Jacksonville Jaguars: Will the real Gus Bradley please stand up?
By Luke Sims
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley was an intense defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks before he came to the Jags and became a bubbling personality filled with optimism.
After a 13-39 record heading into Week 6, the optimistic, bubbly personality of Gus Bradley was grating on plenty of Jacksonville Jaguars fans.
Since arriving in Jacksonville, Bradley went from the demanding, intense coordinator he was for the Seattle Seahawks into some kind of tame version that essentially smiled through everything while the Jags became a bit of a dumpster fire. The sky was falling in the midst of a massive rebuild but everything Bradley talked about was upbeat and positive.
The narrative simply didn’t match the reality.
The Jags were being beat down again and again and again. They needed the demanding coach they thought they got three years before. They needed this guy:
So when it was revealed the head coach finally ripped into his team at halftime in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears, it was actually surprising.
But the Jaguars responded.
The Jags went from a 0-13 deficit to win the game 17-16 with a miraculous comeback in the fourth quarter. Bradley demanded that his team “grow up” and after years of being excused for being young and inexperienced it finally clicked. It was exactly what this team needed.
A kick in the pants got the Jags back on track and no doubt contributed to the team turning things around. After years of failing to make halftime adjustments, Bradley finally reverted to the former defensive coordinator and delivered for the Jaguars.
Will that Gus Bradley return in the coming weeks or will we continue to get the bubbly, meek coach that has become historically bad over the last three seasons?
The Jags desperately need someone who can hold the team accountable and demand excellence. It isn’t about making progress anymore. It isn’t about seeing young players exceed expectations.
It’s now about demanding that these grown men and professional football players do their jobs.
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Will the real Gus Bradley stand up and demand it of them?