JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars have fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, a day after Jacksonville (3-8) lost its seventh consecutive game.
Head coach Doug Marrone announced the move in a statement posted Monday morning on the team's official Twitter account, calling Hackett's departure a "tough decision."
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"We would like to thank Nathaniel for his hard work and dedication to the Jaguars organization, and we wish him and his family the best moving forward," Marrone said.
"These are always tough decisions, but as the head coach, I have to do what I think is best for this football team."
We have relieved Nathaniel Hackett of his duties as offensive coordinator. pic.twitter.com/Uo1STVn3aa
— #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) November 26, 2018
Hackett was in his his third season as the Jaguars' offensive coordinator.
In less than five seasons Hackett is the third offensive coordinator (joining Jedd Fisch and Greg Olson) to lose their job while directing an offense led by quarterback Blake Bortles.
In 2017 Jacksonville led the NFL in rushing. That production has been missing in 2018.
So far the Jaguars are 28th in the NFL in scoring at 17.9 points per game, down from 26 ppg a year ago.
Injuries have certainly played a role. Running back Leonard Fournette missed six games with a hamstring injury. Starters Cam Robinson, Marqise Lee, Brandon Linder and Austin Seferian-Jenkins are all on injured reserve.
Bortles has been unable to overcome the rash of injuries. Due to issues along the offensive line Bortles has taken few shots down the field. He's completing a career high 60.4 percent of his passes. However he's only averaging 6.97 yards per completion which ranks 29th overall in the NFL.