Another disappointing season for the Jacksonville Jaguars resulted in the firing of a coach directly responsible for the team's atrocious defense. No, not head honcho Gus Bradley. Instead, Bradley's No. 1 defensive lieutenant, defensive coordinator Bob Babich, was sent packing by the team.
Bob Babich will not return as defensive coordinator.
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 5, 2016
Babich was in his second stint as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. He'd previously served in the role with the Chicago Bears under then-Bears head coach and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers boss, Lovie Smith.
The Jaguars finished the 2015 season ranked 31st in the league in points against, allowing an average of 28.0 points per game. They also allowed an average of 375.0 yards per game, 24th in the league, and snagged just nine interceptions as a unit, which was tied for 26th.
The loss of first-round pick and elite pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. early in the preseason certainly made Babich's job that much harder, but with the Jags' offense making great strides in quarterback Blake Bortles' second NFL season, much of what went wrong in Jacksonville's 5-11 season seemed to fall at the feet of Babich's underperforming unit.
And with talents like Jonathan Cyprien, Telvin Smith and Tyson Alualu, along with additions like Davon House and Jared Odrick, it's fair for Jags fans to wonder why Babich's group just couldn't seem to get the job done.
