It would have been tough to write anything about the Colts-Jags game…so I just refrained from it.  If you are a Jaguars fan that game was rough enough on you without having to relive it.  The main stories from that night, the Colts still own the division and we lost David Garrard for 2-4 weeks.  Don’t you wish we still had Byron Leftwich to back him up now?

After looking miserable against the Colts, Quinn Gray looked miserable again against the Bucs.  He overthrew about every receiver, which is saying something because most of our receivers are tall.  He only completed seven passes the entire game.  Somehow we found a way to get it done, and it started and ended with defense.

15 of the Jaguars first 16 plays were runs, as we ran all the way down field and Labrandon Toefield punched it in to go up 7-3.  It looked like we would be able to run all over them, but that wasn’t the case.  The eventually clamped it down and the next drive we settled for a field goal to go up 10-3.  Then came the play of the game on the Bucs’ next drive.  Jeff Garcia had not throw an interception the entire season.  He was the only one to accomplish that along with our own David Garrard.  But when the Bucs got the ball back, Garcia tried to throw a comeback route and the 435 year old Aaron Glenn jumped the route, caught the ball and ran it all the way in.  Up 17-3 and it looked like we could blow them out, but again it was not to be.  On the next possession they completed a 55 yard touchdown pass to Joey Galloway and made it 17-10, and at the end of the half they got another field goal to make it 17-13.

Two Buccaneer scores in the third quarter left us reeling and left me pissed that the team had given me such false hope that we would blow them out earlier in the game.  A Michael Bennett touchdown run and another Matt Bryant field goal gave them the lead at 23-17 going into the fourth.

Then we started “The Drive.”  The Jaguars moved the ball all the way down the field and Quinn Gray finished it off with a touchdown pass to…Matt Jones.  I know, its incredible, he actually caught a pass.  Not only that but Quinn Gray actually completed one.  It was a pretty good catch too and makes you wish he did that more often.  So we went up 24-23 and it was up to the defense, which came through admirably.  They stopped the first Tampa drive and got us the ball back and we were able to run some time off the clock before a Tony Pashos penalty and a Gaines Adams sack killed the drive.  So we gave the ball back with about two minutes to go and it was up to the defense again.  Luckily they came through again with Reggie Nelson intercepting Garcia for the third time in the game.

So we came through with a big win when we really needed one.  It was going to be hard without David but we pulled it out in the end with good defense.  We’ll need it next week against the Saints too, so strap it on boys.

Wow.  These are the Jags I love to watch.  After a fairly miserable first half, the second half performance by the Jags against the Texans was a joy to behold.  The offense was clicking, the defense was stifling, and everything was just one big party at the stadium.

To start off I’m going to talk about the play of David Garrard.  We’re 4-1 now, five games into the season.  Garrard’s total interceptions=zero.  They say defense wins championships, but throwing zero interceptions will help quite a bit.  Only Jeff Garcia in Tampa has thrown zero along with Garrard.  He seems to get more and more comfortable every week and you can see it in his play.  While we aren’t going for many passes over ten yards, much less twenty, he does complete most of his passes and converts third downs when we need it.  I know he’s already 29 years old but I think we should give him a 5 year deal soon.

On to the running game which was quite good as well.  We’ve had some troubles getting the running backs going a lot this year but this week it seemed to finally click.  Fred Taylor took the ball on the second play of the game for 76 yards and would have gone all the way if he was still 25.  He did re-injure himself on the play though and didn’t see much work for the rest of the game.  Enter Supeman.  MJD seemed to have big plays left and right.  He had some nice gains on screen passes and a nice long run followed by a flip into the end-zone to complete his two touchdown, 125 yard performance.   It was a good running day all around.

The passing game I spoke about with Garrard, but let me just say this, if you think Matt Jones sucks as much as I do, let’s do something about it.  At least let our voices be heard.  I’ll be at the Stadium Monday night against the Colts with a big sign that simply says “Matt Jones Sucks.”  That is the given truth.  He is the worst receiver to EVER step onto the field as a Jaguar, and that includes Alvis Whitted.  Northcutt continues to run good routes and get open much more than any other receiver, and after Reggie Williams lost 2 fumbles he kind of made up for it with a touchdown catch.

