Are The Jacksonville Jaguars Getting Better? By the Numbers

Dec 22, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert (11) warms up before the game against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

2013 Offense

Yards: 896 (700 passing, 196 rushing)

Points: 31

First Downs: 58

Turnovers: 8

2014 Offense

Yards: 1118 (839 passing, 279 rushing)

Points: 58

First Downs: 40

Turnovers: 8

Analysis

The Jaguars struggled mightily on offense in the first four games of both the 2013 season and the 2014 season. While the Jaguars seemed to be particularly anemic under Chad Henne to start the 2014 season, it’s important to compare just how bad the offense was under Blaine Gabbert at the start of the 2013 season. While they were moving the ball better than the 2014 season as evidenced by the first downs, the team was completely unable to put points on the board.

The most curious thing to contrast between the two seasons is the complete lack of a running game that the Jags have had to start both seasons. The 2013 Jaguars failed to cap 100 yards rushing until week 12, which is not a good indication for the 2014 Jaguars, who have also struggled rushing. While the team put up 105 yards rushing in week three, they have really struggled to get the ball moving on the ground, including a low of just 25 yards in week two against the Washington Redskins.

The important thing to note is that the Jaguars are obviously slow starters to the season on offense. Both teams under Bradley have struggled to generate points and both teams have struggled to produce balanced offenses. The 2014 offense is actually more potent than the 2013 offense was, but it still feels incredibly lackluster. Having a terrible 148 yard outing against the Redskins makes it feel worse than it is as the team has eclipsed 300 yards as a whole in all three of the other games. That’s setting the bar pretty low, but the 2013 squad didn’t reach 300 yards on offense until week five. Blake Bortles has provided a major spark on offense so we can expect improved outings in the coming weeks, especially against poor teams like the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and Miami Dolphins in weeks 6-8.