SB Nation - Sean Considine

San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:14 -0000

vs.

The 49ers look to get back on the winning track against a quirky Jacksonville Jaguars squad. I have always been intrigued by the Jaguars because something doesn't add up about them. They are 6-4, but something just seems off about that. Going through their 2009 statistics (listed at the bottom), I noticed that they've been outscored this season by 36 points. The only other team above .500 with a negative scoring differential is Denver (-13)...and I've always questioned Denver's early success (which is certainly bearing fruit now). Will the Jaguars keep it up the rest of the season?

The 49ers host the Jaguars in what will be the 3rd meeting between the two teams in the series, and the first at Candlestick Park. The last time the two teams squared off was in 2005 in Jacksonville, when the Jaguars defeated the 49ers 10-9.

The 49ers enter the upcoming game following a 30-24 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field last weekend. In that game, the Packers defense was able to hold off a second half surge by the 49ers offense to seal the victory. QB Alex Smith connected on three touchdown passes in the final two quarters of play, which included a 38-yard strike to rookie
WR Michael Crabtree for his first career touchdown, a 24-yard toss to TE Vernon Davis for his 8th score of the season and a 10-yard pass to RB Frank Gore, marking his 4th consecutive game with a touchdown.

The 49ers have won 6 out of their last 8 games at Candlestick Park. In those games, San Francisco has rushed for over 100 yards in all but one contest.

49ers-Jaguars Connections
Coaching Connections
• 49ers assistant strength coach Mark Uyeyama worked as a graduate assistant from 2001-2002 and an assistant in 2003 at Arizona State under Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who was then head coach. Jaguars defensive line coach Ted Monachino served in the same position with Arizona State during that time.
• 49ers QB Shaun Hill was coached by Jaguars assistant head coach/tight ends Mike Tice from 2002-2005 when Tice was the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
• 49ers rookie RB Glen Coffee was recruited and coached by Jaguars QBs coach Mike Shula when Shula was the head coach at Alabama (2003-06).
• 49ers DE Justin Smith was coached by Jaguars LBs coach Mark Duffner in Cincinnati from 2001-2002 when Duffner was the defensive coordinator there.

RAMS RE-UNITED - 49ers WR Isaac Bruce and CB Dre’ Bly were teammates with Jaguars WR Torry Holt for the St. Louis Rams from 1999-2002, winning a Super Bowl together in 1999. Bruce and Holt remained with the Rams and played together until 2007.

NOR-CAL CONNECTIONS – RB Maurice Jones-Drew was born in Anticoh, and still calls it home. Jones-Drew prepped at national powerhouse De La Salle High School, which won a record 151 straight games from 1992-2003. During the three years Jones-Drew starred there (1999-2002), he kept the streak alive, never losing a game.

HELLO AGAIN – 49ers SS Michael Lewis and Jaguars T Tra Thomas were teammates in Philadelphia from 2002-2006. Lewis, Thomas and Jaguars S Sean Considine all played together with the Eagles in 2005 and 2006. 49ers LB Takeo Spikes played on the same defense with Considine and was a teammate of Thomas’ while in Philadelphia in 2007.

GOLDEN DOMERS - 49ers WR Arnaz Battle and Jaguars T Jordan Black were teammates at Notre Dame for four seasons (1999-2002).

NATIONAL CHAMPS - 49ers DT Ray McDonald was a teammate of Jaguars DE Derrick Harvey and S Reggie Nelson at Florida. They were part of a National Championship team in 2006.

ROCKY TOP - 49ers NT Aubrayo Franklin and Jaguars DT John Henderson played on the same defensive line at the University of Tennessee in 2001.

FORMER 49ERS - Jaguars DL Atiyyah Ellison spent two years with the 49ers, serving on the active roster in 2007, and as a member of the practice squad in 2008.

Series Highlights
Matchups: 2
Series Record: Jaguars Lead Series 2-0
49ers Home Record vs. Jaguars: None
First Meeting: 9/12/99, Jaguars win 41-3
Last Meeting: 12/18/05, Jaguars win 10-9
Current Streak: Lost 2
Longest 49ers Win Streak: None
Longest Jaguars Win Streak: 2
Most 49ers Points: 9 (12/18/05)
Most Jaguars Points: 4 (9/12/99)
49ers Shutouts: None
Jaguars Shutouts: None

JACKSONVILLE 10, SAN FRANCISCO 9
At Jacksonville, FL, December 18, 2005

The San Francisco 49ers lost 10-9 to Jacksonville in what Head Coach Mike Nolan termed the most physical game of the season. The 49ers entered the game with six rookies in the starting lineup, including four on offense. Rookie RB Frank Gore started in place of the injured RB Kevan Barlow (knee) and gained over 100 combined yards with 79 yards rushing and 57 yards receiving. His most impressive play was at the end of the 1st half when he caught a screen pass from QB Alex Smith and raced down the right sideline for a 47-yard gain to the Jacksonville 30-yard line to set up a 47-yard FG by K Joe Nedney with one second left in the 1st half.

The 49ers opened the game with an 8-play, 80-yard drive that ended in the first of three Nedney FGs for a 3-0 lead. A big defensive play helped the 49ers take the 3-0 lead into the 2nd quarter. On 4th-and-1 from the San Francisco 6-yard line, DE Marques Douglas stopped FB Greg Jones for no gain and the 49ers took over on downs. Jacksonville converted two, 3rd-down plays on a 71-yard drive in the 2nd quarter that ended when QB David Garrard broke free from LB Julian Peterson on his way to a 13-yard TD for a 7-3 lead. The 49ers regained possession deep in their own territory with just 24 seconds left to play in the 1st half. Instead of taking a knee and allowing time to run out, the 49ers attempted a high percentage screen pass with the hopes of being able to break one for a big play. A pass from Smith to Gore in the right flat went for a 47-yard gain, with Gore sprinting down the sideline to the Jacksonville 30-yard line with 6 seconds left to play. Nedney nailed a 47-yard FG for a 7-6 halftime deficit.

After a scoreless 3rd quarter, the 49ers took a 9-7 lead on the first play of the 4th quarter with a 33-yard FG by Nedney. Smith completed a 28-yard pass to WR Johnnie Morton to get the 49ers in FG range. Jacksonville responded by taking the ensuing kick and advancing on a 10-play, 47-yard drive that ended in a 32-yard FG for a 10-9 lead. The Jaguars drive was aided when Nedney’s kickoff went out of bounds, allowing Jacksonville to start the drive at their own 40-yard line. The 49ers gained just 15 yards on their next four drives and committed one turnover when Smith was intercepted.

