Jacksonville Jaguars’ Question Marks Shine in First Preseason Win

Question marks turned into exclamation points in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ last preseason game. 

The Jaguars, who had many young rookies playing in their first action, overpowered the Washington Redskins in a quality win to head into the regular season.

First the wide receivers: There were questions about the two wide receivers in Mike Sims-Walker and Mike Thomas. Mike and Mike played stellar football.

Thomas muffed no punts (even when obliterated by a Washington defender), had two solid reverses, and even caught a couple of passes. Sims-Walker, started slow, but finished the night with a fantastic performance, with a diving catch (shown above) and the Jags’ sole offensive touchdown, as he broke through three defenders. 

Troy Williamson was very strong as well, with four catches for 35 yards, while Torry Holt added a nice 31-yard grab as well.

The offensive line played much better tonight, as David Garrard was only sacked once. Garrard had a 122.7 passer rating going 10-of-13 for 95 yards. He also lead multiple continuous drives.

Derek Cox looked solid in his first performance, as he had some hard hits, and looked better than Brian Williams.

The defense looked a bit shaky at times, but forced a fumble and put occasional pressure on Redskins’ quarterback Jason Campbell.

Rashad Jennings made what I thought to be the play of the night. Who could forget him running over four Redskins for a 20-yard gain on 2nd-and-30th. Jennings also ran well, and seems to have won the job over Chauncey Washington.

The rookies looked solid; however, Tiquan Underwood seems destined for the practice squad based on Thomas and Dillard’s performance.

All-in-all, a good performance for the Jaguars going into Week One versus the Indianapolis Colts.

The Maurice Jones-Drew injury will not be a problem, as x-rays were negative, and I can almost personally guarantee that he will not miss the first game. 

Still Jennings looks like he could have a solid game against the Colts, if he keeps his hard running style out. Considering the Colts have two DT’s and Bob Sanders out.

A week one win against the Colts would be a phenomenal boost to the Jags confidence and a season setter.

If the Jags beat the Colts, I predict they will go 10-6.

If they lose, 7-9.

I think it’s that important.

What to Watch For: Jaguars Face-off Against Skins in Final Preseason Game

As they would say in Spanish speaking countries: Uno mas.

Uno mas. One more week of preseason football left.  One more week until the Titans and Steelers take a crack at it, facing off as two of the favorites to compete for the AFC Championship and aSuper Bowl trophy.

But tonight is a much bigger night then that night will be, at least for Jaguars players and coaches.  Here are my 10 things to watch for in tonight’s game:

1.  Mike Thomas-  The highly heralded rookie will play in his first game tonight.  He should return punts and possibly kicks and play a good quantity of time in tonight’s game.  I am very curious to see how Thomas stacks up to the other rookies.

2.  Mike Sims-Walker- Well if MSW can be as good as MJD, then we could have a totally different type of three headed monster in Jacksonville.  A three letter monster.  Besides that, Sims-Walker makes his preseason debut tonight in an effort to try and take back the second wide receiver spot.

3.Troy Williamson-  If Williamson puts together a solid performance, he will pencil himself in as a starter week one; if he already hasn’t.

4.  Derek Cox-  He’ll need an outstanding performance but Cox could have stolen the starting corner job from B. Williams weeks ago had he not injured his groin.  We will see how the corner who has been so raved about performs.

5. O-Line-  Can they pull together?  The O-Line has played so-so in this preseason, so a good game against their old pal Albert Hanysworth should go a long way against the Skins.

6. Linebackers-  Lets see how the starters play… It should be very good. Considering the backups played in Philly.

7. Rashad vs Chauncey- who will become MJD’s backup?  It will likely come down to a battle in tonight’s game.  Look for both to receive a lot of playing time.

8. A win-  Lets get a win.  Enough said.

9. Long continuous drives- Although the Jags scored 32 points against the Eagles in last weeks game, many came off of big plays and defensive turnovers.  Lets see the Jags put drives together.

10. Punters-  Its a battle, so we have to watch it.  Podlesh vs Weatherford…

 

 

Ten Things I See in the ’09 Jags

1. The Emergence of Second Year Defensive Ends

Last night, and in every preseason game, Groves and Harvey have done an exceptional job at defensive end. 

