“Just Get Better” Jags: Grading Each Position from Sunday’s Win vs. New York Giants

Nov 30, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Chris Clemons (91) celebrates after receiving a fumble during the fourth quarter against New York Giants at EverBank Field. The Jaguars won 25-24. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Line: B+

The heart and soul of the team is their defensive line.  Sen’Derrick Marks is a Pro Bowl-caliber player who was an incredible find by David Caldwell last season.  Chris Clemons has been highly impressive the past two weeks, and Red Bryant is an absolute beast.  The Jaguars saw little pressure on Eli Manning on the first half, but racked up four sacks in the second half, two of which were forced fumbles recovered by the Jaguars.

Linebackers: C

Telvin Smith adds incredible speed to a group that has stepped up since losing Paul Posluszny to the IR.  Geno Hayes played a very solid game, including a sack force fumble that turned into a Jaguars touchdown and a complete momentum-changer in the third quarter.  It is likely the Jaguars add some talent during the off season to this group, but Smith, Hayes and J.T. Thomas have done a pretty decent job in the second half of the season so far.

Secondary: C

Taking on some pretty talented wide receivers, the Jaguars did a poor job in the first half, but really stepped it up in the second half.  The pass rush helped big time, but Demetrius McCray, Dwayne Gratz and Aaron Colvin blanketed the Giants receivers when the game was on the line.  Colvin has especially been a heck of a talent since coming off the IR.  Johnathan Cyprien and Josh Evans have been highly inconsistent, but both played well in the second half.  Cyprien’s tackling continues to be a struggle, and will need to show improvement or the Jaguars may need to challenge his starting spot next season.

Special Teams: C+

Josh Scobee and Bryan Anger were excellent on Sunday, but two penalties on special teams really changed the field position that the Jaguars could have had and given Bortles to start with.  Small, stupid mistakes continue to hurt the Jaguars, who cannot expect 14 points from their defense every game.

Final Team Grade: C

The Jaguars played two completely different halves of football on Sunday.  The first half was horrible both offensively and defensively, while the second half was pretty darn amazing defensively and average offensively.  The offense will need to really see improvement over the course of the next five games, or the team can get ready for some drastic changes for 2015, especially on their offensive line.