2009 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		JAGUARS (rank)
4-6 (2nd NFCW)	Record	6-4 (2nd AFCS)
20.8 (19th)	Points per game	19.9 (21st)
278.5 (27th)	Total Offense	354.0 (12th)
99.0 (24th)	Rushing Offense	136.3 (6th)
179.5 (23rd)	Passing Offense	217.7 (17th)
28:44 (21st)	Possession Avg	30:46 (11th)
21.0 (17th)	Points allowed/gm	23.5 (23rd)
350.8 (22nd)	Total Defense	356.9 (23rd)
94.7 (6th)	Rushing Defense	112.1 (17th)
256.1 (30th)	Passing Defense	244.8 (25th)
19 (t-21st)	Sacks	10 (32nd)
47.9 (2nd)	Punting Avg (Gross)	41.7 (26th)
0 (t-15th)	Turnover Differential	0 (t-15th)

Comcast Presents: I'm sipping on some sunshine, or the Jaguars continued red zone struggles

Jonathan Loesche — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:35:55 -0000

This post is brought to you by Comcast and the new NFL Red Zone channel. Catch every touchdown from every game, only on NFL Red Zone.

During yesterday's game as the Jaguars drove for the winning score, I turned to Terry and said, "Well they need a touchdown to stay at their season average", and that is exactly what the Jaguars did. Entering Sunday's game against Buffalo, the Jaguars had 28 red zone possessions, with 14 touchdowns, seven field goals, and seven negatives drives to show for it. On Sunday, the Jaguars had four red zone possessions, and did as expected, with 2 touchdowns, one field goal, and one negative possession. This brings their season total to 32 possessions, 16 touchdowns, 8 field goals, and 8 negative possessions.

Let's look at it another way, if the Jaguars scored touchdowns on every red zone possession, it would amount to 224 points. The Jaguars have only scored 136 points in the red zone this season, or 60.7% of the maximum they could've scored.

At the request of Conservative, here are the stats for the AFC's other playoff contenders

Indianapolis: 17TD,11FG,4 negative

152 points out of possible 224=67.8%

New England: 21 TD, 19 FG, 4 negative

204 points out of possible 308=66.2%

San Diego: 19 TD, 17FG,4 negative

184 points out of possible 280=65.7%

Cincinnati:13 TD, 9 FG, 4 negative

118 points out of a possible 182=64.8%

Pittsburgh: 19 TD, 13FG, 4 negative

172 out of a possible 252=68.2%

If the playoffs started today, the Jaguars would have the worst red zone offense of the AFC's playoff teams. However, that is thanks to this team's penchant for red zone turnovers.

The Jaguars are scoring touchdowns on 50% of their red zone possessions, which is in the middle of the AFC's playoff contenders.

Let's take a look at each of the red zone possessions and see if we can figure out where the problem is.

First possession: The Jaguars start off with great field position after a Sean Considine interception. The first three plays are runs to Jones-Drew that brings the ball to around the Bills 10. Then we throw a wide receiver screen that loses three yards, and had the CB been a step quicker would've been a pick six. After that it forced the Jaguars to throw on every down and Scobee is brought on to give the Jaguars a 3-0 lead.

Second possession: Classic Jaguars pound the ball with MJD. Besides the cheap play by Bills LB Paul Posluszny nothing to see here.

Third possession: David Garrard tried to make a play scrambling when instead he should've just thrown the ball away. At this point we're thinking the good guys have their goose cooked.

Fourth possession: Garrard throws a pass to Sims-Walker against broken coverage.

It seems clear to me that the more Jones-Drew in the red zone the better. Getting away from that leads to bad things more often than not. Besides Jones-Drew's fumble against the Jets, all of the negative possessions can be pointed at a lack of commitment to the running game.

Bills @Jacksonville The View from the Stadium

Tkopa — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:07:50 -0000

We won but I don't feel as good as I did last week when we beat the Jets. We should have won, we should have beaten them easily and instead we fought hard for the victory. I am proud of the team for hanging in there and winning. They are showing they want to win and that is good. I am not proud of the coaching in this game. We looked like we struggled most of the game and I still don't know how we won it.

The Bills came out just as confused as we expected them based on their week. Fitzpatrick started out throwing bad passes to receivers who weren't looking. The Bills first drive was everything we wanted, a wounded animal limping around on the field. Sean Considine intercepted the pass by doing just what he does best, standing in just the right spot. The opening drive of the Bills ended with us on their 28 yard line. Can you say run Maurice run? That is exactly what we did, right to the 12 yard line. So what genius play did we call next? The stupid wide receiver screen that goes nowhere every time. It is a risky worthless play that lost 3 yards. With second and 13, the run option was taken away and the Bills came after David. David ran like he didn't know what to do and we ended with a Josh Scobee field goal.

Why didn't the offensive line show up this week? They didn't run block and they didn't pass block. David looked like a pathetic rookie today for most of the game. Sorry, back to the game.

The Bills tried to move the ball and couldn't until a roughing the passer call moved it for them. At that point in the game, Mel Tucker decided not to rush Fitzpatrick and not to cover Terrell Owens. Terrell Owens caught 48 yards of passes in that drive and the Bills tied the game at 3-3. Just in case you say "well Terrell Owens is a top level receiver", he wasn't. He is slow out of the breaks and doesn't look like anything at all anymore. He could have been shut down easily if we had someone to do it. We kept screaming "Put Cox on him", but why do that?

The next series David was intercepted. The score board showed the ball bouncing on the ground and the defender picking it up off the bounce. THROW THE FLAG JACK we yelled, THROW THE FLAG!!!!! Nope. No challenge. Maybe he saw it closer than the zoom lens on the jumbotron. I don't know. 6-3 Bills.

The next series Mike Simms Walker and Marcedes Lewisgot into a "I can do better than you" battle as they both caught 24 yard passes. That moved the ball to the Bills 4 yard line when Paul Pusluszney pulled the filthiest play I ever saw. That piece of slime who should be and will be fined $25,000 for his actions grabbed Maurice by the face mask and twisted his head around full 360 and never let go as he dragged him to the ground by the mask. I wanted to run out of the stands and go after him myself, but figured the Jaguars would deal with it. Maurice scored and I was glad, up 10-6.

At this point the Bills found their footing and began to play football. Again, no rush on Fitzpatrick. No blitz. No pressure. It was as if we figured we would win and didn't show up to play. It was so lazy and so uninspired I didn't know what was happening. Field goal at the half 10-9 Jags.

Our opening sequence from the start of the second half showed Maurice going nowhere and David running for his life. It was the left side of the line, Monroe, Manuwai and Meester who let us down today. Pressure came hard against David. Finally Podlesh punted his one very good punt. Buffalo pinned at the two yard line. Come on defense, get him and make us proud. Nope. No pass rush, no blitz, no pressure. Fitzpatrick stood patiently as Terrell Owens ran past Tyron Brackenridgefor a 98 yard touchdown, Tyron Brackenridge is all of 5 foot 5 and Terrell Owens is all of 7 foot nine. At least that is how it looked. Two point conversion no good, 15-10 Bills.

The Bills had 350 yards of offense with Terrell Owens having 200 yards of it. He was so open and so not covered all day he could have had more. When one guy is generating almost 60% of your problems, maybe you should cover him? Nope. When a quarterback is starting his first game behind a really bad offensive line maybe you should pressure him? Nope.

