JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and benched quarterback Blake Bortles on Monday, one day after the team’s seventh consecutive loss.

Coach Doug Marrone made the sweeping changes to one of the league’s worst offenses.

“I felt I needed to make a change to get us an opportunity to win some games,” Marrone said. “It’s not a knee-jerk reaction. I really feel like at the end of the day we’ve got to try to get better production out of our passing game or more consistent production in our passing game.”

Marrone promoted quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich to offensive coordinator and named backup Cody Kessler as the starting quarterback.

Milanovich spent five seasons (2012-16) as head coach for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League before landing in Jacksonville last year. Kessler lost all eight of his starts for Cleveland in 2016.

Marrone expects Milanovich and Kessler to energize a lackluster offense Sunday when the Jaguars (3-8) meet the Indianapolis Colts (6-5).

“Hopefully he can stay healthy and win some games for us,” Marrone said. “My plan is for him to go in there and play.”

Staying healthy could be a challenge for Kessler considering Jacksonville will be without three starting offensive linemen, including left guard Andrew Norwell (ankle) who was placed on injured reserve Monday. Norwell joins center Brandon Linder and left tackle Cam Robinson on IR.

The Jags also will be without their offensive centerpiece, running back Leonard Fournette, who was suspended one game for leaving the sideline and provoking a fight Sunday in a 24-21 loss at Buffalo.

Marrone refused to make excuses for the offensive struggles.

Bortles didn’t throw for 150 yards in four of the last six games. He had 104 yards against Pittsburgh two weeks ago and 127 against the Bills. Marrone benched Bortles twice in two years, only to give him the job back each time.

But now Bortles could be done in Jacksonville.

Money might be the reason he stays. Bortles, a fifth-year starter, signed a three-year, $54 million contract in February and is due to count $21 million against the salary cap in 2019. Cutting him would cost Jacksonville $16.5 million against the cap.

But it’s clear Marrone has lost faith in Bortles, who regressed this season.

Marrone felt Hackett also should have done more. Marrone and Hackett were together for nine years, including stops at Syracuse (2010-12), with the Bills (2013-14) and in Jacksonville (2015-18).

Hackett ended up being the first scapegoat in Jacksonville’s ultra-disappointing season. He failed to get Bortles and the offense to play anywhere close to the level they did early in the season or in 2017. Injuries have been the biggest issue, but not enough to save Hackett’s job.

“Obviously you feel terrible, especially as an offensive player,” center Tyler Shatley said.

“I feel like a lot of that’s on us. He had great game plans and stuff. We just have to execute better.”