True, neither have registered a sack, but the two defensive ends have created pressure and seem to be right in the action.  Especially Derrick Harvey, who was in the right place at the right time for much of last night.

 

2. Wide Receiver Play

I don’t know if I have seen one bad drop, besides Mercedes Lewis, from the Jaguars receiving core. 

Sure, the Jags aren’t perfect in the passing game (far from it), but once Garrard gains seasonal form, the Jaguars should not be plagued with the drops that have been an issue for years.

 

3.  Troy Williamson Continues to Impress

Williamson is becoming a solid threat for the Jags, and although he may have only caught one ball on four pass attempts, the other three balls last night were poorly thrown. 

If you look at the first pass of the game, Williamson had a step and had plenty of open space, had Garrard put the pass on the money.

 

4.  The Linebackers are Deep and Solid

Against one of this year’s Super Bowl favorites, the Jaguars held the Eagles to just six points at the half, with all three backup linebackers in.  The Jaguars will be a much more physical team this year, and it starts with the linebackers.

 

5.  The Defense Will be Much Improved

Rashean Mathis is playing very well and the secondary had a decent night last night against the Eagles.  The run defense has been stellar against the Dolphins and Eagles, two teams with plenty of RB talent.

 

6. David Garrard Will Be Fine

Sure, he hasn’t had a stellar preseason, but it certainly has not been bad.  And when you watch other quarterbacks, like Donovan McNabb, they make some of the same preseason errors that Garrard makes. 

 

7. The Jags are a Big Second Quarter Team

The Jaguars have made a living in the second quarter, scoring 30 of the teams 64 preseason points just before the half. 

 

8. Tyler Thigpen Would be a Fantastic Addition

We saw last night that Paul Smith can barely throw the ball, and Bouman has a problem with getting balls batted down.  Although Thigpen may have been 1-10 as a starter, he kept the Chiefs in games.

 

9. Special Teams May be the Achilles Heel

The Jaguars are struggling a bit in special teams.  Although the performance last night was much improved, you can almost see the Jaguars squandering a late game lead on a kick or punt return.

 

10. Chauncey Washington has Taken a Big Step on Rashad Jennings

Sure, Jennings is hurt, but when you watch Washington run, you can almost see a MJD in him.  Almost.  But still, Washington has looked FAR better than he did in his rookie year.

 

Five Predictions

1. In 2010-11, the Jaguars will possess a three-headed monster (Jennings, MJD, Washington).

2.  The Jags will win their first game against the Colts (Bob Sanders won’t be playing and neither will the two starting DT’s…can you say HUGE day MJD?).

3.  Garrard will throw 18 TDs; 10 INTS.

4. The Jags will have the number 12 offense in the NFL and the number 10 defense.

5.The Jaguars will average around 21 points per game.

The Battle for a Spot: Thoughts on Jacksonville’s First Preseason Game

As I turned the television on to watch the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first preseason game, I partially expected to see the Jags move the ball and score around 10 points with their first offense. I expected a solid performance from the offensive line, I expected a heavy run team, and I certainly expected plenty of time for quarterback David Garrard to throw. 

But alas, this was not the case. 

The first offense was downright embarrassing, besides a bright spot in Williamson’s catch and fumble recovery and Torry Holt’s first catch as a Jaguar. The Jaguars seemed to be passing more then they were running, and although the second offense did play pretty well, they were unable to punch it into the endzone besides a screen pass negated by a holding call. 

However, the one bright spot did come with the Jags’ defense, which performed solidly finishing with two interceptions. They held a playoff Miami offense to three points in the first quarter, and applied some pressure on the Dolphins. If it hadn’t been for a questionable pass interference call on Brian Williams, then this would have been two three-and-outs for the Jags’ defense. 

Also, two wide receivers, Nate Hughes and Troy Williamson, showed good signs throughout the game. Williamson had 74 yards receiving on four catches for an average of around 20 per catch.  For a Jags team that had very seldom plays downfield, this is a great sign. It’s also a great sign for Williamson who was on the verge of being cut from the team. More preseason games like this and he may find himself starting opposite Torry Holt.  

