At halftime the Jaguars had 12 yards rushing. If you’re going to expect rookies or guys in their first season to contribute, you have to give them a chance in all phases of the game. They didn’t convert a 3rd down in the first half and allowed Arizona to convert more than half the time. That’s a stat that can usually point to the final score. If you’re not getting off the field on defense and not staying on it on offense, your opportunity to be successful is pretty small.

Even bringing a blitz against Carson Palmer backfired as he found an open receiver time after time, converting first downs and even a 91-yard TD to Michael Floyd. Part of that was just bad coverage and worse tackling by Will Blackmon and the rest of the secondary but anytime Palmer had the time, he found somebody open.

While the defense did what they could (giving up one really big play but keeping the Cardinals to field goals) the offense couldn’t muster enough after the first quarter and eventually the Jaguars came out on the short end of a 27-14 score.

Perhaps it’s unfair to compare Maurice Jones Drew to the player he was two years ago when he won the rushing title, but in 2013 he’s not nearly that effective. Maybe he’ll never be. But coming off an injury, it might be the smart thing to do to offer him a one-year deal at the end of the season. He might not take it, figuring near the end of his career he wants to play for a winner but at least he’s a known quantity. He can be one of those “bridge” players who keeps things going while the team is being rebuilt.

In retrospect, I wonder if Gus Bradley and Dave Caldwell shouldn’t have kept a couple of those players around (Montel Owens, Daryl Smith) in order to create a locker room culture that at least had some memory of winning.

Going on the road for the next two weeks might be good for this Jaguars team. They continue to have a positive outlook despite the losses, and being away from the distractions of home could be the right tonic for a young squad.

Of course, save for the trip to Tennessee, so far the right tonic for the opposition has been to have the Jaguars come to town.

It’s been a varied response to Justin Blackmon’s suspension to say the least. Fans are outraged that he could be so selfish and violate the NFL’s substance abuse policy for a third time. The Jaguars brass is exasperated but says they’ll help him and not “cut him loose” according the GM Dave Caldwell.

And many of Blackmon’s teammates are defiantly supportive, saying Blackmon’s actions don’t represent who he actually is.

One thing’s for sure: the Jaguars have had an odd run in their history when it comes to wide receivers and substance abuse. Jimmy Smith, RJ Soward, Matt Jones, Reggie Williams and now Blackmon form a straight line from nearly the beginning of the franchise to the present with problems off the field at WR.

I don’t know if it’s the position or a strange run of bad luck but it’s certainly odd that most of the substance abuse problems in Jaguars history have come at that position.

Clearly Blackmon has a problem. The one blemish on his record while he was at Oklahoma State was the only black mark during his tenure there and after extensive research, the Jaguars overlooked that and picked him in the first round. They were rewarded almost immediately with another drinking and driving charge followed by an apology by Blackmon and a spot in the league’s substance abuse program.

One thing about each of Blackmon’s arrests/violations/suspensions, he consistently apologizes and says it doesn’t represent who he is but he never acknowledges that he has a problem and needs to address it. Too may young players seem to think that a quick “I’m sorry” absolves them of any wrongdoing and allows them back to their regular life.

In the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players union, players are given multiple chances to receive professional help overcoming any substance abuse problems they might have. In order to get reinstated by the league, a player has to complete a variety of steps in the program to the league’s satisfaction.

Blackmon has done that twice, both times apologizing to his team, the coaches, ownership and the fans. Both times he was sullen and withdrawn when talking to the media when he came back to the team but was very productive on the field and popular among his teammates.

Of course he was.

He was making them better.

And as he became more and more productive, they became closer and closer as a team and better as an offensive unit. So it’s no surprise that his teammates vehemently supported him with each transgression, including this one.

Being there to help when he needs it is one thing. Enabling his continued destructive behavior is wrong and misguided. His teammates need to get out of the way and let him get his life fixed.

Fans have every right to scream and yell about how spoiled and selfish Blackmon is as a professional athlete. And the Jaguars coaching staff is doing the right thing, hoping he’ll get his life together and help them move the franchise forward.

It’s up to Blackmon though. He’s the one who can ask for help and get it or keep ignoring the symptoms and just say he’s sorry.

Again and again.

Eventually, will anybody listen?

With a smile and a handshake, Jaguars Owner Shad Khan greeted me at Craven Cottage saying, “You know, you’re on Anne Boleyn’s hunting ground here.” Craven Cottage is the home stadium or “grounds” of Khan’s English Premier League soccer team, Fulham. He was, in good spirits and outlined most of the history of the club and the surrounding neighborhood with the ease of somebody who clearly had studied the subject.