The Jaguars had 325 yards of offense against one of the worst defenses. When you combine the Terrell Owens show with no real offense for the Jaguars you get COACHING ERRORS!!!!! AHHHHH it was so frustrating watching this game. Thank God for Marcedes Lewis and Mike Simms Walker. They showed up to play today. Even my idol. Torry Holt dropped balls today.

How did we win? Simple, with six minutes left in the game, we played Jaguar football. Short pass to MSW, Passes to Torry Holt, run by Maurice, touchdown to MSW. Oh, and a 53 yard pass for a Bills touchdown to Lee Evans was called back. In other words, we were one penalty away from losing. One flag by a referee saved this game for us. Against the Buffalo Bills, we needed flag help. God did we miss Rashean and Durant. Gene, the offensive line is not done being rebuilt yet. Better save a few draft picks for guards next year.

I am mad about this game. We won, but I am mad about this game. We came out uninspired with no game plan on offense or defense. A team without a coach and a quarterback whipped our butts today except they didn't get the win. Like I said, I am proud of our players for fighting. I am disappointed in our coaches. Write one nice article about them and it goes to their head. Same old Jaguars. Get on a winning streak and they relax. They better get their pads on this week, San Fransisco is no cake walk.

We are 6-4 now with some very interesting games ahead. If we win 3 of them, it will be a wonderful season. If we win two of them, it will be a good season. But please play hard, please play inspired. Lose if you must, but don't play like today ever again. It was not good football on either side of the ball.

- Terry O'Brien

The Return of the 4-3 Defense, Series by Series: Second-Half

silencecs — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:57 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Morton - AP

GET 'EM!!!

Browse more photos »

In case you missed it, here's the first-half breakdown of the defense, play-by-play.

So far the Jaguars defense has been dominant, allowing only 30 yards rushing by KC's backs. The also held KC on third downs, forcing 3 three-and-outs in the first-half. Today, we'll take a look at the second-half and see if the Jaguars were able to continue to impose their will on KC's offense.

KC's first possession of 3rd quarter - Big kick by Scobee, great hangtime and coverage by the special teams. KC is stopped short of the 20 yard-line.

1st down - KC in offset I-formation, RB goes in motion. Line includes Harvey, Groves, Hen, and Pot Roast to start the half. At the hike, Durant and Smith both blitz, Durant from the middle, and Smith from Groves' side. Harvey drops off the line into zone coverage. It appears the Jaguars are utilizing some of the schemes from a 3-4, but operating them out of a 4-3, and to a great deal of success thus far (albeit against weaker competition). Smith gets a big time sack, loss of 4 on the play.

2nd down and 14 - KC in the offset I-formation again, a single TE and two WR's. Reggie Nelson comes up into the box prior to the snap, creating an 8-man front. Reggie's responsibility is the TE, I'm ok with that. The pass to the FB behind the line of scrimmage, tackle made by Daryl Smith immediately. Our LB's are playing well. Loss of three on the play.

3rd down 17 - KC is in the shotgun formation, single-back set. Great protection for Cassel, but he still threw it early for only a short gain. He gave up on that play because he was scared of getting hit. That pass was thrown knowing it wouldn't convert. Cassel is intimidated. Tackle made again by... guess... Daryl Smith. Wow, that series was completely his.

Three-and-out number four of the ball game. They came out with intensity.

KC's Second possession of the half.

1st down at their own 20 yard-line.

Bryan Smith is in for Groves, Stanley is in for Knighton. Harvey and Hen remain in the game. KC in the offset I-formation, I really love their commitment to old school football, it's a shame their offensive line is so lackluster. Play-action is called, Harvey beats his man, and Cassel throws a hurried screen to the HB that obviously didn't have time to fully develop due to the pressure. Stanley was utterly fooled by the screen though, and had he been in position, he would've made the easy tackle, however, he showed great hustle to try to get back into position to make the tackle, although he was unable to do so. Clint Ingram comes up, but slips and misses the tackle. Bryan Smith got absolutely owned on the play, and was a total non-factor, being knocked significantly off the line of scrimmage. Harvey makes a great hussle play and comes from behind the RB to assist on the tackle after providing pressure to Cassel. Gain of 8 yards.

2nd down and two. KC in the pro-set (2 RB lined up parallel in the backfield), 1 TE and 2 WR's. Derek Cox is up on the LOS, and looks ready to blitz. AMAZING play design by KC, props on this one. At the snap, the QB fakes the hand off to the RB on his right side, and the left RB acts as if he'll be the lead blocker, he then circles around on what can only be described as a mini-reverse. Ingram and Cox both blitz to Bryan Smith's side of the LOS and Harvey drops into zone coverage again. Great design that nets 7 yards, Daryl pushes the RB out of bounds. 1st down KC.

1st Down - KC in the shotgun, single back, 2 TE set. All front seven Jaguars are up close to the LOS. Blitz coming, Daryl Smith is up in Cassel's grill again, forcing the QB to scramble. Hen barely misses another sack, and Cassel throws the ball away, although the Jags catch a break and offensive pass-interference is called on Bowe.

1st and 20 - KC is in the pro-set, staggered to the weak-side of their line. Short three-step-drop by Cassel. Montavius Stanley recognizes the quick drop and gets his hands up, swatting the pass at the LOS. Stanley is very much impressing me this game, and I would have to say, he's showing that he belongs on the field. He plays with a great motor, which is saying a lot for a man his size. Great find Gene.

2nd and 20 - KC in the shotgun, single back, 1 TE and 3 WR set. Daryl Smith blitzes again, and comes free, forcing the quick pass, there is pressure all over the place today. The RB safety valve who Cassel dumps the ball to is immediately swallowed up by Gerald Alexander, no gain on the play.

3rd and 20 - KC in shotgun, single back, 4 WR set. Hen and Bryan run a stunt, to no avail. Harvey bull-rushes his man back five yards, but the ball is already coming out of Cassel's hand. Daryl Smith blitzes again, this time from Harvey's side, and the two of them look real good rushing alongside one another. Pass complete over the middle, Reggie Nelson whiffs on a tackle, and badly. Had it been third-and-10, he would've just allowed a third down conversion. Now this is the Reggie I've come to expect, soft and confused. I love the guy, got his autograph and everything, but man is he inconsistent. Reggie slams his hands together after the play, clearly upset with himself. Reggie, A whole sack of sorry won't buy one single punt. The Jags hold again.

KC third possession of the half

1st and 10 - KC in the pro-set, RB motions out of the backfield, single back set now. Defensive line is Julius Williams, Pot Roast, Ellison, and Groves. Mathis CB blitz on the play, from Williams' side. Daryl blitzes from Williams' side too. No linemen drop into coverage, the Jags are rushing more than the Chiefs can block. Daryl Smith and Mathis both have the opportunity to make the tackle for a loss against the RB, but Mathis seems to think Smith will make it, and Smith took a bad angle, providing the RB with a cutback lane which was open because Mathis and Smith were blitzing, leaving their lanes exposed. KC's best run of the game, but it should've been stopped for a loss, Mel Tucker had the right call there. Gerald Alexander makes the stop after a gain of 13.