Nate Hughes also had a solid game making three solid catches, one on a slant in which he dove and made a fantastic catch on the play. He could become the slot wide receiver if Mike Thomas does not play well in his return. 

Rashad Jennings had a couple solid hits as he would POP into defenders, or in John Madden’s words, there was a boom and the boom was caused by Jennings, not the defense.  

Vince Manuwai should be starting next week over Uche Nwaneri, who had a poor game last week and will need to step up next week. 

 

Thoughts on Jags-Bucs

1. O-Line: The O-Line has been challenged to improve, and i see a much better game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, I think that the Jags should go with a line of Eben Britton, Mo Williams, Meester, Vince Manuwai, and Tra Thomas. Tony Pashos had a poor game.

2. More MJD: He needs to get more then one carry on the day. Enough said.

3. Receivers: Can Williamson and Holt repeat? If Thomas or Walker plays, how do they compare?

4. How does Derek Cox compare to Brian Williams?

5. Sack? Although the Jags applied pressure, let’s see them bring down Byron Leftwich or Luke McCown. 

The Top 10 Jags To Watch in the First Preseason Game

Tonight is the night. The night that we have all been waiting for. The Jaguars will take the field tonight at 730 eastern time and begin the season that we have waited so long to begin. It is a season of hope for fans, one that could only be better then last year. So as the ball is kicked off in Miami tonight, what players are pivitoal to watch? Here is my list.

David Garrard’s Preseason Struggles Shouldn’t Concern Jaguars Fans

When you hear reports from Jaguars Training Camp 2009, you hear a majority of good things. 

You will probably hear about Greg Jones, Rashad Jennings, and Maurice Jones-Drew performing up to par, or even a birdie or two better.  

You might also hear of the new and improved offensive line, the improved secondary, the wide receivers with speed and actual hands, or maybe the hard hitting linebackers. 

However, one of the biggest concerns for many is David Garrard’s performance. 

While you can’t question the quarterback’s dedication, his skill is often questioned.

After a sub-par performance in Saturday night’s scrimmage some are beginning to wonder if this season will be another disappointment.

Jags fans, I have a feeling that the panic switch should be way out of reach at this point. 

Here’s why:

1. Garrard’s New Targets = New Chemistry

Let’s think for a second. 

What’s the difference between tall sluggish wide receivers and medium to small speedy wide receivers? 

Don’t worry, it’s not a trick question—there’s a whole lot of difference. 

As Mike Walker and Troy Williamson are the only returning wide receivers from last year, David has to find out where a wide receiver will be and when and where he should throw the ball. 

This is something that only comes with time, as a speedy short receiver will need the ball in a different place then a tall sluggish one would.  

Garrard just needs some time to find the right spot to put the ball with the new wide outs.

 

2. It’s the Beginning of the Season and Everyone’s a Bit Rusty

Jags fans should be reminded that the Jags were the last team in the AFC South to open training camp.

They may seem behind, while in reality they aren’t. 

 

3.  Garrard Has Never Been Terrible

Despite a poor 2008, well by his standards, David Garrard still threw for just as many touchdowns as Byron Leftwich threw for in his years as the Jacksonville starter.

Garrard carried the team with leadership, big runs, and big drives.

With the re-emergence of the offensive line, the hope is that Garrard will only have to be decent for the Jags to win. 

So before you hit the panic button, relax.

David Garrard could return to 2007 form, even though he may not seem to be performing or having a stellar day in training camp. 

However, if the trend continues later in the preseason, be ready to grab the panic button, because there’s nothing behind him.

Preseason/Training Camp Thoughts and Questions

The Jaguars 2009 season is one full of questions. The Jaguars, in my opinoin is that the Jags have a chance to become the Ravens or Falcons of last year. However, I would not be surprised if the the Jags finished medicorily, or even in last in there division. Ultimately, the Jaguars season comes down to a few big questions which some of are adressed here.

NFL: The Preseason Worth Watching: Can Jags Rookies Pay Dividents?