“Fulham is a unique club,” he continued. “We have a neutral stand (generally in England the two opponents fans are not allowed to sit together) and we’re a popular club all over London.”

The Cottagers (aka the “Whites”) were founded as a club in 1879 and have been in the same stadium since 1886. They have the most affluent fan base of any team in the EPL and, unlike most teams, nobody hates them.

“I found that everybody likes Fulham,” Khan added, echoing others who call them everybody’s “second favorite club.”

It’s an easy walk from the Putney Bridge stop on the London Underground, locally known as the Tube, down to Craven Cottage. The nearly one mile trek goes past antique book stores and flower shops, through neighborhoods and Bishop’s Park, hard along the Thames. In fact, both of Shad’s teams play in stadiums by a river. In Jacksonville, over 75,000 can see a game. In London, 25,000.

Much like he’s doing in Jacksonville, Khan has plans to renovate and expand Craven Cottage.

“The City of London is giving us 30 more feet along the Thames to expand the riverside stand,” he explained. They’ll demolish the current stands and rebuild them. He plans to have high-end hospitality there, as he does at home. “It’s an important part of what we’re doing,’ he explained waving his hand across the pitch.

While his purchase of the Jaguars and Fulham seemed rather fast paced, Khan says it wasn’t part of any grand scheme. He felt like there was some synergy between the two leagues. Owning both clubs is part of a business plan to attract sponsors to both Fulham and the Jaguars.

“We’re looking for more fans for the Jaguars,” he continued. “It’s all about expanding the fans, and Jacksonville’s economic development. The Jaguars don’t have enough sponsors and some have left. In some cases I don’t blame them, but we need to find some more. There’s a synergy between the two, a cross-pollination if you will, that I think will work.” Khan plans to operate the two sports clubs as separate entities but thinks there’s plenty of opportunity to engage business and fans that have an overall interest in both.

Shad’s not worried, at least short term, about the Jaguars start under Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley. “That’s not sustainable but it is what it is right now. We’re trying to rebuild the whole thing.” Khan often notes that he couldn’t do that with Fulham because of the EPL’s “relegation” policy. (The bottom three teams get dropped to a lower division and the top three from there get promoted.) “Fulham’s been 12 straight years without relegation and it’s important we stay in the Premiership.”

I noted that it was a big week for him and it got started off right with Fulham’s 4-1 win at Crystal Palace Monday night. “A breakout win for them. They have the talent. Now let’s see where they go from here,” he agreed.

“Pretty exciting,” I said.

“Very exciting,” he added. “It’s an exciting week, a big week, an important week. It’s good to be me!” he said with a laugh and without a bit of smugness.

He’s having so much fun it makes you wonder, “What’s he going to do next?”

With an announced 59, 695 tickets distributed for the Jaguars/Colts game today it’s a shame that so much of the Jaguars performance was sub-standard. While the offense didn’t produce the defense had so many lapses on long yardage situations that it made it easy for Indianapolis.

Blaine Gabbert appeared early in the game to be playing with the “freedom” Gus Bradley encouraged him to play with this week but after a couple of drops by Cecil Shorts and one run back for a TD, Gabbert reverted to the Gabbert we’re all too familiar with.

It’s clear the Jaguars are outmanned on both sides of the ball, but the mental mistakes, the penalties on a veteran like Jason Babin and the flat out missed coverages are too glaring to overlook. Some players need to pay a bigger price for their mistakes. I know Bradley is trying to keep the culture upbeat but there are too many times guys look like they don’t know what they’re doing.

So where do they start?

While panicking doesn’t help anybody, I think the team needs a little shake up. Maybe not this week but certainly Bradley needs to send a message that this kind of play, and the lack of focus and mental errors will not be tolerated.

Cut Jason Babin.

Even thought Bradley said it’s not time to start cutting anybody.

Cut Babin.

I know he’s a veteran and has talent on a team that doesn’t have any to spare but Bradley needs to grab the team by it’s shirt and shake it a bit. At the very least a heavy fine or a benching sends a message to the rest of the team.

Next week Justin Blackmon returns and while you can’t put a lot of hope in him changing what happens on offense, it’s at least what your offense is supposed to look like. Marcedes Lewis played about a series in the Colts game so it’s clear he’s not right and you can’t count on him perhaps for the entire year. So I guess you can’t actually judge Gabbert on what has happened early this year but looking at his body of work over three years it’s hard to project him as a starting quarterback with a future of production in the NFL.