1st and 10 - KC in the hurry-up offense. Shotgun 3 WR set. Jaguars only have 6 in the box, looks like Nickel defense to me, practically inviting the run. The Chiefs oblige, and run from the shotgun for a gain of 5, tackle by Durant. They ran right at Groves, and I mean right at him. Knighton held up the double team and still almost made the tackle, but the run was so far toward the LT that Knighton missed the RB's ankles. Groves was easily moved aside... I'm noticing a theme here. Reggie Nelson was completely locked up by the WR, and had he been able to shed what wasn't even a very good block, he could've made the tackle a few yards earlier. 5 yard gain

2nd and 5 - KC is in the shotgun, Jaguars remain in their Nickel front, only 6 in the box again. Reggie is lined up in the slot on a WR and blitzes, as does Daryl Smith. Groves drops into Zone coverage, the Jaguars are utilizing a fair amount of zone-blitzing schemes, and it seems to be confusing KC's protection. Daryl Smith actually gets a hand on Cassel, and forces an early and errant throw. Incomplete overthrown. Reggie Nelson was easily blocked by the RB, and seemed to almost give up after the initial block was thrown by the RB. I'm not TRYING to get down on the guy, you'll see from the first half analysis, that I was impressed with how he played, however, this half is a different story, and he's looking very mediocre.

3rd and 5 - KC in the shotgun again (and still can't get Cassel time), 4 WR, single back. Jags still in nickel, Daryl Smith blitzes again. Decent protection on that play, complete for a first down and a gain of 13. Tackle by Derek Cox, although Rashean was the man who was beat, he just couldn't make the tackle with only one hand, so Bowe got an extra 7 or 8 YAC. Cox just makes sure tackles, I love this kid.

1st and 10 - KC in the shotgun, 3 WR 1 TE, single back set. Jacksonville remains in Nickel, meaning no Ingram, and Sean Considine instead. Harvey, Hen, Stanley, and Bryan Smith on the d-line. Bad snap (gotta love that shotgun), and Montavius Stanley looks like a man possessed going for that football. It was like someone told him they were giving out twinkies in the backfield. This looked like a Jaguars' recovery to me, although the officials saw it differently. Wow, on the replay, it showed their RB literally snatch it out of Stanley's hands... strong little guy.

2nd and 14 - Jags remain in Nickel, KC in shotgun. Daryl Smith blitzes, Harvey drops into zone coverage. Bryan Smith comes unblocked and delivers a blow to Cassel, who launches the ball out of bounds. Phenomenal pressure today.

3rd and 14 - Jags in Nickel, KC in shotgun. Jags bring an all out blitz, I like Mel's play-calling style. Sometimes he sits back in coverage, and others he's all about pressure. Mix it up. Durant and Considine both blitz on the play. Durant and Bryan Smith both get to the QB. Durant timed his blitz perfectly up the middle, and Bryan ran a stunt up the gut behind Justin, they both got there about the same time and forced the bad pass early. Gain of 4 on the play, tackle by Daryl Smith.

KC's fourth possession of the Half

1st and 10 from their own 25 yard-line - KC is in the I-formation, Jaguars return to their regular defensive front with Ingram in the game. Harvey, Groves, Pot Roast and Hen are your linemen. Smith and Durant blitz, and Harvey drops into Zone coverage. The double-team went to Knighton on that play, and Hen was able to stand up the offensive guard with one arm, and reach to make the tackle with the other, along with Ingram and Nelson. Gain of four on the play, nice run.

2nd and six, KC is in the I-formation again. Smith and Alexander blitz to Harvey's side, Groves drops into Zone coverage. Mel seems to favor overloading one side or the other on blitzes. Harvery had his best pass rush of the half on that play. He easily beat his man, and arrived at the QB the same time that Hen did, which was almost immediately. Harvey got a hand on Cassel, and Hen came barreling in, Cassel ducks, and Hen crashes into Harvey, knocking both down. Pot Roast and Smith combine on the clean-up sack, but Harvey and Hen caused that sack very clearly, and Harvey would've gotten the sack had Hen not slammed into him. Encouraging play to watch. Interesting tid-bit per the announcers, Knighton used to play WR... No wonder his balance is so exceptional. Loss of 8 on the sack.

3rd and 14 - Jags appear to be in 3-4 Nickel, KC is in the shotgun, single back 3 WR. Considine blitzes from a dead standstill at the safety position, he was too far off the line to even have a chance to get there, and he doesn't have great speed either, I don't like the call. Nelson blitzes too. KC easily picks up every rusher, Cassel had a man, but overthrew him. Fourth-down.

Nice three and out team.

KC fifth possession of the half

1st and 10 from their own 29 yard-line - Jaguars in Nickel 4-3 defense. KC in shotgun 3 WR set, single back. Your line is Julius Williams, Bryan Smith, Montavius Stanley, and Hen. Daryl Smith blitzes on the play, Bryan Smith drops into Zone coverage. Cassel throws a perfect pass to the WR on a short out pattern, and he drops it.

2nd and 10 - KC in shotgun single back set. Jags in Nickel. Durant fakes the blitz, and Daryl Smith and Nelson blitz to J. Williams side, Bryan Smith drops into Zone again. Cassel passes over the middle complete, and Durant makes the instant tackle. Gain of nine.

3rd and 1 - KC is in the shotgun, single back 4 WR, trips right. Jags in Nickel. Daryl Smith and Sean Considine blitz, there will be no prevent defense today. No linemen drop into zone, it was an overload blitz. Cassel throws a prayer to Dwayne Bowe, who makes the catch despite Derek Cox having perfect position, and I mean perfect. Had he known the ball was thrown, he would've made the interception. It was an all around great play by KC's best player, Bowe. First down KC. Lucky.

1st and 10 from Jags' 45 yard-line - KC in shotgun, 4 WR, trips right again. Jaguars in Nickel. Daryl Smith blitzes, Julius Williams drops into zone, and Hen and Bryan Smith both make it to Cassel, who is thrown to the ground had by B. Smith. Incomplete, and great pressure.

2nd and 10 - KC in shotgun , 3 WR 1 TE, single back set. Jaguars in Nickel. D. Smith blitzes from the outside, Bryan Smith's side. Henderson collapses the middle and gets a sack. D. Smith was blatently held by the RB, or he may have made the sack, no flag, but it was an obvious hold. Hen with the sack, loss of 9 on the play.

3rd and 19 - KC in the I-formation. Jaguars in the 3-4, with Harvey, Knighton, and I think Ellison, but couldn't tell because of the camera angle. Reggie Nelson and Gerald Alexander both blitz, and the Jaguars get burned deep by Chris Chambers. That's what happens when you blitz your safety and he doesn't get home. Sean Considine was badly beaten on his coverage. TD that should never have happened.

KC sixth possession of the half

Onside kick recovered by KC.

