Jaguars coordinator Hackett fired, QB Bortles benched

It was just a matter of time until the ax fell. Lose seven straight games in the NFL and someone has to pay the price. It happened in Jacksonville Monday morning, hours after the Jaguars had turned in another poor offensive showing, this one in a 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was fired after the Jaguars offense gained 107 passing yards against the Bills. Granted Jacksonville did rush for a season-high 226 yards, but the lack of a passing game continued to haunt the Jaguars. It marked the fourth time in their last six games that Jacksonville had less than 150 passing yards. Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said he felt he needed to make a change to give the Jaguars an opportunity to win some games. "Nathaniel is a good football coach," Marrone said. "He is a tireless, hard worker. I am extremely appreciative for what he has done for this team and extremely appreciative for what he has done for me, personally. I have no doubt he will continue to have success in this league because, like I have said before, he is smart, and he works his butt off." Jaguars quarterback coach Scott Milanovich will take over the play-calling duties. Hackett was the only coach to be dismissed but there was a major personnel move made as well. Quarterback Blake Bortles, who had started 72 consecutive games dating back to his rookie season in 2014, will be on the bench Sunday when the Jaguars host the Indianapolis Colts. Backup QB Cody Kessler will start against the Colts. Bortles came in at halftime of the third game of the 2014 season and has been the starter for every game since then, but this year he hasn't performed as well as he did a year ago. The fifth-year quarterback, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract extension during the offseason, has been inconsistent throughout the first 11 games. He's had highs -- a career-best 430 passing yards in a loss to Kansas City and a four-touchdown effort in a win over the New England Patriots. He had another game in which he threw for 388 yards in leading the Jaguars to a win over the New York Jets. But there have been multiple "lows" as well. Four times in the last six games, Bortles passed for less than 150 yards in a game. During the Jaguars seven-game losing streak, Bortles' completion percentage has been less than 60 percent in all but one game. Far too often Bortles has been hesitant to make throws downfield, has overthrown receivers or tried to force passes into blanketed receivers. Other times, when a receiver worked his way free of a defender, Bortles sent passes elsewhere or waited too long to make the throw. In explaining his reason for making the move, Marrone offered the same reason as to why Hackett was let go: "I am making this change to give us an opportunity to win a football game." The Jaguars coach went into further details in explaining why he, and only he, made the change at the quarterback spot and of his confidence in Kessler. "Cody knows the offense. He has been in [a game] where he has not really prepared that week [with the other starters], so he will have a full week of preparation," Marrone said. "I talked to him about what is expected of him." As bad as the Jaguars have been and as bad as several players have played, Marrone made it clear that all of the team's erratic play and losing ways start with him. "I want to make sure I am clear with everyone -- anytime you are losing, it is not just on one person; it is on everyone and, obviously when I say that, I understand and take responsibility for it, as it starts with me as the head coach," Marrone said. "I have said that before and I will say it again. It always starts with me first, looking at myself." Milanovich and Kessler's first game in working together will have its challenges. A new one emerged Monday afternoon when Marrone announced that starting left guard Andew Norwell was being placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. Norwell becomes the team's third starting offensive lineman to go on IR, joining tackle Cam Robinson and center Brandon Linder. The Jaguars have been hit hard with injuries to the offensive unit. They have had four different starters at the left tackle spot, at running back and at tight end. --RB Leonard Fournette rushed for 95 yards on 18 carries Sunday against the Bills. He is waiting to hear from the NFL whether he'll be suspended for Sunday's game and/or how much he'll be fined following his actions in the game against Buffalo. Fournette came off the Jaguars bench and threw several punches at Bills DE Shaq Lawson. Both players were ejected. --PK Josh Lambo had made 28 consecutive field goals from inside the 50-yard line when he missed from 42 yards out in the loss to the Bills. Lambo pushed the kick to the left, preventing the Jaguars from taking the lead in the closing minute of the third quarter. --OG Andrew Norwell had started every game the past three seasons including all 11 games this year, but that streak will end this week after Norwell was placed on injured reserve. He suffered an ankle injury in the Buffalo game and was seen wearing a boot and on crutches in the locker room on Monday. --DT Marcell Dareus who had started the first 10 games of the season, missed the Buffalo game due to a back injury. He's likely to return to action later this week. --P Logan Cooke had his fourth consecutive game of posting a 46.0 average or higher. Cooke averaged 47.8 yards/punt (second highest mark of the season) and placed three of his six kicks inside the 20.