“We like his traits,” is how Bradley justified their confidence in putting Gabbert back in the game this week but Gabbert just doesn’t seem to “get it.” Instead of stepping up in the pocket, he’s trying to run around. His decision-making in crucial situations tends to allow the other team to grab the advantage instead of moving the Jaguars forward.

Do you make a change there?

I’d be in favor of that but it probably won’t happen until the full complement of the offense is together for a couple of games. I don’t think that’ll make a difference but the Jaguars want to make absolutely sure this is the right move. “I’m standing strong with Blaine,” Bradley said when asked in his post-game press conference. So we’ll see more of #11 at least for the foreseeable future.

It’s painful to watch right now because Bradley is upbeat about the effort and the positive message but seems to realize after four weeks of the regular season that his team isn’t getting that message in the right way. It’s one thing to compete, and it’s one thing to be in position to make the play. But it’s a whole other thing, and a professional expectation that you’ll execute that play. That’s what you’re getting paid for. To make plays.

It appears the Jaguars as a whole are playing not to make mistakes and without the confidence to compete against other NFL players and teams. Fifty-fifty balls are going to the opposition consistently. All the breaks are going against the Jaguars because in that league you make your own breaks.

If their stated goal is to put the best players on the field, it’s hard not to think that this team wouldn’t be better with Daryl Smith, Montel Owens and even Derrick Cox on the roster.

So Jaguars fans can only hope that Bradley and Caldwell know what they’re doing.

Because this isn’t getting any better anytime soon.

I liked the effort.

Outside of that, there were too many deficiencies in the Jaguars lineup to overcome a very talented Seattle Seahawks team.

Early on you could tell the Jaguars were a bit overwhelmed by just about everything Seattle came up with on offense and defense. A mobile quarterback like Russell Wilson creates difficulty for just about every defense and when you combine his talent with the Jaguars inexperience, bad things can happen if you’re in teal and black.

It’s not hard to look past just flat out getting beat. Seattle might go to the Super Bowl and at times against the Jaguars they looked like that team. They covered Jaguars receivers, they harassed Chad Henne and took advantage of every opportunity. What bothers me is when there’s illegal procedure in punt formation or other silly penalties.

If you’re deficient when it comes to talent, you have to be disciplined and focused in every situation. You can’t have hands to the face. You can’t have illegal formations and you can’t back yourself up at anytime. Gus Bradley says the teams has to “clean those things up” but it’s got to be more than that.

It’s too easy to fall into a culture of losing where you figure you’ll take a short cut here and there and hope to get buy. But there is no shortcut to getting better and that has to be the Jaguars goal every week. Get better to the point where winning will be one of the options every week.

They’ll look at this game and see some improvement over what happened in week one and two.

A solid defensive play on a tipped ball lead to the first TD for the Jaguars. The Chad Henne/Cecil Shorts combination moved the ball pretty consistently when called on late in the game. Occasionally the defense was pretty stout against the run but the tackling sometimes was so horrendous it was hard to watch.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Jaguars fan base treats the team as they return this week from their two-week road trip. Will they get behind the guys and show some support for the effort or will they write off the season as a lost cause and head to the beach or other pursuits that are calling.

There are other teams in the league that are winless. Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Washington, the New York Giants. The Jaguars were expected to struggle so it’s no surprise that they’re 0-3. Are they better or worse off than those other teams at 0-3? The Jaguars can identify their problems. And they are many.

“We’ll get some of these things resolved and get this thing turned around, ” Cecil Shorts said after the game.

Hopefully he’s right.

Full of hope and enthusiasm, the Jaguars opened the 2013 season how they wanted to early against the Chiefs. Decent stops on defense and then a great special teams play leading to a blocked punt and a safety and a 2-0 lead. From there, the team looked like it slipped into their 2012 persona with dropped passes, not much pressure on defense and good field position for the Chiefs thanks to spotty special teams play.

Head Coach Gus Bradley was afraid of guys trying too hard instead of letting their talent and their training guide them through each situation. “We had some of the older guys talk to the young guys last night about doing your job. Some guys think they need to do something different than what they’re trained to do,” the Head Coach said in his post game press conference. “We need to settle down as a team. The defense started to do that, but we need that for the whole team.”