1st and 10 from KC's 31 yard-line. Jaguars in the 4-3 Nickel. KC in the shotgun, single back, 3 WR set. Daryl Smith blitzes again (notice a trend here?), good protection though. Cassel makes a good throw, and Cox makes what looks like a TD saving shoe-string tackle. Reggie Nelson was out of position, and had Cox not made the tackle, KC's WR may have been off to the races.

1st and 10 - KC in the shotgun, Jacksonville in Nickel. Nelson blitzes and gets to Cassel, he hits him hard and forces the bad pass, somehow Dwayne Bowe just came up with it... I have no idea how he adjusted to that pass so seamlessly. This guy is good, and Derek Cox was in position again. Cox rarely gets beaten badly, I can't praise him enough for how he's played this season.

1st and 10 from Jaguars' 20 - KC in the shotgun, 2 RB and 3 WR set. Jaguars in base defense, Harvey, Hen, Groves, and Pot Roast are your linemen. Four man rush is easily picked up by KC, Cassel has a man in the endzone, but Cox jumps up and knocks the pass away with his fingertips. TD saving play, and phenomenal ups by Cox.

2nd and 10 - Jags in Nickel, KC in shotgun, 2 RB and 3 WR set, it's obvious KC is running max-protect with the dual blocking HBs. Cox and Smith blitz, Harvey drops into zone. D. Smith flattens the FB on his way to the QB. Hen and Smith both provide pressure and Cassel throws it away.

3rd and 10 - Jags in Nickel, KC in shotgun single back. Jaguars rush four. Harvey is double-teamed on that play. Illegal use of hands by Cox, automatic first down.

1st and 10 from the Jaguars 15 - Jaguars in the 3-4, KC in the shotgun, single back. Harvey is double-teamed again, and Groves rushes with his hand off the ground. Daryl Smith blitzes as well. Slant pass, gain of two. Tackle by Reggie Nelson.

2nd and 8 - Cassel throws a fade pattern to Bowe, and Cox couldn't have played it any better. He was in position to snag the game-ending interception, when Reggie burst in and swatted the ball away. Cox is every bit as good as Rashean was his rookie year, and that bodes well for our future at the postion.

3rd and 8 - KC in shotgun, single back, 4 WRs, trips left. Jags in Nickel. Groves best rush of the half, he almost got to Cassel on a pure speed rush to the outside. Gerald Alexander and another LB blitz (not D. Smith). Complete pass, first down and goal.

1st and goal from the 5 - Jaguars in base defense, KC in the I-formation, motioning into the wishbone. Wow, there's a formation I haven't seen in awhile, I like it though. KC runs play action, and it is effective at freezing the LB's who, like me, were anticipating run out of that formation. Cassel rolls out and hits his man in the front corner of the endzone. TD KC. I Love some of the formations KC employs...

That would be the last time KC would touch the football. Jaguars win, and dominate for 56 minutes on defense.

NOTES:

Harvey played absolutely fantastic, and in this reporters opinion, is shaping up to be the best first round DE taken in 2008. He's stout against the run, and easily plays the most snaps of any defensive lineman on the Jags. I was very impressed with him in the first half especially. He seemed to face more double-teams and chip blocks in the second-half, perhaps to combat his effectiveness.

Daryl Smith is Mel's new favorite toy. He blitzes more often than not, and seems to have a knack for creating havoc in the back-field. Cox was flat out the best player in the secondary today, and had we taken him in the first round, I wouldn't complain. I discovered Pot Roast used to be a WR, which explains his great balance, and he's clearly the team's future at DT. Henderson is playing like it's 2006, and seems rejuvenated by Knighton's presence. Smith and Durant are clearly a step above Clint Ingram, and "Country" had an average game against KC.

Montavius Stanley is our clear number three DT, and there is very little drop-off when he comes in to spell Hen or Knighton. Stanley gets his hands up to bat balls, and has a great motor. He's stout against the run, and I'll be anxious to see him perform against a better offensive line when we play the Jets.

-Collin Streetman

First Half Grades and Awards

Jonathan Loesche — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:49:09 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

about 1 month ago: Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew runs for a third-quarter touchdown during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville won 24-21.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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The Jaguars have completed the first half of their schedule and the results are a resounding...........who knows. This team has had it's share of ups and downs, though it has been entertaining the entire time. This team is in rebuilding, but that doesn't mean it has it's strengths and weaklinks.

Passing Offense: B-

The key here has been the emergence of the wide receiving corp. The Jaguars no longer have a CFL level wide receiving corp and it shows. Mike Sims-Walker has been showing why the Jaguars have been so patient with his injuries, while Torry Holt has been the best free agent pick up since Mike Peterson.David Garrard has been up and down, though that has as much to do with the play of the offensive line as himself.

First round pick Eugene Monroe is seemingly finally entrenched at the left tackle spot. As long as the coaching staff doesn't have anymore divine revelations to start Tra Thomas, I don't see Monroe leaving that spot for the next ten years. Fourth round pick Mike Thomas has certainly been the surprise of the draft class for me. He has been a nice spark plug for the offense.

Rushing Offense:A-

Maurice Jones-Drew is a feature back, enough said. MJD is on pace for a 1,500 yard 22 touchdown season that would eclipse anything Fred Taylor did statistically, which is insane. However, as Jeff Lageman mentioned, Fred was always at his best during the back half of the schedule. Will we say the same about Jones-Drew?

Rashad Jennings has been getting more action as the season has gone on, and hopefully he'll get to be a regular spell back by the end of the year. I know MJD is a monster, but why don't we give the ball to Greg Jones more in short yard situations, if for no other reason then that's one less hit MJD needs to take.

Run blocking has always been the offensive line's strength and it continues to be. 2nd round pick Eben Britton has been excellent blocking the run this season, though he's still a work in progress with pass protection. Also, the interior of the offensive line is starting to show it's age. Hopefully they'll be able to hang on for another year or two because there are only project players to be found if you want interior O-lineman in this draft.

Passing Defense:D

Well, at least the unit isn't on pace to set the record for fewest sacks in the NFL. However, this is still the weak link on the team, as evidenced by the 54 yard prayer that was given up for a touchdown that sparked the Chiefs psuedo-rally. The pass rush is still non-existent for the most part. Unless the Chiefs game was a preview of things to come, the Jaguars will still be looking for that pass rusher. Also, Reggie Nelson is still a liability. While he managed to figure out he was playing TACKLE football, I would still take a "Hole in Zone" over trusting him to make the right read.

On the other hand, Derek Cox has been progressing nicely and looks to be a cornerstone of the team for the next decade. I'm not going to blast Sean Considine and Brian Russell too much as those guys really should be special teams guys.

Rushing Defense: C+

The Jaguars rush defense has been good statistically primarily because team's realized that throwing the ball was far more effective. However, the last two weeks have been a Jekyll and Hyde show for the team. Chris Johnson had a career day in Nashville, while they buckled down against the Chiefs to only allow 60 yards rushing.

Terrance Knighton has been playing the best of the rookies and has been a true bright spot for the season. John Henderson has revived his career and is playing his best ball since 2005. Also, if this team is finally going back to the 4-3, then we'll see our linebackers playing to their strengths again.

