The Jacksonville Jaguars tumbled to a disappointing 1-4 with a 38-31 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
A fiery Gus Bradley admitted his team's ship is sailing the wrong direction.
"It doesn't feel like the bottom, but it does feel like something is wrong," Bradley said, via The Florida Times-Union. "If you ask everybody coming into this game, everybody felt ready but maybe there is a difference between feeling ready and being prepared. And we weren't prepared as well as we needed to be. Everybody can take responsibility for that."
The Jags got down early, came storming back, only to give up 18-straight points in the second half.
"That wasn't our best. That wasn't acceptable. We have to dig deep and find out what the issues are and clean them up as soon as possible," Bradley said. "I'm hoping this setback -- it shocks us to get things right. I'm hoping that. I believe in our guys. The reason I'm upset is I believe they're better than that and we're not showing it. That's frustrating."
The frustration was team-wide.
The offensive line couldn't block, giving up six sacks and opening zero running lanes. The defense couldn't pressure Jameis Winston or tackle Doug Martin. The special teams gave up huge, game-swinging returns. Backup running back Corey Grant -- why was he in the game? -- fumbled for a defensive score that changed the entire tenor of the contest. Even Blake Bortles threw a terrible interception on an overall good day.
For a team that we've been waiting to take a step forward the past two years, the 1-4 start -- and a loss to the equally hapless Bucs -- is disturbing.
"You'll say, 'Hey, Gus, you said this was built.' It is built," Bradley said. "We have enough good players in that locker room to do better than what we're doing. That's a fact."
Perhaps Bradley's fact is correct, but his 8-29 record as a head coach is a fact that's screaming louder.