The defense played a good game as well.  It was a Texans team without Andre Johnson, yes, but still a team that has played well offensively and has averaged 23 points per game.  The line allowed under 60 yards rushing which is always good because it forces the other team to pass.  And pass they did.  Some guy named Kevin Walter caught 12 passes for 160 yards.  Now before this game I had never even HEARD of Kevin Walter, but he torched our defense all game.  I don’t know whats up with our pass defense but first Brandon Marshall and now Kevin Walter have gone over 100 yards on us even though they aren’t considered elite receivers.  Hopefully they can get it together.  The other problem was our pass rush was non-existent, which certainly didn’t help the coverage.  The one sack we did get was a good one, because Daryl Smith picked up the Matt Schaub fumble and took it all the way to the house.

The only problem other than the ones I mentioned was on the kicking team of all things.  In the first quarter we kicked a successful field goal that was ruled out because of a 15 yard facemask on Mo Williams.  How is it even possible to get a 15 yard facemask penalty while blocking for a kick?  You only have to block for one second!  Of course, the ensuing try missed badly, so it was points off the board.  Later in the game, we somehow managed to have an extra point blocked.  I didn’t really even know that that was possible, it’s the easiest play in the game!  Maybe Mo Williams didn’t want a penalty so he just didn’t block at all.

The Colts are coming to town next Monday. The game is sold out and I know it will be rockin’.  Now is our chance to take over the AFC South and put our fate in our own hands.  Welcome to Jacksonville Peyton, now lay down.

Well after a horrendous first game of the season, the defense has definitely stepped it up.  After holding Atlanta to only seven points, the defense went to Denver and held them to only fourteen points on the road.  The defensive line picked it up and kept Travis Henry the weed-head under wraps and forced Jay Cutler to make mistakes with pressure on him.  Brandon Marshall had quite a good game receiving and sometimes made our tackling look miserable, but he was really the only Bronco to make an impact on the game.

As far as the offense was concerned, they looked pretty good.  Although it hasn’t been the running game of last season, it has picked up each game a little bit.  David Garrard kept it clean with no turnovers and a solid game.  He really seems to be a new player now that he doesn’t have any competition for the starting job.  I think our running game will continue to improve over the course of the season and that will take even more pressure off of Garrard.

So it was a big win on the road in Denver and we went into the early bye week 2-1.

After the bye week Khalif Barnes got into even more trouble by wrecking his car into a tree and then pulling a Lance Briggs and leaving the scene.  Barnes has already been convicted of DUI and you have to wonder if he left because he had been drinking and driving again.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Del Rio puts some disciplinary action on him soon because he has been out of control.

Up next was Kansas City, who were coming off a big win over San Diego.  I’ll admit I was a little nervous about this game, not only because they had just beaten the Chargers, but also because of our tendency to play down to our opponents level.  If this year is going to result in the playoffs though, we had to win this one, and win we did.

Larry Johnson was held to only ten yards rushing.  TEN YARDS!  This is the back that led the league in rushing last year and dominated us when we played them in week 17 of last season.   Marcus Stroud, John Henderson, and Rob Meier were especially good up the middle, and Mike Peterson and Daryl Smith came up huge for us at linebacker.  The Chiefs’ offense sputtered all day, and I think Dustin Colquitt may have to take a week off because he had to punt so much.

The one defensive problem in the game was covering Tony Gonzales.  I know he’s a quality player, but no tight end should be able to get one hundred yards receiving against this defense.  He was open almost every time they threw it to him and he made all the catches that he was supposed to make and more.  We play the Chargers later in the season so we’ll be able to see if Jack and Mike Smith can come up with a better scheme against good tight ends like Gonzales and Antonio Gates.

As far as the offense goes, they looked good overall, but the lack of points is bothersome.  I know this offense won’t go put up forty points every week like the Colts and Patriots, but we dominated the possession and the offensive and defensive lines of the Chiefs yet still only scored 17 points.   David Garrard had another good game, and he is I think the only quarterback to have not thrown an interception this year (Knock on wood).  Freddy T and MJD were a good combo and Drew had a nice 53 yard touchdown run where he made the defenders look silly.  Matt Jones and Tony Pashos still should not be starting for this team and Matt Jones really shouldn’t even be PLAYING for the team.  It’s horrible to see him in the game because you know it’s like playing with ten men that play.