(I'm going to save comment on the coaching for another article.)

First Half MVP: Maurice Jones-Drew

Did you think I would pick anyone else?

First Half LVP (Least Valuable Player): Reggie Nelson

Nelson is proudly continuing in the tradition of other Shack Harris first round picks, by not progressing or living up to their potential. It seems everytime the defense gives a big play over the top you can see that Reggie is out of position somewhere.

Best Moment: Week 4 vs Tennessee

Easily the best performance from all sides of the ball since 2007.

Worst Moment: Week 8 at Tennessee

I have to agree with Vic on this one. The playoffs were on the line and despite being thoroughly outplayed, it seemed MJD had delivered a knockout blow with his second long touchdown to tie the game at 13-13. Then, the extra point was blocked and the team collapsed.

Best Rookie: Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton

Not only has he played the best of the rookies, his arrivial has resparked John Henderson.

Most Pleasant Surprise: The Jaguars no longer having a CFL level wide receiving unit

The Jaguars top three wide receivers in 2008, Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, and Jerry Porter are out of football now. Would anyone want to bet Mike Sims-Walker, Torry Holt, and Mike Thomas would be free agents for long if the Jaguars cut them tomorrow?

One thing I want to see over the next eight games: Close losses

You're probably wondering what I mean by that, but this team is going to lose a few more games this year, that is certain. However, the Jaguars have lost by an average of 18 points this season. I'm not asking this team to go in and beat New England at home in December. I would ask you make it worth my while to tune in.

-Jonathan Loesche

Poll

The team MVP is

Maurice Jones-Drew

373 votes

David Garrard

10 votes

Mike Sims-Walker

56 votes

Torry Holt

3 votes

Terrance Knighton

14 votes

Other

4 votes

460 votes | Poll has closed

Game Preview Week 8: Tennessee Titans Offense vs Jacksonville Jaguars Defense

Jonathan Loesche — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:12:25 -0000

Tennessee Titans (0-6)	Week #8	Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
	VS.

Date:	November 1st, 2009	Location:	Nashville, TN
Time:	4:05 PM EST	Stadium:	LP Field
TV:	CBS	Favorite:	Titans -3
Radio:	Click Here	Over/Under:	44
Weather:	Mid 50's, no chance of rain	Injury Report:	Click Here
SBN Coverage:	Music City Miracles	Coverage Map	Click Here

In case you haven't heard yet, Tennessee owner Bud Adams commented that he wanted Vince Young to start once again for the 0-6 Titans. The Titans offense has been woeful this year, sans rookie WR Kenny Britt and RB Chris Johnson. QB Kerry Collins was resurgent and looked the best he had since leading the Giants to the Super Bowl in 2000 last season. However, Collins has thrown eight interceptions and only five touchdowns, with a QB Rating of 62 so far this season.

As a unit, the Titans offense ranks in the bottom third of the league in points per game (14/27th), yards per game (310/22nd), and 3rd down conversions (36%/20th). The Titans offense hasn't scored a touchdown in eight quarters and hasn't scored a touchdown with the game on the line in four games.

Jaguars Defense Four Game Summary

	Week 3 vs Houston	Week 4 vs Tennessee	Week 5 vs Seattle	Week 6 vs St.Louis
Plays	59	67	71	53
Yards Allowed	397	379	379	262
YPP Allowed	6.7	5.7	5.3	4.9
Rush Plays	22	19	40	18
Rush Yards	111	95	143	55
Rush YPP Allowed	5.1	5	3.6	3.1
Pass Plays	37	48	31	35
Pass Yards Allowed	286	284	236	207
Pass YPP Allowed	7.7	5.9	7.6	5.9
Points	27	17	41	20
Turnovers	2	3	0	1

One of the things that stood out to me when I was typing in the stats for the Jaguars defense was that, on the surface, the game against the Seahawks wasn't that bad. That game featured several miscues on Special Teams and Offense that sank the game before the defense finally caved in themselves.

One thing that is a good sign for the defense has been the fact they have been getting their yards per play down every game. Granted, they haven't gone up against the best competition, but the goal for any defense should be under five yards and they finally accomplished that against the Rams.

Tennessee Titans Offense Four Game Summary

	Week 3 vs NY Jets	Week 4 vs Jacksonville	Week 5 vs Indianaplois	Week 6 vs New England
Plays	69	(See Jaguars defense)	57	50
Yards	286		245	186
Yards Per Play	4.1		4.3	3.7
Rush Plays	30		21	36
Rush Yards	127		90	183
Rush YPP	4.2		4.3	5.4
Pass Plays	39		36	14
Pass Yards	159		155	-7
Pass YPP	4.1		4.3	-.5
Points	17		9	0
Turnovers	4		2	5
TOP	27:22		26:22	21

The biggest thing that jumps out to me about the Titans is that they're still a very solid running team. They've let to average lower than 4.1 yards every time they run the ball, and yet they still put it on Kerry Collins' shoulders to win the game. I understand there are some durability questions about Chris Johnson, but I thought LenDale White was supposed to be Thunder to Johnson's Lightning.

In fact, our brethern at Music City Miracles have spoken on the issue of LenDale White's use, or misuse in the offense. It is just one on a multitude of problems for the Titans offense this season. White is the perfect back to compliment Chris Johnson in the offense. He allows Johnson to sit out short yard and goal to go situations that would otherwise help shorten his career. Or at least that would be his logical role. However, White has not gotten the ball nearly as much as he has in the past, leaving people scratching their heads.

Jaguars Pass Defense vs Titans Pass Offense

What happens when an object that can't move itself go against an object that can't repel? We'll see this Sunday. The Jaguars and Titans are each in the bottom third of the NFL in their respective passing categories. If Bud Adams has his wish, then the Jaguars will get Vince Young under center, which will only help the Jags efforts against the pass.

Young has never had great passing stats, let alone coming in cold after spending over a year on the bench. However, he will have rookie sensation Kenny Britt to throw to this year. Britt has been one of the few positives for the Titans this year and could pose problems for the Jags secondary.

The biggest issue facing the Jaguars secondary is the potential loss of Rashean Mathis due to a finger injury. If Mathis has to miss the game, that would certainly mean rookie Derek Cox will have to play on the right side of the defense. This would be a major test for the young corner and an indication of how far he has come this season.

The other question would be who would come in at left corner. There has been a multitude of talk involving Reggie Nelson moving to corner and starting Sean Considine and Gerald Alexander at the safety positions. If there was a game that this lineup wouldn't back fire, this is most likely it.

Jaguars Run Defense vs Titans Run Offense

Anyone who watched the first game between these two teams remembers the only time the Titans offense looked in sync was when they gave the ball to Chris Johnson. Johnson has been the only consistent thing still for the Titans offense, averaging a remarkable 6.3 yards every time he touches the football.

However, as I said previously, LenDale White hasn't been seeing the carries he had been seeing earlier in his career. The explanation for this has never truly cleared up and it is only going to hurt the Titans run game down the stretch.

