Consistently Inconsistent: Doug Marrone Needs to get Jaguars to Play on the Same Page

Don't try to figure out which Jacksonville Jaguars team you are going to see each Sunday. Because after six games, it is clear they still need to figure it out themselves.

In 2017, the Jaguars best season under head coach Doug Marrone, the team had a clear identity. They got after opposing quarterbacks, created turnovers and ran the ball. You knew which version of the team you were going to see each game.

In 2018, the Jaguars worst season under Marrone (though 2019 is not even halfway over and can still take 2018's place in this category), the Jaguars were a bad team but still largely had a strong defensive identity. The defense kept them in a lot of games despite an offense that was putrid all season. Even during a bad 5-11 season, you knew what you were going to get.

But in 2019, the Jaguars are a new team each week. One week they are a high-powered offense who can score at will but get dragged down by a porous defense. The next week the defense allows less than 14 points but the offense is stifled all day.

Just look at the scores of each of the Jaguars games this season to see how they have won and lost games in really each way possible.

Week 1: 40-26 loss
Week 2: 13-12 loss
Week 3: 20-7 victory
Week 4: 26-24 victory
Week 5: 34-27 loss
Week 6: 13-6 loss

Simply put, the results of the Jaguars first six weeks show a team who just have not been able to get their offense and defense on the same page. The closest example of the team playing a complete game was in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans.

This means there have been three games where the Jaguars defense has allowed 24+ points, but also three games where they allowed 13 points or less. One week they get ran over for four quarters by Christian McCaffrey, and then the next week they hold Alvin Kamara to 31 yards rushing.

As for the offense, there have been three games where they have scored 26 or more points but they have also scored less than 12 points or less in two of Gardner Minshew's starts.

This inconsistency from game-to-game has been the main reason the Jaguars have fallen to 2-4 on the season. And even in one of their two wins, in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos, the team's poor showing on defense created the need for a second half comeback and then eventually forced the offense to have to drive down the field for a game winning field goal.

"What I told the players is that I’ve got to do a good job. I’ve got to get this team to play well in all three phases. That’s going to be the formula for us to win football games," Marrone said following Sunday's 13-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Marrone is aware of the fact the Jaguars inconsistency each week is what is dooming his team. He knows if his team keeps showing a different version of itself each Sunday, it will lead to more losses than wins.

"One game, the offense plays well, defense maybe not, special teams maybe not, things of that nature, you know, the turnover battle. When you are inconsistent, and you can’t play well in all three phrases, it’s very difficult to win. You’ll be in some close games. You might come back and win, but it makes it difficult," he said Sunday.

To Marrone's credit, he takes accountability for his team's consistent inconsistency. As he should, because ultimately when a team is this wildly different each week, you have to look at how they are being coached.

"It starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job. I told the team [that] I like their effort, playing hard, we’ve just got to perform better, really," he said.

Marrone has the rest of the season to figure out the right buttons to press to get his team playing consistent, or at least playing like they have some form of an identity. As the head coach, the responsibility ultimately falls on him.

If Marrone and his staff are unable to figure out the key to getting the Jaguars offense and defense on the same page on a consistent basis, Jacksonville will continue to lose more games than they win. And if that remains the case, Marrone may not have a chance in 2020 to right the ship.