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The seat for Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey is certainly hot and with impending changes coming at the end of the season, he has just two more games before a decision will be made about his future with the team. Unless he can flip some current trends, though, his time with the Jaguars could be only season.
Red flags went off less than a week ago when the Jaguars reportedly practiced without pads after player complaints that the rigorous Wednesday practices could have been the cause of many of the team's injuries. While many tried to make the story about excuses and lack of effort from the players, the most important thing to take away from that the Mularkey-way of doing things had seemingly wore on players.
While things like lining up the helmets at practice were embraced by a team that was "All In," those type of strict guidelines and procedures will wear on a team when it coincides with the worst season in franchise history.
In Sunday's 24-3 loss to the Dolphins, the Jaguars tied a season high for penalties with 10. The Jaguars now rank fifth in the league in penalty yardage after a strong start to the season in avoiding flags. Yes, many of the penalties weren't particularly concerning ones, like Chris Prosinski's hit that drew a personal foul; however, 10 penalties is far too many and is indicative of a team losing discipline.
Also concerning has been the lack of effective halftime adjustments for the Jaguars. In Miami, the third quarter began for the Jaguars with three consecutive three-and-outs on offense and three straight drives of more than 60 yards allowed to the Dolphin offense. In fact, the Jaguars have been outscored 26-0 in the third quarter in the last three weeks after being within a touchdown at halftime of each game.
By themselves, none of these issues are alarming to the point that a coach should be fired, but the combination of red flags with a 2-12 team are not positive signs for a coach that is certainly on the hot seat with just two games remaining to prove that he is worthy of the position for another year.