Khan has confidence in Caldwell, Bradley
LONDON — Disappointed but not discouraged was the message Jaguars owner Shad Khan offered Thursday even though his team is 1-5 and has lost four straight games.
Khan and Jaguars president Mark Lamping traveled here ahead of the team this week to do NFL and soccer business.
“In the fourth quarter of the last three games, we were [in position] to win and obviously didn’t close them out,” Khan told the Times-Union after a press conference announcing a five-year extension to the Jaguars-London arrangement.
The Jaguars led Indianapolis 13-10 in the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay 24-20 late in the third quarter and Houston 14-10 entering the fourth quarter but lost all three games.
Asked if those kinds of defeats are tougher to take than the string of blowouts in 2013-14, Khan said: “It’s better to be close than to be blown out, but it’s still a loss. Obviously, I’m disappointed. But there is a lot of football to be played.”
For the first time in the regime of general manager Dave Caldwell and coach Gus Bradley, there is substantial fan unrest over the lack of progress — and maybe even regression — with the on-field product.
The duo is 8-30 since Khan hired them in January 2013.
“I have a huge amount of confidence in them,” Khan said.
Khan is encouraged by the progress quarterback Blake Bortles has displayed but also knows what needs to get better.
“I’m really gratified to see Blake improving and gratified in how our offense has come together,” Khan said. “I would like the defense to step up and we have to close out games.”
Yeldon returns
Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon, who missed the Houston game with a groin injury last week, returned to the practice Thursday on a limited basis.
It was the first time he has been on the practice field in two weeks.
If he has no setbacks, it seems likely Yeldon will play in London against Buffalo Sunday, but Bradley will update his condition after practice.
Without Yeldon, the Jaguars struggled in the running game against Houston.
They rushed for only 83 yards and 37 of them came on four Bortles scrambles.
Yeldon has carried 81 times for 291 yards for an average of 3.6 yards per carry.
His longest run has been 36 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown.
Safety James Sample (shoulder), tight end Clay Harbor (abdomen), and wide receiver Marqise Lee (hamstring) all were sidelined at practice.
Bradley said Wednesday that Lee wouldn’t practice this week. Harbor was a new addition to the injury list. Right tackle Jermey Parnell also didn’t appear to practice.
Wide receiver Allen Robinson, safety Johnathan Cyprien and Allen Hurns were on the practice field and the team will update after practice whether they were limited or practiced in full.