Jacksonville Jaguars lose to Panthers: Quick notes for improvement

By Luke Sims | Sep 13, 2015

The Jacksonville Jaguars really struggled to not be beaten by themselves against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The Carolina Panthers beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-9 and while that’s the main story, we want to dive deeper here at Black & Teal. It isn’t just about highlighting those who did poorly, though. That does not serve us, the fans, well.

Allen Robinson needs to improve. Allen Hurns can’t fumble the ball in the red zone. Blake Bortles has to feel the pressure better. Jason Myers simply has to connect on extra points and on field goals. These are things that are glaringly obvious after a miserable football game.

But where else is there room for improvement?

The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line played well for the most part, but they did especially well with the run. Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon had some great holes opened in front of him and managed to amass 51 yards on 12 carries. That’s a 4.25 yards per attempt average. Denard Robinson tacked on another 19 yards on five carries, getting near four yards per carry himself.

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That’s a positive, but there is still further room for improvement. Combined the Jags attempted just 21 rushes on the game (that’s including four scrambles from quarterback Blake Bortles). Compared to 40 passes for the second-year quarterback, it’s clear that the renewed emphasis on the running game could even go a step further. You don’t abandon a running attack giving you around four yards per carry.

Rookie wide receiver Rashad Greene deserves more targets. With 13 targets on Sunday, Greene was the most targeted Jacksonville Jaguars receiver. He caught seven of those passes for just 28 yards and one touchdown. His ability to make grabs should give him more looks going forward. He seemed to be the most reliable receiver on a team with plenty of drops and miscommunications.

Paul Posluszny was back in a big way for this game. With eight solo tackles (nine total) and an interception he was a big play maker for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is the leader of this defense, but he needs to get these young guys on the same page. Fellow linebacker Telvin Smith didn’t seem to be on the same page as the others, even though he finished with seven solo tackles (nine total).

The defensive secondary was also a disappointment. Players like Aaron Colvin and Demetrius McCray need to step it up. Johnathan Cyprien and Sergio Brown were lackluster at the safety positions as well. The potential is there, these players need to play tighter.

Where else do you see room for improvement? We will dive in deeper tomorrow.

Next: Allen Robinson highlights those struggling for the Jacksonville Jaguars

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