The Jaguars have fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, according to a team statement.
Head coach Doug Marrone called it a "tough decision."
"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."
SIGN UP to watch every NFL game and RedZone during the 2018 season on DAZN
The 38-year-old Hackett was in his third season as the Jaguars' OC, and while the offense performed well last year, ranking fifth in points per game and sixth in yards, it has struggled this season. The Jaguars rank 28th in the NFL in scoring at 17.9 points per game, and are near the bottom in most offensive categories.
Part of that can be attributed to injuries, notably the loss of running back Leonard Fournette for six games. Yet quarterback Blake Bortles has not progressed as the team had hoped. Bortles threw for only 127 yards and was intercepted twice in a 24-21 loss to the Bills Sunday in which Fournette was ejected after being involved in a brawl. It was Jacksonville's seventh straight loss.
Jaguars fan site BigCatCountry.com noted: "The move was not much of a surprise and most fans would probably say long overdue." The site said Hackett was too predictable with his play calls and not good at in-game adjustments.
However, the site noted, "I’m not sure what you can expect an offensive coordinator to do or game plan with a quarterback who is playing as poorly and struggling to consistently complete simple normal NFL passes as Blake Bortles this season."