SB Nation - John Henderson

Jets Flight Connections 121309

dvdvil — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:34:12 -0000

First of all, don't forget to check out "Jets 24/7" "Jets Flight Plan" on WCBS-TV New York at 11:30am.

Brian Schottenheimer explains why Kellen Clemens looked so bad against Buffalo.

Kellen is eager to start again at quarterback.

His coaches and teammates say they have total trust in the back-up.

Will Tampa Bay hurt our post-season push?

This article says bet on the Jets, while this one says bet on the Bucs.

With Robert Turner out and Alan Faneca recovering from illness, the Jets activated OT Ryan McKee from the practice squad.

Former Army HC and current Jets LB Coach Bob Sutton was at the Army-Navy game.

Buccaneers HC Raheem Morris and Jets Strength and Conditioning Coach Sal Alosi were teammates at Hofstra.

More connections after the jump.

Read about how well former Jets Jason Trusnik and David Bowens are doing with the Browns.

What's going wrong in New England is not Tom Brady's fault.

Maybe it's Adalius Thomas's fault, who will not play today.

Matt Moore will be the quarterback for the Panthers against the Patriots.

Do you remember when Carolina went to the Super Bowl? What if Kris Jenkins and the Panthers had won then?

The Dolphins will be playing without Jake Grove again, while the Jaguars will be without Mike Sims-Walker, John Henderson and Rashean Mathis.

Lastly, please keep voting for you favorite Jets to go to the Pro Bowl.

Here are some highlights of the last one, where we voted in seven Jets players:

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)

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Run Defense

John B — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:24:04 -0000

by Peter Morgan - AP

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The Jaguars have one of the worst statistical run defenses in football. The Chiefs did little to try and exploit it last week, running only 12 times. Part of this was due to them playing from behind. The Jets are going to test Jacksonville's new 4-3 base defense much more up front.

Jacksonville hopes its strength will come from up the middle and tackles John Henderson and Terrance Knighton. Henderson is a multi time Pro Bowler. Knighton is a rookie space eater. He's been pretty good defending the run, although he's less likely to beat his man and penetrate. He's more of a Sione Pouha type. Atiyyah Ellison will rotate in with them, a guy who doesn't do anything poorly but also doesn't do anything particularly well.

Derrick Harvey will line up at one end. He weighs in at 281 pounds, big for a 4-3 end. His play against the run seems to have improved a bit with the move to the 4-3. On the other side, the Jaguars will play a pair of smallish ends, Quentin Groves, a small speedy guy who is something of a liability in the run game and Bryan Smith, an even smaller player. They are in there to provide the pass rush. Jacksonville hopes the Jets run away from them, which they might if they are lined up against D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and Gang Green is best running it right.

Daryl Smith is Jacksonville's best linebacker against the run. Smith does everything well. For my money, he's one of the most overlooked players in football. He's had success at both middle and outside linebacker during his career. He'll start outside on the weak side. Justin Durant, who starts in the middle does a decent job against the run. Jacksonville wants the tackles to keep him clean. Strong side backer Clint Ingram is the weakest defending the run. I would expect the Jets to target him.

As always, Jacksonville will probably stick 8 in the box against the rookie quarterback, but neither safety Reggie Nelson nor Gerald Alexander has provided Jacksonville much in run support this year, which is stark considering how much their 3-4 base struggled against the run until they switched their scheme last week.

What are the keys? Knighton played nose in the 3-4 so he'll likely line up against Nick Mangold. Mangold has to control him on his own. The idea for any nose tackle is to occupy a pair of blockers. Nick has been great controlling his assignments to this point against more decorated linemen. The strength at the center position springs the run game because the Jets have an extra blocker who does not need to dedicate himself to blocking the nose. The Jets will. Knighton lined up on the left side against the Chiefs. If he does again, that will leave Brandon Moore, Damien Woody, and Tony Richardson to take on an end and linebacker. This looks like it could be a favorable matchup for the Jets.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:39 -0000