The Jaguars front three has been exceptional so far this year. Lead by rookie nose tackle Terrance Knighton, the front three has been doing a good job containing the run so far this year. The last two games have been their best, allowing under 3.5 yards a rush.

-Jonathan Loesche

Paul Kuharsky Reports on the Jaguars: Alexander promoted, Groves demoted

silencecs — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:44:27 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

Quentin Groves has not been producing of the field much to date... Paul Kuharsky reports of his demotion to third-string. Will this motivate Quentin?

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As I mentioned in my follow-up article to the game, I thought Gerald Alexander may have played well enough to wrest the SS spot from Sean Considine with last week's performance. Paul Kuharsky confirms it, saying that Gerald Alexander is listed as the new starting SS, and also mentioning Quentin Groves being demoted to third-string. The Groves demotion is a little baffling to me, as I would've expected him to be a better blitzing LB out of a 3-4, than a DPR from a 4-3. Unless this is a ploy to motivate Groves or to encourage Julius Williams, I don't understand it.

It seems highly unlikely that one of Gene Smith's UDFA's is outperforming one of Shack's 2nd-round selections (the only ones he consistently hit on). Either J-Dub is playing out-of-this-world, or Groves is not improving fast enough. No matter the reason the move seems perplexing, and is worthy of noting and watching this week.

Props to Gene Smith for his thieving ways. He virtually stole Gerald Alexander from the Lions, and Luke McCown from the Bucs, and he literally stole Don Carey from the Browns... I'll take a cold-hearted and deceptive leader any day of the week...

By the way, anyone catch Vic's shout out to my man Marty Schottenheimer in today's column?

-Collin Streetman

Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Live Blog/Open Thread

River City Rage — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:18:09 -0000

Arizona Cardinals (0-1)

Week #2

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

VS.

Date:	September 20th, 2009	Location:	Jacksonville,FL
Time:	1:00 pm EST	Stadium:	"The Jack"
TV:	FOX	Favorite:	Jaguars -3.5
Radio:	Click Here	Over/Under:	43
Weather:	87 w/moderate chance of thunderstorms	Injury Report:	Click Here
SBN Coverage:	Revenge of the Birds	Coverage Map	Click Here

Jaguars Inactives: Brian Witherspoon, Kynan Forney, Jordan Black, Mike Thomas, Zach Miller, Jarett Dillard, Jeremy Navarre, Montavious Stanley. Once again, Thomas and Dillard are out, very very strange.

Welcome to the Home Opener:

The best part about gameday is that you almost forget the previous week's game Here we are, two hours away from kickoff and I'm completely refreshed and pumped for the days action. Indianapolis is behind us, all eyes are forward on the Jaguars/Cardinals matchup. Let's look at some of the burning questions.

1. Is the Jaguars 3-4 defense for real? With Reggie Hayward out for the year, the Jacksonville Jaguars are forced to adopt the 3-4 that they experimented with during the preseason. Reggie, for good reason, was the key player in keeping the Jaguars in a 4-3, with his absence the Jaguars go full time to the new defensive front. Quentin Groves and Derrick Harvey will serve as outside linebackers, John Henderson becomes a defensive end, along with Atiyyah Ellison (HT to Michael Wright at the Times Union for finding that out), and Terrance Knighton holds the point at nose tackle.

Now, what hurts the Jaguars is that their stellar trio of linebackers, Durrant, Ingram, and Smith are restricted to (generally) only having two of them on the field at a time. Will this work? Will the Jaguars develop a new defensive identity? Is there anything stranger than thinking about John Henderson playing defensive end?

2. Can the Jaguars secondary stop Larry and Anquan? Derek Cox had a mixed day against Reggie Wayne, this week he'll probably see the best receiving duo on the league, rough way to open the season. Reggie Nelson and Sean Considine had moments of greatness followed by lapses of judgement, will that unit tighten up?

3. Will the story of the game be a Jaguars win or a blackout? Sadly, I think at the end of this game, the story will be the blackout, not the outcome.

Big Cat Country: The T-Shirt.

Make custom t-shirts at CustomInk.com

If you're interested in a Big Cat Country T-shirt (and really, why wouldn't you want one), I need you to seriously answer the poll question. Depending on the results, we'll work on getting these printed. So if you're really interested in spending 12 bucks (with shipping), let us know in the poll. If you're not interested, that's totally fine, just let us know in the poll.

Consider this the first open thread for the game.

-Chris

Poll

Will you buy a Big Cat Country T-shirt

Yes

30 votes

No

44 votes

74 votes | Poll has closed

Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio thinks you are dumb.

River City Rage — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:27:13 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

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There is simply no other way around it.

Jack Del Rio Today:

"What we have is a good, solid, tough defensive lineman who is about 6′5″, 285 and he plays hard," Del Rio said. "So let’s appreciate what he is and stop worrying about whether he’s measuring up to a standard that has been set by somebody else beside me, Gene Smith or his teammates. Once we do that, we’ll be in better shape."

Jack Del Rio on Draft Day:

"He’s going to grow into a 280, 285-pound body. He’s got tremendous closure on the quarterback. He’s played his best football in big games,"

I'm not a terribly reactive person. I can sit back and appreciate the big picture and take it all in. I believe in the "10,000 foot perspective", where judgment and analysis are tempered from the day to day moments. But today's comments by Del Rio broke my soul. If we accept Del Rio's premise that Derrick Harvey is not a fast edge rusher but a "rugged player", then Harvey joins the ranks of Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Marcades Lewis, and Reggie Nelson, athletic project players who, to date, have not lived up to any expectations. When we lauded Reggie Williams as the best run-blocking Wide Receiver in the game, that's a bad thing. When UCLA's pass catching machine is heralded as the "Next Kyle Brady", there's a problem. When we're scheming Reggie Nelson away from Reggie Wayne and to Sean Considine, there's an issue, and when Derrick Harvey is "just a tough player" at end and that expectations for sacks are our unrealistic, then there's nearly a decade of bad first round draft picks. I'm not going to even mention Byron Leftwich and the six years of first round prospects that the Jaguars have passed on in order to take this amalgamation of talent and potential.

Derrick Harvey, not expected to be a sack machine, that's rich Jack. It's one thing to admit that you've failed in identifying and developing a player to put the team in a position to win, it's another thing entirety to blame the media, the fans, and even your assistant coaches for the lack of performance by Harvey. Gene may have the Conn, but there's an anchor on this team, and I've come around the realization that Jack Del Rio is no longer the man for the job. We've had too many missed opportunities to build a legitimate roster and develop into a powerhouse. I'm sorry for the doom and gloom, but there's one element left of the James Harris era that's still lingering, and that's Coach Del Rio.

I'm expecting backlash for this, but the facts are there. Jack Del Rio has not put this team in a position to compete. How sad is it that we joke amongst ourselves about the importance of the Jaguars 2nd round draft picks. When we drafted Derek Cox and gave up our 2nd pick in next years draft, I dreaded the thought of losing the one consistent bright spot in our draft. It's like I've already given up on whoever we take first overall.