That’s what the offense looked like early. Without much rhythm, they were mechanical, not flowing and subsequently had dropped passes, bad reads and not many first downs. On defense it looked the same, with not much pressure on the quarterback by the front four and tackles that weren’t quite competed that allowed Kansas City to move the ball downfield and execute their offensive game plan. Of course, the Chiefs didn’t have to be great because they had great field position starting almost every drive on offense in the first half.

What was disappointing is how it appeared the defensive line was being pushed around in the running game, giving the Chiefs good down-and-distance opportunities as they marched towards the end zone.

Meanwhile the Jaguars running game looked anemic and the passing game mistake-prone. “We didn’t play as a team,” Gabbert said afterwards in his standard locker room comments. “We were never in sync. Some of that’s on me, I can’t throw the ball there,” he added when asked about the two easy interceptions the Chiefs came up with.

I’ve said all along Gabbert is a very “seductive” player when you watch him in practice. He makes all the throws, he has an unbelievable arm and he is a commanding presence in and out of the huddle. But of course there’s nobody chasing him with bad intentions in practice, which might be why he has difficulty translating that performance onto the field for game day.

Maybe missing Marcedes Lewis and Justin Blackmon made a big difference for Gabbert and the rest of the offense. But it appears none of the offensive woes will change until Gabbert becomes a more polished and complete player. He doesn’t have the internal clock that most quarterbacks have when it comes to understanding when to eat it and when to not. While he has good speed and mobility, he doesn’t always know how to use it to a quarterback’s full advantage. He’ll shuffle in the pocket, but then take a sack for holding it too long. He’ll run out of the pocket, only to miss the open guy downfield he just bought himself time to read since he didn’t even see him. And then he’ll decide where he’s throwing it before reading what’s there, sometimes putting the team in danger of a crucial turnover.

I’ll take Bradley at his word that if this team plays in games how it performs on the practice field, we’ll see a better performance with better results. I’ll also buy into the defense playing better if they build on their nine consecutive stops at the end of the game. And I’ll agree that playing within themselves is possible and that too will improve their chances at victory.

But Gabbert’s still the key. If he can’t play better consistently, he won’t get a chance to play much at all.

We saw what looked to be about as close to regular season game speed in the Jaguars Eagles game Saturday night. Bodies were flying around and the hits were real. The starters played into the 3rd quarter and looked respectable, leaving the game leading 24-16.

Two guys, Jordan Todman and Allen Reisner continue to look like guys who just continue to make plays no matter what’s the situation or who else is in their. Playing with the first team, Reisner made a nice catch for a TD and sealed the end on a 63-yard TD run by Todman. The 1st year running back out of Connecticut ran for more than 100 yards and looked like he solidified his spot on the team. He’s been productive from the running back spot and he can contribute on special teams as well.

Both of those guys are the type of player who hasn’t emerged for the Jaguars in the recent past. Players who have been in the league but are available because they haven’t been overwhelming anywhere else. If the Jaguars can get production out of either of those players it’s a bonus.

Luke Joeckel played most of the first half and had good and bad moments but he was healthy enough to play, and that was the important part.

There wasn’t that much emphasis on the quarterback since Blaine Gabbert has been named as the starter but Chad Henne was adequate and continues to be the ideal backup guy. The offensive philosophy is just right for the up tempo style of play. The quarterback needs to get the ball to the guy who’s open RIGHT NOW, instead of checking for something better downfield. Both Gabbert and Henne have looked effective when they take that approach.

Defensively, there was more pressure on the quarterback but it’s hard to really gauge how they’re doing because the opposition was Michael Vick, and he can make anybody look bad running out of the pocket. Jeremy Mincey looks like he’s taking it personally that he’s not considered a starter, and that’s good. There was an Andre Branch sighting on a sack, and the usually solid play by the linebacking corps is going to be a plus.

The defensive backfield looked young at times but those are the growing pains the team will put up with if they develop the way they hope. Dwayne Gratz had another interception, this time on a throw away by Vick but no matter. Wouldn’t it be nice if he turns out to be a guy that the ball just seems to find in those situations? The Jaguars haven’t had one of those in a while.

The team still has some issues on special teams coverage. Too many long returns on both kickoffs and punts. You hope that settles down once they get their regular personell in there instead of a lot of different guys who are just trying to make the team.

Next Thursday you might see Joeckel and perhaps Justin Blackmon play against the Falcons but that might be it among starters on offense. On defense, they might still want to get Johnathan Cyprien some playing time and perhaps some other young DB’s.

The first cuts are Tuesday, down to 75 so that means just 15 guys will be released. After that it’s 22 cuts down to the 53 man roster. That comes after the Atlanta game.

