JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It didn’t pay off with a victory against Arizona, but Jaguars coach Gus Bradley is convinced his go big or go home approach is the best way to handle the rest of the season.
He wants the coaching staff to be aggressive in their decisions, whether it’s trick plays or fourth-down gambles on offense or jail-break blitzes on defense. That’s the attitude Bradley wants to instill in the franchise, so starting now, in the beginning stages of the rebuild, is important.
"There were many situations where I felt like we were bold [against Arizona] and I told our team that we need to take that personality on and reflect it," Bradley said. "We’ll continue to build in that direction."
The Jaguars went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 38-yard line early in the first quarter and the decision paid off with Danny Noble’s 62-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. Bradley also had Josh Scobee attempt a 60-yard field goal -- 1 yard shy of his career high -- at the end of the first half. That decision didn’t work, but the players agree with the approach.
"We’re not going to shy down from anything, any opportunity out there," quarterback Chad Henne said. "We’re going to keep taking chances. We’re a 1-9 team. What’s there to lose out there?
"We’re just trying to get better each and every opportunity that we have and we’re going to take those chances."
Center Brad Meester wants everyone to understand that there’s a difference between playing boldly and aggressively and being reckless. Taking chances to try and win games is a smart approach. Doing it just because it can’t get any worse is irresponsible.
"It’s not really about playing like you have nothing to lose," Meester said. "It’s about playing to get better. We’re going to step up and take chances. Maybe they don’t always work out, but we’re going to take those risks. We’re not going to sit around and just let things happen."