So now we’re 3-1 and coming back home next week to face Houston.  Let me set this up the way it has to be said: This. Is. A. Must. Win. Game.  If the Jags want to make the playoffs this year, this game has to be a win.  They are the weakest team in our division and we need two wins over them this year.  I know we have struggled with them in the past but now is the time to step it up.  A loss here kills us, because we have the Colts to follow.  Now is the time to shine Jags.  In these next two weeks we can take control of the division.  Go out there, play physical, and get the W.  Lock it down Jags.  Let’s Do This.

What can you really say besides that it was a disappointing loss. Against a team we really should have beaten, we gave up a franchise record in rushing yards and made Chris Brown look like Emmit Smith. Instead of just giving a recap of the game I’m just going to point out what I saw while I was at the game.

David Garrard: He had a decent “debut” as the starting quarterback. His passing was pretty sharp in the first half, and his bomb to John Broussard was a beautiful throw and catch. Second half he looked a lot worse. The last two possessions for the Jaguars he went 0 for 6, and while two of them were drops by Dennis Northcutt, he wasn’t very accurate with several over-throws. Definitely room for improvement, but he isn’t to blame for the loss.

The Running Game: Overall it was miserable. As good as the Jags’ rushing offense was last year, that’s how bad it was this game. MJD and Freddy T never really got going at all and while both had decent runs at one point, most of the carries went for 1 or 2 yards. The line never got going and we really were dominated up front.

Matt Jones: Why is this guy on the team? He has to be the worst receiver to ever pull on a Jaguars jersey. His routes are sloppy, he never breaks away from his defender, and when the ball is thrown to him he drops it, as he did on two occasions during this game. I wish they had given Mike Walker a chance because Matt Jones really is a waste of space on the field. I sincerely hope that he is gone next year.

Defensive Line: One word: terrible. What happened to our two pro bowl defensive tackles? Were they even in the game? The Titans couldn’t gain ten yards in the passing game but every rush up the middle would get them at least eight. Their line continually forced not only our line but our linebackers off the ball and the holes were big enough to drive a semi truck through. Hopefully they can get it together before the next game.

Linebackers: The group as a whole was not very good. Daryl Smith was the best performer out of the group. Mike Peterson’s return from injury was very frustrating, because he was blocked away from the play almost every time they ran the ball. Pat Thomas was barely heard from.

Cornerbacks: Both starters were outstanding. Rashean Mathis made a great interception and Brian Williams was very assured in his tackling and his coverage. Vince Young couldn’t find anyone to throw to when they passed, which was rarely given how well their running game was working.

Safeties: Sammy Knight probably led the team in tackles for the game. He seemed to be the one making the tackle on every run play, which is a bad sign if the safety is always making the play on the running back. Reggie Nelson I don’t think had a very good game. He did make a few tackles but it wasn’t a great performance. Gerald Sensabaugh had a pretty good game, and he should have had a touchdown but the refs blew the whistle and called the runner down although it was a clear fumble on the replay.

Coaching: Honestly I am scared for the rest of the season if the coaching staff makes any more decisions like the ones made in this game. The first challenge of the game was a horrible one. There was zero chance of the call being overturned and so we wasted an early timeout. The worst call of the game came on 4th down and 10 from the Titans’ 19 yard line, and it probably blew the game for us. With Josh Scobee hurt, Del Rio opted to go for it instead of trying a field goal to go up by 7. We ran a shovel pass, and were stopped at the line of scrimmage. The Titans then turned around and scored a touchdown to make it 13-10, which stuck till the end. Are you telling me that Adam Podlesh, who kicks a ball for a living, is so bad at field goals that he can’t even TRY to kick a 36 yard field goal? Can nobody on the entire team attempt that kick to take a 7 point lead? Put me in the game and I’ll try that and probably be able to make it. 36 yards is practically a chip-shot for an NFL kicker, and I think Jack really blew it here. Podlesh should have been in that game trying to kick it, and if he misses then he misses, but at least it’s the most logical move. Please Jack, get your brain together for the next game.

That’s about all I got out of this game. Atlanta comes to town next week, let’s hope it’s a better performance all around.

Only two days to go until the Jacksonville Jaguars kick off the 2007 season against the hated Tennessee Titans. In what could make a make or break year for Jack Del Rio and General Manager “Shack” Harris, expectations are high for the team after under performing for the past few years. In this season preview we’ll go over predictions, positions breakdowns, and more.