One of our producers was commenting on one of their colleagues the other day with the assessment, “We’ll, they’re not doing terrible.” We all laughed, but it might be a pretty good assessment of the Jaguars progress so far in 2013. Improved and better and they’re “not doing terrible.”

For the Jaguars first exhibition game against Miami, it was our first look at the team under Gus Bradley in a game situation. As expected, Bradley said, “I liked how we competed on both sides of the ball and as coaches, that’s what we’re looking for. The game showed them improved in some areas but a lot of the same problems. When it was the 1’s vs. the 1’s, the Jaguars defense seemed to hold their own and even put some pressure on the quarterback. Sen’Derrick Marks had an early sack and looked like he could be a factor in a phase of the game the Jaguars have been lacking in since, well it seems since Tony Brackens retired. We saw good effort on defense, some good pass defense and a generally you could see that they should be better.

Offensively, Blaine Gabbert was inconsistent, certainly not the player he’s been in camp for the last 10 days. A good throw looked like it was dropped by Mike Brown and another by Ace Sanders but he airmailed a couple of throws (that comes from hurrying and not setting your feet) and fired one to the fullback on a simple out route that was slightly behind the receiver as well. It was tipped in the air and intercepted and led to the first TD of the game. While you could easily say the fullback should have caught the ball, it’s those little things that Gabbert said this week he wanted to concentrate on.

“Go out and compete, work on the little things and score some points,” is how he put it on Thursday when Gus Bradley named him the starter. He has unbelievable physical skills and I’ve called him a “seductive” player in practice because when you watch him in that setting you wonder how the Jaguars ever lose. In his first two years, and now after the first preseason appearance, he still hasn’t been able to translate that onto the field. Chad Henne was better but nothing spectacular. He managed the game the way you would expect him to and led the Jaguars to their only scoring drive of the night.

Neither quarterback did anything that would change what the coaches are thinking after the first two weeks of training camp. Obviously, Gabbert played without the receivers expected to start in the regular season (Shorts and eventually Blackmon) and Henne played some, but not all of his time with the first team. He went against the Dolphins second team defense as well.

On the bright side, Ace Sanders showed why they drafted him with both punt return ability and as a pass catcher. He fields punts fluidly and makes the first guy miss. Then he’s moving up field looking for positive yardage. You could tell even in this game that he doesn’t have that blazing speed you’d like in a guy doing that job, but he’s certainly an improvement over anybody in teal and black over the last decade or so. He’ll be electric but maybe not a game breaker.

Denard Robinson is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands and it’ll be interesting to see how they try to get him involved in the offense. He nearly got his head taken off when the Jaguars put him in their version of the Wildcat formation but coming out of the backfield he found openings and showed some of that burst you saw when he was in college.

It’s still training camp, so they’ll be back to work on Sunday. “It’s preseason,” Bradley said after the game. “And that’s what preseason is for. We need to clean things up and we’ll work on that and challenge our players to do that. The more comfort level they get in these situations the better it’ll be.”

It’s been a few years but the Jaguars have all 90 players under contract in camp on time in the first year under new head coach Gus Bradley. “It’s about trust,” Bradley said this week. “We can immediately trust them from a coach’s perspective as players to do the things necessary to win. The other way might take some time. They need to learn to trust us as coaches that what we’re doing is going to work.”

Bradley’s right and part of that is because his style is so different from anything in the past. Full time music, up tempo timing and non-stop work will be the hallmarks of Bradley’s first Jaguars camp as head coach. He’s excited and is trying to temper that.

“We’ll have to slow down a bit,” he told us on Thursday. “We’re so excited to get on the field and get started we’ll be going a million miles a hour so we need to be aware of that and slow down.”

Bradley has emphasized that there’s an open competition at every position, so the focus and effort.

This year’s Jaguars team has players who know what to say and how to say it. Chad Henne had just about every cliché you can think of in just one sentence. “Of course I want to be the starter but I’m here to compete. I’m here to help the team and get better. I’m competing against myself. I want to get better every day. That’s the key.”

Of course they didn’t become cliché’s because they weren’t true. Henne is right when it comes to the attitude of this year’s Jaguars team and what kind of chord you have to strike going into training camp. You can’t pace yourself on the field, because you’re being evaluated on every play. But you need to know how to get the job done, day after day with tired legs and a worn out brain.

