The Jacksonville Jaguars offense was very

Aside from one game Marcell Dareus Jerseys 2019 , the defense did pretty good!"very bad throughout the year — especially in the fourth quarter over the final four games of the 2018 NFL season — but the defense... well, it wasn’t bad!We already graded the offense, now let’s grade the defense!Alfie Crow (@AlfieBCC)Even with the offense being abysmal seemed to still play well enough to keep the Jaguars in games for a point, even winning nearly two of them. They showed enough that you should be confident in a top-five defense in 2019, even with the expected cuts.Grade: B+Ryan Day (@ryaneatscake)Aside from the meltdown in Nashville, the defense is a big reason any of the remaining four games was close — and the reason they pulled out a win against the Miami Dolphins. They played well enough to win three of four games with even an average offense and that’s... pretty good in my book. Not enough for an A (of course) but it was a strong showing with the offense playing like the worst unit in the league.Grade: BJon Kirland (@BCBCouch)The quarter started out pretty bad, with the defense being treated like little kids in a father-son backyard football game at Tennessee. However, they mostly bounced back well and played winning football for the final three games of the season. Unfortunately, as has been the case all season, the offense could barely amass first downs let alone points to help the cause. Calais Campbell, Yannick Nagkoue, and Myles Jack all had strong finishes the final four weeks, in my opinion.Grade: B-Ryan O’Bleness (@ryanobleness)Outside of the Tennessee game — where the Jaguars literally couldn’t tackle a soul -- the defense actually played pretty well in the final stretch. The Jags gave up 18.25 points per game during that stretch, which is already good Black D.J. Hayden Jerseys , but if you throw out the Titans game as an outlier, the Jaguars only gave up 13.3 points per game in the final three contests. The Houston game wasn’t the greatest, but the Jaguars still held the Texans below their season scoring and total yardage average. The Jags also held the Dolphins and Redskins to one touchdown each. But the Titans game alone knocks them down a few pegs, so B- for me. Looking at the full season view, the unit kind of disappointed. While statistically strong in terms of yardage and points allowed in 2018, the defense just didn’t get sacks, cause turnovers or make big plays this season, and it wasn’t able to carry the team like it was able to last year. Grade: B-Brian Fullford (@iambwf)The defense is talented. The defense has athletes. The sum is greater than its parts. Well, save Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey and Yannick Ngakoue. There is a serious maturity problem on this side of the ball. Telvin Smith has exhibited a “me first” attitude and, frankly, I’m done with him. Myles Jack still plays undisciplined and isn’t suited for the middle linebacker position. The defensive backs seemed to be playing out of synch. That being said, the front four is solid, and in spite of the issues with the back seven, if the offense was worth a damn this team would have gone 4-0 to end the season.Grade: BFilip Prus (@JaxonFil)Defense showed up again D.J. Hayden Jerseys 2019 , including winning them a meaningless week 16 game against the Dolphins that hindered their draft position. The secondary improved with Ronnie Harrison taking over for Barry Church at strong safety, and Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue played some of their best football of the year in the final quarter. Even Taven Bryan showed some evidence of starting to convert his first step quickness to power and penetrate from the three-technique position. If it wasn’t for allowing Derrick Henry to have their way with them in Tennessee, this unit could be on the cusp of a B+/A- grade in the fourth quarter. We could see a bit of a fire sale on the defensive side this offseason as the team looks to purge cap space, but the defense is in good shape.Grade: B- The Jacksonville Jaguars are busting defensive assignments at an alarming rate.They are allowing receivers to get wide open across the field. They are letting tight ends go completely uncovered. They are missing calls, failing to communicate coverages and giving up explosive plays left and right.A defense that believed it could be generational a few months ago looks mostly generic the last few weeks.The Jaguars (3-6) gave up 29 points and 306 yards in the first half to Indianapolis and lost 29-26 on Sunday . The Colts managed just 60 yards after the break, but dropped two passes that would have resulted in big gains.Regardless, Jacksonville lost its fifth consecutive game and pretty much ruined its already slim chances of returning to the postseason. Inconsistent quarterback Blake Bortles and a growing number of injuries are partly to blame. But equally troubling is how the once-vaunted defense has fallen well short of expectations.“I can’t say what’s going on in the next man’s head,” safety Tashaun Gipson said Monday. “We go over our in-game adjustments. The coaches tell us what to expect, what we learn from each play and things like that. I don’t know what those guys who are a part of those busted coverages are seeing. To be honest, it has to be just total brain farts.“You’re looking at guys running wild in coverages that we’ve been playing here for (three years). Even back in 2016, we weren’t a great football team, but it wasn’t this many consecutive busts week in and week out.”More Jacksonville Jaguars newsJaguars expect DE Yannick Ngakoue’s holdout to be short-livedJaguars rookie safety Zedrick Woods submits retirement paperworkJalen Ramsey says Jaguars don’t plan to give him contract extension this seasonJaguars sign former UCF running back Taj McGowan for added depthJaguars QB Nick Foles to miss OTAs for undisclosed ‘personal reason’Cornerback Jalen Ramsey played his worst game in three years, getting caught in the wrong coverage twice against the Colts.The 2017 All-Pro played man-to-man defense against T.Y. Hilton when he should have been in zone, leaving tight end Eric Ebron to run unmarked for a 53-yard touchdown reception on the opening drive. Ramsey played zone later in the first quarter when he should been in man, allowing Hilton to get loose for a 35-yard gain.Ramsey also got burned for a touchdown by tight end Mo Alie-Cox.Ramsey responded to criticism Monday via Twitter by saying Black Donte Moncrief Jerseys , “When I’m gone from here, y’all gone miss me. I ain’t even trippin lol.”Coach Doug Marrone said he understands fans being upset with the team’s performance and Ramsey’s remarks.“There are people that support this team, that expected great things from this team, and we’re not performing at that level,” Marrone said. “At the end of the day, if you’re not strong enough to understand that, that’s not going to help the team get on the right track. Anyone.”Safety Barry Church also blew a man-coverage scheme in the first half when he failed to line up properly, and Luck found Ebron all alone for a 12-yard score.“The busts came up in the Dallas game, and they’ve just been a recurring theme since then,” Gipson said. “What to do about it? I don’t know. It’s hard to blame coaching for busts, but at the same time, everybody’s got to be accountable in this thing right here for sure.”Jacksonville hosts Pittsburgh (6-2-1) on Sunday, a rematch from the divisional round of the playoffs.The Jaguars held on for a 45-42 victory despite surrendering touchdowns on Pittsburgh’s final three possessions. Given how the Jags have played lately, especially in the first half against the Colts, no one would be surprised to see the Steelers pick up where they left off in January.“As cliche as it may sounds Donte Moncrief Jerseys 2019 , there’s only one way to go for this team right now,” Gipson said. “I think our backs are truly, truly against the wall. … I’ve been on terrible teams and I’ve been on teams that when you’re 3-6, you’re like, ‘Hey, man, that’s a lot better than I thought we would be nine games in.’“The feeling right now, it’s tough on a lot of guys because this is not a 3-6 team.”NOTES: Marrone said center Brandon Linder will have surgery on his right knee and miss the rest of the season. Linder, a third-round draft pick from Miami in 2014, will have missed 26 games in five years. He signed a five-year contract worth $51.7 million, with $24 million guaranteed, in July 2017. Linder also is the team’s third offensive lineman — second starter — to land on injured reserve.