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When All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell re-watched his first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars Patrick Willis Jersey , he noticed a recurring issue: The vaunted defense had chances to come up big late in games and failed.
It happened in four of Jacksonvilleâs final five losses, including â and most memorably â in the AFC championship game at New England.
Campbell felt as if the unit also could and should have done more against the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona and Tennessee.
âWhen I study the tape and those situations, I realize that as good as we are we have so much room for growth,â Campbell said.
With Campbell leading the way, âfinishingâ has become the defenseâs motto for 2018. The Jags expect to be better in those fourth-quarter situations, knowing one stop could be the difference in a league that has a penchant for tight games.
âWe have to have that mentality of crunch time,â Pro Bowl linebacker Telvin Smith said. âWe know we are not front-runners; we can bang with you. We just have to put our foot on your throat and keep it there from the beginning to the end.â
Jacksonvilleâs defense was one of the best in the league in 2017. The group ranked second in points (16.8) and yards allowed (286.1) and first in yards per play (4.61), passing yards (169.9), third down rate (33.6 percent) and red zone rate (39.3 percent).
The Jaguars also had 55 sacks and set a franchise record with 33 takeaways.
In some games Kyle Rudolph Jersey , it wasnât enough.
Jacksonville had New England reeling in late January, leading 20-10 early in the fourth quarter. But the defense allowed Tom Brady to convert a third-and-18 play that led to a touchdown and later provided little resistance while trying to prevent the go-ahead score.
In the regular-season finale at Tennessee, the Jaguars trailed 15-10 with about four minutes remaining but gave up two first downs that helped the Titans to run out the clock and essentially seal the victory.
The defense also faltered twice down the stretch at Arizona in late November. The Jags led 17-16 in the fourth before getting torched for a long touchdown pass. They tied the game on the ensuing possession and kept it that way until Blaine Gabbert connected on two first-down passes in the final 16 seconds to set up a game-winning 57-yard field goal.
Those three losses came on the road. The Rams found similar success against the Jags in Jacksonville.
They were up 24-17 with about seven minutes to play and essentially put the game away by picking up three first downs that got them into field-goal range.
âItâs not a conditioning thing. Itâs a mental thing,â Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson said. âThat is something that is easily correctable. You just have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what it is. It is nothing wrong with what we are doing, us schematically. It is not that we are not in shape. It is just we have to have that mentality.
âYou have to see the blood in the water. You have to go attack.â
The Jaguars expect to see gains from returning 10 defensive starters and having all of them in the same scheme for a second straight year. They also anticipate continued improvement from star cornerback Jalen Ramsey as well as linebacker Myles Jack and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.
All that experience has Jacksonville making offseason tweaks to blitz schemes and third-down packages â and waiting for another late-game shot.
âYou have to go out there when you have an opportunity, when it presents itself, whether it is a preseason game or during the regular season,â coach Doug Marrone said. âThen, you have to step up and do it and that will prove that you are able to do those things.
âI think that until you do that in those situations, there is always going to be a question mark. But having the thought of wanting to do that obviously helps because it keeps you aware of that situation.â
â
The Chicago Bulls like to think they are one of the NBAâs up-and-coming teams James Develin Jersey , one that could challenge for a playoff berth next season.
They also admit there are many more boxes to check off first.
Led by forward Lauri Markkanen, the Bulls return a slew of young talent but the team lacks depth and key playmakers. Much will depend on Markkanenâs development along with that of swingman Zach LaVine, guards Kris Dunn, Cameron Payne and Denzel Valentine, and big men Cristiano Felicio and Bobby Portis. Like center Wendell Carter Jr. and forward Chandler Hutchison, the teamâs first-round draft picks, all are 25 or younger.
Although the Bulls are nearly $40 million below the salary cap, executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said a significant move was âunlikelyâ this offseason. Free agency begins this weekend.
âWe have loads of (salary) cap space,â Paxson said Monday, when Carter and Hutchison were introduced at a news conference. âWhat we donât have are many open roster spots. We could add one player Jordy Nelson Jersey , but weâre not going to risk making a mistake on a longterm deal. At this point, we donât feel any urgency to do something big.â
At the top of the to-do list is the somewhat murky future of LaVine, a restricted free agent whose athletic talents are sure to generate interest. Sixteen months removed from left ACL surgery, he averaged 16.7 points and shot just 38 percent in 24 games last season.
âObviously, we want Zach back,â Paxson said. âBut thereâs a free-agent process that weâll follow. The fact that so many teams have limited cap space is in our favor. Until then, weâll consider Zach to be a big part of our plans.â
For the Bulls to become relevant next season â theyâve reached the conference finals just once since the Michael Jordan years â LaVine and Markkanen will have to fulfill their star potential. The plan calls for them to be more active in the offense, which ranked 30th and last in field-goal percentage (.435) and 26th in points (102.9) last season.
As a rookie, Markkanen averaged 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds.
âWeâll allow Markkanen to make plays a lot more next season,â coach Fred Hoiberg said. âIf he rebounds the ball Travis Benjamin Jersey , we want the other guys running and let him bring the ball downcourt.â
Unable to trade up in the draft order last week, the Bulls made a safe pick in the 6-foot-10 Carter at No. 7 overall. The Duke product does his best work as a rebounder and rim protector but will require time to develop other parts of his game.
âIâm a very hard worker. Iâm a winner also,â Carter said. âI come in and do whatever I have to to help the team win. That will be an immediate impact.â
The 6-foot-7 Hutchison (22nd overall) possesses an intriguing mix of physical tools. At Boise State, he scored and drew fouls consistently. Both are areas of considerable need in Chicago.
While a lot has to go right for a team that finished 27-55 to make a quantum jump, the Bulls showed flashes when they won 10 of 12 games in December.
âThat stretch last season is where the optimism comes from,â Holberg said. âSince then, weâve added two young, versatile players who fit for our roster very well. And Zach will have fewer restrictions. So there are a lot of reasons to be excited.â
â
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