“I’m going to lean on the veterans to see how it’s done,” first round draft pick Luke Joeckel said as he reported to his first camp. “Camp’s a grind and everybody knows that. You just have to handle it,”

And he’s right. You can’t win a job or lose it in the first week. In the second week, guys start to separate themselves both physically and mentally. But this first week is a blur, a whirlwind of action and emotion.

Jaguars training camp is open to the public thru the scrimmage at the stadium next Saturday night, August 3rd except for Tuesday which is the players day off.

What a difference a year makes when it comes to the Jaguars draft. Obviously the people inside the draft room are different but the whole situation has changed when it comes to acquiring players.

Last year in Shad Khan’s first draft as an NFL owner, the Jaguars were trying to fill some holes to be competitive. “I was told last year that we were just a few players away from competing for the playoffs. We got some players but didn’t get there,” Khan said when making some moves at the top of the football hierarchy at the end of the 2012 season.

Prior to the 2013 draft Khan had no trouble admitting the Jaguars were in a rebuilding year. “It makes me think that we should have started this process a year earlier. But we’re on our way.”

Standing in the middle of the Jaguars locker room two weeks ago it was eerily empty. With the number of cuts made by the team since the first of the year, the roster was under 60 players. “Not only isn’t there anybody in here,” one veteran player told me, “I don’t know anybody’s name!”

Which means an entirely different mind-set was in place for the Jaguars to begin anew in acquiring players: Get the best ones available.

Most teams go into the draft with specific needs, holes they’re trying to fill or looking for players who can shore up one side of the ball or the other.

In 2012 they were looking for a wide receiver and jumped up to get Justin Blackmon. They dabbled in free-agency to keep Jeremy Mincey, and sign Aaron Ross, filling immediate needs.

In 2013 in a stated rebuilding process the draft process and consequently the free-agent process as well were simple: figure out who you think the next best player is on the board and pick him.

Taking Luke Joeckel was simple in 2013. He was the best player available in that spot, so they picked him. “When best player available and need matchup,” Gus Bradley said on Day Two of the NFL draft, “You’re on to something special.”

That’s where the Jaguars were with their second and third round picks. It just so happened that Johnathan Cyprien and Dwayne Gratz were the next best players available AND they played positions of need for the Jaguars.

Easy picks.

And those two, along with Joeckel, will be expected to start in 2013.

No projects here.

Picking Ace Sanders in the 4th round is another “best and need” situation for the Jaguars. Their woeful return game gets somebody who is expected to contribute immediately and without using a high pick to fill that spot. Taking Dennard Robinson is a bit of a novelty choice but he has something the Jaguars lacked last year: speed. He instantly makes them faster no matter when he ends up on the roster.

The rest of the draft, Josh Evans, Jeremy Harris and Demetrius McCray, are special teams additions or late bloomers whom you hope develop into something they’re not right now.

But that’s still only 8 players and they need more than that. So some of the 23 undrafted free agents need to be good enough to not only make the team but contribute somewhere, especially on special teams.

Add in some free-agent acquisitions as we move toward the 2013 kickoff (and beyond) and you have the “ground floor” of a rebuilding project.

Jaguars fans hope that the draft picks will help immediately because in one way, it was the easiest draft ever.

Whomever they picked, they needed him!

It’s not too hard to figure out the reason there are “haves” and “have-nots” in the NFL: Players. You can talk all the scheme, coaching, personnel people you want but in the end, on the field, it comes down to players.

And good ones.

A couple of years ago, the Miami Dolphins had the first pick in the NFL draft, meaning they had the worst record in the league. They took a starting offensive lineman, singed some free-agents and the next year went 11-5.

Players.

It was a quick fix, but the players in place had some success en-route to the playoffs. Tom Coughlin has won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. In both seasons he was about to be fired halfway through the year. But his players stepped up, they developed a pass rush with just the front four, got hot on offense behind a running game and Eli Manning and went on to a championship. Why? The players started to play. Coughlin didn’t change his style; he didn’t start running different plays. He just had the players who were capable of making something happen.

While Coughlin was here in Jacksonville the Jaguars had championship capable teams about half of the time. Guys like Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith, Kennan McCardell, Kyle Brady and Clyde Simmons were top-flight players. Any team would have wanted them. But when things went sour for Coughlin, those careers were either over or near an end, meaning success was hard to come by.

It’s a running joke that when a player or coach leaves the Jaguars they have some kind of instant success. Former Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter is a good example. He’s a run-of-the-mill assistant who didn’t find success as a head coach in college but is hoping for a shot at the top job in the NFL. With the Jaguars he had virtually no success because of a lack of production at the quarterback position. Put him in Atlanta with Matt Ryan and all of the sudden he’s a world beater. Jack Del Rio’s success in Denver as their defensive coordinator has a lot to do with Peyton Manning being their quarterback and Champ Bailey running their defense.

