Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 Keys To Success In 2015

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Dec 18, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley congratulates quarterback Blake Bortles (5) and wide receiver Cecil Shorts (84) and teammates after they scored a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Next: 5. The Jaguars must consistently play their best

I suppose this could be said for every team in the league, but the most important thing for the Jaguars to do is to simply remain consistent. They have the talent to be competitive in every game they play, and if they can play at a steady level all season then they will be able to win a few games. However, if they have another roller-coaster year they will end up with more disappointment than success.

Last year, the Jaguars had some very awful defensive games. This included giving up 370 yards and 4 touchdowns on 80% passing to Andrew Luck and the Colts, 449 total offensive yards to Washington, and 154 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground to Cincinnati’s Jeremy Hill.

However, they also had some games where they played excellent defense. They held Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger to one touchdown and brought him to the ground four times. They also had five games in which they held opponents under 100 yards rushing, three in which they held opponents under 200 yards passing, and four in which they forced three turnovers. In Week 7 they held the Browns under 270 total yards while forcing three turnovers. Sure the Browns did not have the best team in 2014, but this still shows some defensive ability.

On offense, the team failed to accumulate 400 total yards or 300 passing yards at any point in the season, but managed over 175 yards on the ground three separate times. They also had three games where they lost no turnovers, and five games where they lost three.

When the Jaguars are playing well, they can compete, but on their off-days they are simply awful. For a team without the top stars or elite players, consistency is all-important. There simply aren’t enough top-tier players in Jacksonville for their to be any wiggle-room in the team’s performance. If they don’t play at their best, then they won’t be able to win many games.

If they can limit those “off-days” and bring their A-game every single week, they could be in store for an exciting season. Obviously, this is much easier said than done. What Jacksonville needs is for a few key leaders to step up and lead the way, and the rest will follow.

This is a team that has not made the postseason in seven years. That means that many of the players who have been long-time Jaguars have never played in a playoff game their entire career, or even really competed for one. However, with so many young players coming in to the team, as well as older veterans with more winning experience, that could change very soon.

If a few leaders can step up and show what it means to simply be consistent, playing with non-stop motor game-in and game-out, the rest of the team will see this and should be encouraged to do more. Players like tight end Julius Thomas who has four postseason games under his belt, including a 2013 Super Bowl run, Dan Skuta who has played in six career playoff games, and Bernard Pierce who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012 can help lead the way.

No the Jaguars won’t be playing in the Super Bowl anytime soon, but they could easily be climbing out of the NFL’s basement any day now. They have a lot of young talent, and a lot of potential stars, who simply need to figure out what it means to be a winner. The first step to that is playing with heart and passion consistently every week, regardless of your team’s record.

Consistency is key for the Jaguars, and hopefully they can consistently improve, or they’ll continue to be one of the NFL’s consistently worst teams.

Next: Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Keys To Success In 2015

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