Position Breakdown

Quarterback: With the release of Byron Leftwich, starter for the last four seasons, David Garrard has been thrust directly into the spotlight, and he will be under pressure to perform. He’s been given the ultimate confidence by the coaching staff, and now he needs to repay that faith. Garrard has always been a decent starter, but he needs to step up his accuracy and his decision making. His costly turnovers cost the Jaguars a playoff spot last year and he will have to cut down on them if the Jags are going to have a successful season this year. Quinn Gray is a solid backup QB and if the need arises he should be able to fill in well. Position Rating: 6/10

Running Back: Fred Taylor is now entering his tenth season as a Jaguar, and he has been the most productive back in team history. As he enters the twilight of his career, the team just happens to have another quite productive back waiting in the wings. Maurice Jones-Drew broke out last year as a rookie and he’ll look to up his production again this year. The Jags have one of the top rushing tandems in the league and with the passing offence in bad shape the team will count on the running game to really control games. The should be able to do just that. Position rating: 10/10

Wide Receiver: Quite possibly the weakest position on the team. The passing offence has taken a real dive ever since the retirement of Jimmy Smith. The team has constantly lacked a real deep threat. The three starting receivers pre-Northcutt were all too similar to play at the same time. I think bringing in Northcutt was the right move because he is smaller and quicker. Ernest Wilford has been the most consistent receiver over the years, and I really thought that Reggie Williams would be gone by now. Matt Jones is just awful, and they cut Charles Sharon, the best performer in preseason, and put him on the practice squad. David Garrard may have real problems trying to throw to this group. Position Rating: 4/10

Tight End: This needs to be a big year for Marcedes Lewis. This front office has not had good luck with first round picks and they don’t need this one to be another bust. With the receivers in such bad shape the tight end may need to be used a lot. George Wrighster is fairly consistent and should be again this year. Position Rating: 6/10

Offensive Line: This unit has the potential to be very good. They were good last year and added Tony Pashos for this season. Brad Meester will miss some time with injury but he is a very good center when healthy. Chris Naeole is a great right guard and Vince Manuwai will be a very good one. Khalif Barnes is a quality left tackle. Pashos hasn’t had a good preseason at all but hopefully he will turn it around for the season. Position Rating: 8/10

Defensive Line: The strength of the team, the defense, starts right here with the defensive line. The Jaguars should once again have one of the best defensive lines in the league. Led by Marcus Stroud and John Henderson at the tackles, they form a formidable line to run or pass against. Reggie Hayward is returning from injury and will hopefully be back to his pass rushing self. He is a very good player if he can stay healthy. Bobby McCray had a great year last year and hopefully between himself and Paul Spicer they can hold down the other side of the line. Facing this line is no easy task. Postition Rating: 10/10

Linebackers: The Jaguar linebackers as a whole are young, fast, and ferocious. Daryl Smith has shown that he can play anywhere in the linebacking corps and with Mike Peterson back from injury he should move back to outside linebacker. Clint Ingram also showed his quality last season and I’m looking for him to have a big year. They say when you have a good defensive line it’s easy to play linebacker. I think the LB’s will all have great years and should also help getting pressure on the QB from blitzes. Position Rating: 9/10

Defensive Backs: Reggie Nelson and Gerald Sensabaugh have big shoes to fill. The losses of Deon Grant and Donovan Darius not only take away two very good safeties but they take away a lot of the veteran leadership on the team. Nelson may have some struggles at first but he will adjust quickly and will be a potential pro bowler next year. Sensabaugh can definitely lay a hit on people and will hopefully be able to fill Darius’s role. Rashean Mathis is one of the best cover corners in the league and will continue to lock down his half of the field. He’ll make it easier on the young safeties. Brian Williams is a great compliment to Mathis and he also is a good player. The defense may be on the field a lot, so it’s good that the team has such quality on this side of the ball. Position Rating: 8/10

Special Teams: Adam Podlesh replaces Chris Hanson at the punter position and after being a fourth round draft pick he’s expected to be good at once. Josh Scobee has shown himself to be a consistent kicker and that should continue. Dennis Northcutt should take over the punt returning duties and he does have a good reputation for doing it well. Maurice Drew will probably also get to have some return work on the kickoffs. Position Rating: 7/10

Season Prediction

The team is expected to win now, and I have to agree. I think the offense will still not be very good but the defense will allow the Jags to win more than they lose. I think the final record will be 10-6.

Game Prediction

As for the Titans game, I predict the score will be Jaguars 20 Titans 13.

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