Through the history of the league, coaches have been romanticized as big time leaders, field generals directing their troops in battle. NFL Films does a good job at creating that myth. But when you look at the great coaches in the league’s past, it’ a culture of success that they created that lead to wins. Vince Lombardi told his players, “We’ll chase perfection, knowing we won’t catch it but along the way, we’ll achieve greatness.” Tom Landry put together Hall of Fame players on defense and finally won championships with Roger Staubach at quarterback. Bill Walsh created a scheme, but It took Joe Montana and company to implement it.

Coaches create an atmosphere of success.

Players win games.

For the first time in his tenure as the Jaguars Head Coach, Mike Mularkey got a little testy in his post-game press conference. His team had just lost 31-14, and trailed 24-0 at one point. The first half, by Mularkey’s description was “pathetic” when it came to offensive production. “three and outs don’t get the job done,” Mularkey said in his opening statement.

“Was there a lack of effort,” one reporter asked. “Absolutely not,” Mularkey quickly responded. “That wasn’t it and it wouldn’t be acceptable here at any time. The execution just wasn’t there.”

After answering a question on a different part of the game, Mularkey was again queried by a scribe about his team’s effort. “So let me be clear, you’re saying it wasn’t a lack of effort,” a scribe intoned all-knowingly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Mularkey alertly answered with a wave of the hand and an edge in his voice. “And don’t ask me that again,” he finished.

I’m sure it’s frustrating and disappointing to put the time and effort into coaching and not get the results that can be expected. And I’m sure when Mularkey took this job he knew it would be tough. And maybe it’s even tougher than he thought. But I’ll give him credit through this stretch of the process, he’s always been honest. When you ask him a question, he gives you an answer. He doesn’t fudge, he doesn’t give any kind of platitude, and he gives an honest answer. So to challenge him on an answer is silly, and overblown. He said it’s not a lack of effort, so since he’s never lied before, take him at his word.

So where’s that leave us?

Obviously the execution isn’t there with any consistency. The Jaguars are trying to overcome the opponent and sometimes that opponent includes themselves. Dropped passes, blown coverages, bad tackling, wrong reads. All of those factor into getting you beat seven times in eight games.

It’s not hard to envision Mularkey’s statement about the first half of the season in real terms. They’re one play away from being 0-8: They’re three plays away from being 4-4.

While the first half of the year has been a disaster on the scoreboard, the Jaguars have shown improvement and enough flash to get the job done. But it’s also easy to see that they’re undermanned and sometimes overwhelmed when they try to match their roster against the opposing team. They’re not in a position to make mistakes and beat the Bears, Lions, Texans, or Packers. But against Minnesota, Indy, Oakland and Cincinnati they had their chances.

So looking at the second half of the season, eight games, what’s realistic with the players on the roster, the injuries they’ve suffered and the flashes they’ve shown? Thursday’s game against Indy is certainly winnable. Two games vs. a depleted Tennessee team could be wins. Buffalo is struggling. The Jets aren’t tearing it up and although Miami has shown flashes, they’re beatable. Leaving New England and Houston as the only heavy favorites against the Jaguars.

Based on what we’ve seen the first half of the year, going 5-3 is probably unrealistic but not un-attainable. It’s something to shoot for, to turn it around and get respectable. Especially in your own eyes.

“I’m just tired of losing,” Maurice Jones Drew said in the postgame locker room after the Bears beat the Jaguars 41-3. “It’s been five years. I’m tired of not sleeping at night. I’m tired of not being able to play with my kids after a win. I’m tired.”

And with that, MJD summed up what most Jaguars fans are feeling after three blowout losses at home this year. They’re tired.

Despite a change in ownership and in coaching staff and a clear upgrade at several positions, the Jaguars look like the same team. How can that be?

It’s easy to instantly blame it on Blaine Gabbert. The quarterback is supposed to get the ball where it’s supposed to be on time and that is supposed to result in first downs and touchdowns. We saw a little bit of that in the first half against the Bears as well as the entire game in Minnesota. But inexplicably it disappears almost as quickly as it arrived.

“I don’t have an answer,” Gabbert told the assembled media. “Obviously I have to play better. Two pick sixes is not acceptable but we’re working hard and practicing well. I don’t know what we can do differently right now.”

