–There is a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds for the Jaguars as this disappointing season nears its end. Owner Shad Khan has given no interviews so the fate of the director of football operations Tom Coughlin, general manager Dave Caldwell and head coach Doug Marrone and defensive coordinator Todd Wash and the other assistants remains uncertain. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was fired two weeks ago and replaced by quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich, but they are likely to go outside the organization to find a new offensive coordinator.
CBS Sports analyst Jason LaCanfora reported last week that there is a “growing perception” around the league that Coughlin may return to the sidelines next year.
LaCanfora said in a radio interview with a Jacksonville station that Coughlin has not yet made up his mind whether he wants to coach although it would be Khan’s call whether he wanted him to coach again.
When the radio interviewer accused LaCanfora of making things up, he hung up.
In Coughlin’s only radio interview during the season with the same radio station when he promoted his charity, the Jay Fund, he defended his approach of building the team to run the ball and play defense. It worked last year but didn’t this year. Quarterback Blake Bortles has been benched and it seems unlikely he will be back.
Coughlin has gotten a lot of criticism for his 2017 draft when he passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson to stick with Bortles and drafted running back Leonard Fournette, who has been injury prone and suspended for a game each season.
Since Khan hasn’t tipped his hand, it is anybody’s guess what he will decide to do at the end of the season.
–It is not usually a positive thing when TMZ releases a video of a player involved in some incident and their latest was a video showing Leonard Fournette jawing with Titans fans during the Tennessee game. Head coach Doug Marrone said that Fournette told him the fan taunted him with a racial slur.
“Facts, you’re too old for that,” Fournette is heard saying on the video. “You’re too old for that. Chill out. I’m not worried about you. You want to come down here? I’ll whup your ass.”
TMZ said the Titans are investigating but the fan apparently hasn’t been identified.
–The Jaguars are going to have to create cap space at the end of the season. According to overthecap.com, they have contracts totaling $208 million for 2019 and the cap is expected to be about $190 million so they will have to clear $18 million in cap space. One player likely to go is safety Barry Church, who has already been benched for rookie Ronnie Harrison.
–The Jaguars are noted for their bravado so it probably wasn’t surprising that linebacker Telvin Smith said after the game, “They bit off our confidence and ran it with. They better enjoy it while they got it.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 10 – The number of interceptions the Jaguars have this year after having 21 last year. Jalen Ramsey, who has three, is the only player with more than one.