by Peter Morgan - AP

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Jacksonville's defense looked transformed against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. The unit had struggled all season long to generate pressure against opposing quarterbacks all year, 5 in the first 7 games, but registed 3 last Sunday and applied constant pressure. Playing against a suspect offensive line and a quarterback who holds the ball too long had a lot to do with it, but the Jags also changed their scheme. After running a 3-4 defense, a poorly thought out Mangini style scheme change, Jacksonville reverted to using the 4-3 as their base. The Jaguars did display some 3-4 against the Chiefs and zone blitzed a lot to try and confuse the protection. Against a rookie quarterback, expect a lot more of this. Also expect the four first round picks and Brandon Moore on the offensive line to do a lot better against the Jaguars.

Jacksonville's 4-3 has strength built up the middle. John Henderson is still playing at a high level. He registered a sack, a hit, and 5 pressures against the Chiefs. He's joined by Terrence Knighton, a 325 rookie from Temple who does not have a great burst to get to the quarterback but freqently occupies a pair of tacklers to open things up for others. 2008 first round pick Derrick Harvey played inspired football against Kansas City, displaying good power moves and athleticism against Brandon Albert, the talented young left tackle from Virginia. He'll look to duplicate his performance against another young talented left tackle from Virginia, D'Brickashaw Ferguson. The way D'Brickashaw and Nick Mangold are playing, I feel comfortable with the Jets' ability to hold Henderson and Harvey in check.

Bryan Smith will start at left end in place of another 2008 pass rushing draftee Quentin Groves. Groves is raw but has a lot of athletic ability. He can get to the quarterback but it really best served as a situational pass rusher. The Jags will probably use him as a rusher both with his hand on and off the ground. Aside from then, his playing time could be limited because he struggles against the run and is giving up over 60 pounds to Damien Woody. Can you say mismatch? Smith is even smaller than Groves. It will be important for him to get off the line quickly and use his speed against Woody because unless he gets on top of Damien quickly, he will be overpowered.

Daryl Smith is going to play a key role for Jacksonville. The outside linebacker is excellent in pass coverage and will probably draw Dustin Keller frequently. The Jets made Keller Mark Sanchez's primary read against Miami to try and keep things simple and safe. Keller responded with his best game of the year. Keller is going to give Smith all he can handle (as well as linebackers Justin Durant, who is solid in pass coverage and Clint Ingram, who is something of a liability). Smith will also be used as a blitzer. He had 2 sacks and 3 pressures against the Chiefs.

On the outside, there will be plays to be made. The secondary of Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox at corner and Reggie Nelson and Gerald Alexander has been suspect all year, and you can only blame the pass rush to a certain extent. The Jags are giving up over 240 yards through the air. Alexander is nursing a shoulder injury. Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery have the edge here and will all day. Keller also will have a great chance to exploit the safeties in coverage. I'd also look for David Clowney to have an impact. The Jaguars will be aggressive, and the Chiefs burned them long on a safety blitz.

I think the Jets handle the pass rush well. They have a significantly better offensive line than Kansas City. If he has to, Brian Schottenheimer can leave in extra blockers as he frequently did against the Dolphins and give Mark Sanchez time to find the matchups that favor his receivers.

Week 10: Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets Game Preview

Jonathan Loesche — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:07:42 -0000

New York Jets (4-4)	Week #10	Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4)
	VS.

Date:	November 15st, 2009	Location:	East Rutherford, New Jersey
Time:	1:00 PM EST	Stadium:	The Meadowlands
TV:	CBS	Favorite:	Jets -7
Radio:	Click Here	Over/Under:	40.5
Weather:	Mid 50's, no chance of rain	Injury Report:	Click Here
SBN Coverage:	Gang Green Nation	Coverage Map	Click Here

The Jaguars travel to the swamps of New Jersey for what is in essence a playoff elimination game. Both teams are part of the logjam of 5-3/4-4 teams in the AFC. A win means they get a leg up on one of their main competitors, a loss means they'll need a lot of help to keep their hopes alive.