Gabbert is right, he can play better, show more confidence and take some of the quick things that are given to him as the defense figures out the Jaguars offensive game plan. He’s just a half second tentative at times and that’s all it takes to not be able to dump it off or fire it in there when it counts.

His two interceptions for touchdowns can be blamed on someone else, and to his credit, he shouldered the responsibility. Head Coach Mike Mularkey told us in his post game press conference that Justin Blackmon ran the wrong route on the first one and it was obvious that the second one went off MJD’s hands. (While we’re on that play, how come the Bear’s linebackers were right on the Jaguars backs on the circle route and every time the Bears would run the same route out of the backfield the Jaguars linebackers would be two steps away?)

When asked if he would consider a quarterback change during the bye week Mike said a quick, “No,” But added, “We’ll evaluate everything, including me. It’ll give us a chance to look at our selves.”

That’s the right thing to say but they’ve come to the point in the season where they have to make a decision on Gabbert. Either they’re going to stick with him to see if he improves as the season progresses and then decide what to do with him, or put Chad Henne in the game to see if he provides a spark.

Henne was no world-beater in Miami, but right now he appears to be the quarterback that would give the Jaguars the best chance to win. If they stick with Gabbert, they’ll continue to take their lumps in between flashes of brilliance, a la the throw to Cecil Shorts in the Colts game.

“I told the team in the locker room that over the next two weeks, no matter what is said or written, we know we’re closer than anybody knows. We’ve hurt ourselves in certain situations but we’re closer to getting it done that it might appear from the outside.” When challenged on that by one scribe who said the small offensive production is a “trend,” Mularkey looked at the guy and said, “I told you what I think. I’m on the inside. You’re on the outside. I can say it louder if you like.”

He really believes it.

Let’s all hope he’s right.

What was strange about this game from the beginning was the lack of expectation from the fans. New owner, new coach, home opener and a division rival in town but it wasn’t like the fans were ferocious or were hungry for a win. They seemed happy to be there. It was a great atmosphere, with a little bit of resignation. Nobody seemed to expect a victory.

While that’s fairly realistic at this point, it’s not who you want to be as fans, and certainly not as a team. In fact, I asked Head Coach Mike Mularkey during the week about that “winnable game” attitude and how it can infiltrate the locker room.

“Talk to the guys in there,” Mularkey said referring to the locker room. “They see how things happen in this league. Guys will tell you anybody can win any week.”

He’s right, calling on the “Any given Sunday,” mantra, because there are upsets that seem inexplicable each week. Then there are games that go according to plan, and this seemed to be one of them.

Houston has Super Bowl and championship expectations. Their defense is among the best in the league. Their offense can light it up and even their special teams are solid. If you go off last week the Jaguars are still a team in transition, trying to find some answers. Against Minnesota they looked like a team that could move the ball on offense, using Blaine Gabbert, MJD and a revamped receiving corps. Injuries have them using a make-shift offensive line but the backups are professionals and should be able to perform as such. To their credit, the Jaguars, nor the coaching staff, use injury as any kind of excuse.

“We all took turns making mistakes,” Maurice Jones Drew said in his post-game comments. “Me, linemen, Blaine, everybody. We all have to do a better job together then we’ll see what happens. We didn’t really give ourselves a chance.”

A chance. That’s what you’re looking for in the NFL, a chance to win at the end of the game.

During this off-season and through training camp, this team looked like it had a chance. Last year, there were games where you knew they didn’t have a chance. This year they’re supposed to have a chance. But with the mistakes they were making, they kept themselves out of it from the start.

“You can’t make those kind of mistakes,” Mularkey said afterwards. “The first 15 plays are scripted to we shouldn’t be lining up wrong, running wrong routes, calling the wrong protection. We have to do a better job with that and I have to do a better job getting that across.”

Mularkey seems like the ideal head coach. Organized, reliable, consistent. A guy the players like and respect. His staff is formidable and watching them teach in practice, they know the game. On the day he was hired, Mularkey said he was going to put the players in “positions to succeed.” “They need to know we want them to be the best they can be,” he added. And I believe they’re a pretty good staff.

So that brings us back to the players. They’re good enough to win, but maybe not good enough to dominate. When they play at their best, they can beat anybody. But when they have a sub-standard performance, when they make mistakes, they can’t beat anybody.

All that’s the bad news.

The good news is they know it.

They know when they get their act together, they’re pretty competitive. So that’s what they’ll try this week working against a 1-1 Indianapolis team.

Let’s hope so.