As the rain drops down my window on this cloudy afternoon, I slowly rot from the lack of quality sports entertainment.  As a football and lacrosse player, its bad when the most sports entertainment that I can find is the US Soccer Team.  Then I remember that it is not far away from football season.  August is when the real pads come out, august is when the fun begins and we can awake from this hibernation that I have lived in ever since the end of january as my hopes were crushed as Santonio Holmes fell gracefully in the endzone defeating destiny itself.  You can almost smell the scent of the pigskin now.

The scent of a poor 2008 campaign by the Jacksonville Jaguars still reeks, but the hope of the new life is slowly taking over.  When I saw that Jarrett Dillard had been signed this morning it seemed as if the last of the putrid scent of last years embarassment of a season had disapeared.  Gene Smith has brought a new smell, one that brings much hope to all Jaguars fans. 

Soon, the scent could become a flower, but it could also turn out to be a posinous weed.

None the less, the suspense is starting to nabb at me, but it’s almost here.  August 17th, against the Miami Dolphins.  I feel like the 2009 Jags fate will be shown there.

I cannot remember a preseason that has been more anticipated on my part.  The Jaguars have many questions, but some seemed to have been answered but others are simply a maybe.  The offseason was the test, and the season is simply seeing if the answers were right.  And as preseason comes, it feels as if the test is running through the checker.  So what are the test questions and how have they been answered?

1. The Offensive Line?

This question was one that one could compare to a gimme on a test.  The Jaguars have created, during this offseason, an offensive line that could easily be argued as the best, deepest offensive line in the league.  The chance of the Jags getting this question wrong is slim.

2. The Quarterback?

The question coming in to this season is whether David Garrad could return to 07 form.  The Jaguars have no real control over this one, so to me I think of the QB situation as a long essay.  The Jaguars have done everything to try and make the essay the best it can be, adding a better WR core and a deeper healthy strong offensive line, but really it is the person reading the essay or in real life reading the coverage (aka David Garrad) who determines the score of the essay.

3. The Running Backs?

This question may not be as gimme, but it is one that the Jaguars are pretty darn sure of.  The only small question is whether MJD can carry the full load, however, with the seeming emergence of Rashad Jennings and Greg Jones, the Jaguars seem to not have to worry much about this question.  Plus, MJD is a flat out beast.  Just saying….

4. The Wide Reciever?

This is the Jaguars test question that they have never seemed to get right.  They’ve tried and tried but this year theyve finally scrapped the old, and started fresh. And fresh may be just the way to do things.  The Jaguars have a young promising balanced WR group featuring speed (mike thomas/troy williamson) old superstar mentor (torry holt) young upcoming unknowns (mike walker/jarrett dillard), and height (marcedes lewis/tiquan underwood).  This becomes one of the influnecial factors of the offensive section of the test.  If the Jaguars get this question right, they could become in the top 10 scores, or the top 10 offenses.

5. The Defense?

This one used to be a gimme for the Jags, but they seemed to have “slacked off” in the defense department.  Maybe because of Greg Williams as a poor fit, maybe because of the department of marcus stroud, or maybe because of just time.  The Jaguars have done some strengthening of their “knowledge” of the defense of late, signing a few players off waviers, and trading for one.  Also the addition of Sean Considine and young promising rookie Derek Cox may prove to be difference makers.  However, the Jaguars are not feeling really good about the defensive line, and are hoping to maybe get lucky on this question.

Final Grade:

The Jaguars probably pass at an 80%, making them a B team.  B teams arent bad, and in fact can get lucky and beat an A team, and if B teams have enough chemistry they can make runs. 

B team: anywhere from 7-9 to 12-4

Playoffs: 30-60 percent chance

Truly a James Harris Move: Lions Trade Away Saftey For Veteran WR

I would call this a steal, but when you have James “Shack” Harris in your office your bound to make mistakes.  Especially on wide receivers. 

If you know James Harris, you know that he’s the GM who drafted Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Ernest Wiliford, and Bryon Leftwich.  All of those players are not placed in a starting role on a team, as some even remain unsigned.  None are still on the Jaguars roster. 

Great picks then right?