I'm dreadfully frustrated with Jack, as you can tell. He is already on the defensive, managing expectations, getting into the head of Harvey and Garrard, and it's not what I expected out of a developmental year. This is a time for the team to grow and turn into something special, not a time for the head coach to dig himself in and insulate himself from expectations. Frankly, he needs to grow up and face the fact that he's as much responsible for the direction of the team as anyone, he was part of the decision making trifecta and should be held accountable. If that means a sudden and rapid change at the top, than so be it.

Week 1 Preview: Jaguars at Colts

KingRichard — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:07:40 -0000

via assets.espn.go.com

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Are you ready for some football?

No, really. I said...

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME JAGUAR SMASHIN, TOUCHDOWN PASSIN, KICK THEM IN THE FACE BECAUSE THEY'RE A BIG DISGRACE FOOTBALL?!

That's more like it. I'm pumped. In fact, I'm as pumped as Arnold Schwarzenegger talking about the pump, that's how pumped I am.

To the delight of Colts fans and the dismay of Jaguars fans, the season opener for each respective team begins here in Indianapolis. The Colts begin the season as healthy as they've ever been. Compare that to this time last year with all the controversy and uncertainty surrounding the team, we're in a much better place; a much happier and peaceful place. This year, we can let the players do the talking instead of us making up excuses and getting pissed at the FO for mishandling what seemed like every injured player on the team. If the Colts come out flat and get stomped on Sunday, then that's just the way it is. There are no excuses this year.

In fact, this should be the motto for the Colts and us fans the entire season: No excuses.

After the jump we'll get into the nitty gritty but as a reminder, to get a look at this matchup from a Jaguars fan's perspective, I would suggest taking a gander over at Big Cat Country. FSBlueApocalypse did a fine job outlining the keys for the Jaguars, so good that I'll be quoting him on the next page. He was a little hit or miss on the Colts analysis but that's to be expected.

Here is FSBlueApocalypse on the keys to victory for the Jaguars:

Things to watch for: Jacksonville Jaguars

1. Time of Possession: The easiest way to beat the Colts is to keep Peyton Manning and Co. sitting on the bench. The Jaguars must sustain long drives and take the crowd out of the game as much as possible. In all of the Jaguars wins against the Colts, the Jags had the ball for a minimum of 36 minutes.

2. Defensive Pressure: The Jaguars continued to have issues getting pressure on the quarterback with only four rushers in the preseason. While Derrick Harvey began to show why he was the #8 pick of the 2008 draft, he'll need to take the next step (ie, actually getting to the QB) to be truly effective. It's the worst kept secret in the NFL Peyton gets happy feet when his jersey gets dirty, it is just getting it dirty that is hard.

3.Offensive Line: The Jaguars will be starting a pair of rookie tackles in one of the loudest environments in the NFL. False start penalties are only the beginning of the issues they will encounter. Eugene will quickly learn if he can truly inherit Boselli's position by going against Dwight Freeney, while Eben Britton will have his hand's full with Robert Mathis.

4. Maurice Jones-Drew: MJD has scored seven touchdowns against the Colts, and had his coming out party against them in 2006. The Jaguars will need a big game from him again if they want to come out of Indy with a win. Jones-Drew will likely be used in between the tackles and in the passing game extensively.

5. Defensive Secondary: The revamped secondary will have to hold it's own if the Jaguars want to have a chance to win on Sunday. Rashean Mathis' pick six was a huge reason why the Jaguars won in Indy last year, and he'll need to bring his A game against Reggie Wayne (aka the guy Brian Williams was always chasing into the endzone.) I already mentioned Derek Cox, while safeties Sean Considine and Reggie Nelson can afford no mistakes against Manning.

He makes some valid points. Most of them are proven plans to beat the Colts, no doubt about it. Keeping Manning on the sideline and milking the clock is the best way to beat the Colts, unless your name is SAGE ROSENFAILS. However, his 5th point is somewhat disturbing to me as if you recall last season in week 4 against the Jaguars, Rashean Mathis was molesting Marvin Harrison all day. Mathis should have been called for pass interferance on that play that resulted in a pick-6, but the referees totally blew it. That no-call gave the Jaguars the victory that day, but in the end didn't really matter because the Colts weren't good enough to beat the horribly overrated Chargers in the wildcard round anyways.

Hopefully I didn't kill your football high by re-living some of those horrible moments from last season, and if I did I apologize, so let's move on.

As I mentioned in the introduction, the Colts are starting the season healthier than any other in recent memory. Even though the Colts appear to be healthy, they are not without their weaknesses. If you can recall a few months ago, I highlighted 10 things the Colts must do to become 2009 champs, and these points stand true to this day.

The backfield looks very promising this season. Joseph Addai is healthy and has shown us a little bit of the Addai that we came to love in years past during the preseason. Spelling Addai when need be is the 2009 first round draft pick and fan favorite Donald Brown, who's impressed us all very much in the preseason as well. Showing us everything about his game that lead him to be the leader rusher in the entire nation last year.

However, the offensive line is a huge, MASSIVE, question mark going into this game. Arguably the biggest concern regarding the entire team. That's a very bold statement considering we're talking about a team that has a lot of new faces in playing very prominent roles both on the field and on the sidelines. The Colts need to be able to run the ball to be a complete offense again and it begins tomorrow.

Of course when you start talking about the offensive line and dominating the line of scrimmage, you must also talk about the defense and how they must dominant as well. The Jaguars are notorious for running at will all over the Colts. Luckily the Jaguars cut Fred Taylor, but there is still the issue of that little guy named Maurice Jones-Drew. He is the bane of our defense. His combination of size, speed, and strength makes him extremely difficult to take down and man handle. Anytime I see him play the Colts it reminds me of playing pinball, where he is the pinball as he bounces off of defenders left and right and eventually falling past the flippers only to completely screw up my awesome score and end my game. And if you weren't aware, I HATE PINBALL.

Domination on both lines is key because as FSBlueApocalypse mentioned, time of possession is key to stalling the Colts momentum and beating them. Fortunately for Freeney and Mathis, both offensive tackles for the Jaguars are rookies and have yet to face such a fearsome duo. Be sure to keep an eye on Freeney and Mathis using all the tools they are equipped with in trying to make David Garrard's life a living hell. If the Colts are able to own the line of scrimmage on defense and force the Jaguars to pass this will make the Colts chances of winning ten times better.

Lastly, let's hope we see some improvement from the special teams. Thus far I have yet to see any drastic improvement on special teams. We shouldn't expect to see returners stoned inside their 20 yard line each and every kickoff or punt, but at the same time, would it kill someone to tackle a returner before giving up a 30+ yard return? Honestly.

Poll

Jaguars @ Colts: Who ya got?

Colts by more than 7

206 votes

Colts by 4-7

65 votes

Colts by 1-3

20 votes

Tie

0 votes

Jaguars by 1-3

8 votes

Jaguars by 4-7

4 votes

Jaguars by more than 7

6 votes

309 votes | Poll has closed