The last time the Jaguars went against a Rex Ryan defense was the final game of the 2008 season at Baltimore. It was certainly a low point in a season filled with low points. The Jaguars committed four turnovers and were held to only 245 yards in a 27-7 defeat.

Now the Jaguars must find a way to defend against the defense to keep their playoff hopes alive. In addition, the Jaguars must deal with a hot rookie quarterback, much like last year in Baltimore. Mark Sanchez has played well for the Jets so far, but has had his fair share of rookie moments.

Can the Jags go into the Meadowlands and land one of Jack Del Rio's biggest wins in his career, or will they have another quiet flight home?

Jaguars Offense vs Jets Defense

The Jets have an impressive resume on defense. They're the only unit in football that hasn't given up 100 yard rusher, 100 yard receiver, or 300 yard passer all year. The defense is surrendering only 11.5 points in the game, best in the NFL. They come at you from every angle and any one of the 11 players on the field is liable to blitz at any given time.

However, here is something to ponder with the Jets defense. How will the react to getting smacked in the mouth running the football? The only time the Jets defense had genuinely looked bad was when Miami ran at them with the Wildcat. That is where this game is going to be won or lost.

Maurice Jones-Drew has to start fast for the Jaguars to have a chance. If he gets going running the ball, that'll force a cocky Jets defense onto it's heels and give David a chance to get throws off. If we come out and throw nine straight times again,we'll likely be seeing Luke McCown because David will be on the sideline with broken ribs.

If MJD can get it going, I expect to see alot of screens to Mike Thomas on the outside as well as to Jones-Drew coming out of the backfield. The way you beat a blitz heavy team is to get them aggrivated and then use that against them.

When the Jaguars do decide to test the Jets through the air, the obvious target is going to be CB Lito Sheppard. Sheppard is coming off a quad injury and the Jets' other corner, Darrell Revis, is one of the best in the league. I would try to get Sims-Walker matched up with Sheppard as often as possible to test the quad injury, while leaving Holt to deal with Revis most of the time.

Jaguars Defense vs Jets Offense

Rookie Quarterback Mark Sanchez came out of the gates like a man possessed. However, he has slid back down to reality as the season has progressed. Sanchez was a turnover machine in losses against Buffalo and New Orleans, throwing a combined nine interceptions.

The Jaguars will need to build on the success against the Chiefs and hopefully get into Sanchez's face early. All the indications are that he'll show you early on how he's going to be. If he gets hot, back by the NFL's #1 rushing attack, we could end up with a repeat of the Seattle game.

As I previously mentioned, the Jets have the NFL's #1 rushing attack averaging over 170 yards per game.The Jets leading rusher is Thomas Jones, who has 704 yards and 7 touchdowns so far this season.

The Jaguars' defensive line will have to be the key to stopping the Jets' rushing attack. John Henderson and Terrance Knighton will have to be getting penetration in the back field to help counter for a weak right edge.

Speaking of that right edge, former practice squad player Bryan Smith will be the starting RDE for the Jaguars. As Collin pointed out in his brilliant two part series, he didn't play all the well against the Chiefs. However, Quentin Groves has been such a liability against the run it's not likely things could get much worse.

The basic game plan for the Jaguars has to be stopping the run and putting the ball in Mark Sanchez's hands. Sanchez hasn't looked great over the last five games and he's never had a situation where he's been expected to simply throw it to win.

Intangibles and Special Teams

If the Jets have the best rushing offense and one of the best defenses in the NFL, then why are they sitting at 4-4? Two reasons, turnovers and bad special teams.

The Jets have committed 15 turnovers so far in 2009, eleven being Mark Sanchez interceptions. However, the Jaguars are even worse. The Jaguars are -3 in the turnover department in 2009. David Garrard has thrown four interceptions in the last three games and he'll need to be careful to avoid more on Sunday.

The Jets' Special Teams melt down against the Dolphins two weeks ago has been well documented. However, the unit has been suspect all season. Mike Thomas seems like he's due to finally break a touchdown on a return and this would be a perfect week to do it.