No, and this move by the Detroit Lions office maybe just as bad as those wide receiver moves.  The Lions trade a promising young safety, who as a rookie recorded 88 tackles and two interceptions, for a wide receiver who has been nothing short of mediocre, and is turning 31 years old.  What is even more perplexing about this trade is that the wide receiver position is actually somewhat stable in Detroit.   Well there’s James Harris for you. 

And for Gene Smith the resume continues to grow.  After what looks to be a solid draft, one that we haven’t had in Jacksonville for quite some time, he has made solid free agency moves, and now deals away an old player who doesn’t mean much to the team, for a young 24 year old safety who excelled in his rookie year (injury caused him to miss much of last year). 

So a steal for the Jaguars? Or a blunder by the Lions?  I’ll let you decide.  Bottom line is that things are looking up in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Off the Radar too Early?

Set the stage to July 2008.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are being claimed as a favorite to compete for, if not win the Super Bowl.

Now it is June 2009 and the Jaguars are being claimed as a favorite to compete for, if not fiinish as the last seed in a strong AFC south division. 

What happened?

In the begining of last season Jacksonville lost most of its offensive line in a game versus the Tennesse Titains, lost their main financial offseason investment during the training camps (Jerry Porter), lost all chemistry of a strong team, and quickly flew off the map for a contender in the AFC.

But what if we erased last year?

Think about it.

David Garrard is coming off an 18 TD, 3 INT season, and hopes sail for how this team could do.

Maurice Jones Drew is back and now taking on a full fledged responsibility at running back, while Rashard Jennings is a promising seventh round draft pick—and let us remember that while at Pitt, he was slated to be what LeSean Mccoy was. He only transfered to Liberty because of family relationships.

The offensive line is studded with Brad Meester, Tra Thomas, Eugene Monroe, Eben Eritton, and Vince Manuai, to name a few. Garrard can sit back and disect defenses all day.

Jerry Porter in his prime is less then Tory Holt is now. Let us remember that Tory was in St. Louis, who was worse then the Jaguars.

Remove disaster picks such as Reggie Williams and Matt Jones, and add Pac-10 record holder Mike Thomas, and record breaking reciever Jarred Dillard, who has been underestimated for years. Plus add a healthy Mike Walker, who had a fantastic game against Pittsburg last year, and this wide reciever core is looking way way up.

Tight End is still somewhat of a concern, but everyone has a down year. Marcedes Lewis should still deserve another year or two to rebound, but if he catches the ball he can be a very strong threat.

Although letting go of Mike Peterson hurts this team, they have played without him before and played no worse then with him. Head Coach Jack Del Rio was a linebacker in the NFL, and he obviously sees something in these guys. Plus, this unit had most of the tackles last year.

Secondary was one of the many Achilles Heels of this team last year, but they have improved this year. Note that many players said that Greg Williams’ defense was confusing and could have caused the decrease in production from key defensive players, especially in the secondary.

Although regarded as a stupid pick by many, everyone who has watched Jaguars training camp has reported that Derek Cox is playing amazing. Rashin Mathis deja vu?  If that is the case, then Cox could help make the secondary a somewhat strong part of this team.

Defensive Line is a big if. If the two second year DEs can step up; if reggie hayward can return to form; if Henderson can dominate once again; if elllison mier, landri, or knighton can step up; then the defensive line could go back to domination.

Although the special teams unite fumbled multiple times, Brain Witherspoon did provide a spark on kickoff and punt returns. He will need to step up, but this team also has other potential special teams stars in Montell Owens, Shaun Considine, and Zach Miller—who just screams special teams player. 

Josh Scobee has been off-and-on, but has played well most of the time, and Adam Podelesh should continue to grow. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars also have always been an off-the-radar team. When people expect them to win, they dont, when people dont expect them to, they do. So this season screams winning.

Bottom line—the Jaguars are much improved from last year, and the only team in their division that has gotten better (not that the Colts and Titans aren’t going to be good) is the Texans.

So if the jaguars can win some close games, they could easily become this year’s cinderella team. However, nothing can be said for sure until about five games into the season.

My Prediction: 10-6, wild card berth, upset victory in the wild card, but lose in the divisional round.

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