Josh Scobee has been having something of an off year. Scobee is just 9-14, though 4 of those misses have been from 50+ and another one was blocked. Also, here is an interestining tid bit. Scobee leads the league with 6 attempts from more than 50 yards. The next closest is Mason Crosby of Green Bay with 4, then several kickers with 3. Only 5 kickers have had more than 2 50+ yard attempts this year.

Coaching

Jack Del Rio leads the Jaguars to the Meadowlands for the final time as the stadium is scheduled to close after this year. After almost coughing up a win against the Chiefs, it will be interesting to see how the Jaguars respond to that scare.

Rex Ryan is coming off his first bye week as head coach. In an interesting move, the Jets only had two days worth of practice during the bye week, despite losing four of their last five games.

Player On The Hot Seat

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB

The entire fate of the Jaguars offense rests in his hands. If he can't get things going running the ball, then the Jets will have their ears pinned back the entire game and it could get even uglier than Seattle.

Video Killed The Game Preview

Prediction

Jacksonville Jaguars 28

New York Jets 24

Mike Thomas breaks a punt return for a touchdown, the Jaguars score following a Mark Sanchez interception deep in Jets territory, and get two long pounding drives thanks to Jones-Drew.

-Jonathan Loesche

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

Rams@Jacksonville The view from the stadium

Tkopa — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:50:58 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

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There are so many ways to look at this game and we will consider all of them in a minute, but the truth is, we dominated the Rams and came away with a win. We dominated in everything except the score, and protecting the ball, and protecting David and... wait wait, it was a win and time to celebrate. After the jump I'll tell you what Collin, John, and I saw. As usual, the statistics don't tell the whole story.

About mid-way into the first quarter, I turned to Collin and said, "It is clear, we are the better team", and we were. Take away the overtime, the Rams pick six, and count two touchdowns instead of red zone turnovers and we are at 34-13. The reason we didn't do to the Rams what the Seahawks did to us was simple, stupid mistakes. That is what I am coming to understand. Our talent is not preventing us from getting to the playoffs, our mistakes are. A new team leaning on rookies, we are what we are, a developing team.

You don't need any more facts than this one to realize it has to be mistakes that limits us. We generated almost 500 yards of offense and held Steven Jackson to 50 yards rushing and went into overtime to win the game. Ponder that and you will realize what kind of team we have. Power not yet harnessed.

I know everyone will give MJD the game ball, but in the stadium it was clear who dominated the game, Torry Holt. David threw one pass to Torry and it was badly off the mark. Torry was standing facing David about 15 yards down field and the ball sailed to the right. Torry stretched his arm out as far as it would go and the ball stuck to his fingertips. It looked like a two-finger catch. Another was a beautiful foot-dragging-catch stretching to the sideline. Another was the opening drive catch when he had two defenders spinning around looking for him. If you add in the number of defensive pass interference penalties called on guys covering him, as they held his arms down, he would have been over 200 yards today.

Two more Torry Holt stories. The first one was when MJD ran left for the go ahead touchdown with under two minutes left in the fouth quarter. Torry Holt ran out on the field and didn't look for Maurice, he looked for Eugene Monroe and jumped on his back. Eugene had thrown the block that sprung Maurice and Torry went out to congratulate him. Eugene carried Torry off the field with Torry cheering him. Eugene must have felt great. The other one was when Mike Thomas ran back a kickoff and two Rams collided trying to get him. One of them was Ron Bartell. He lay there for a long time and the Rams gathered around him, in the group was Torry. They treated him like one of their own. You want to know the difference between this year and last year? Jerry Porter verses Torry Holt. Torry Holt is team chemistry and fills the role Fred Taylor used to hold.

Maurice was a beast in the second half and ran for 125 years in that half. His number of carries was second most in team history and that means 25 carries in the second half must be a one half record. Torry dominated but Maurice came through when it was needed. There was one play in the first half that impressed me. David was running for his life and trying to get to the first down marker. Chris Longwas closing in on David from behind and suddenly his feet left the ground and he landed on his butt about five yards out of bounds. He struggled to get up and then realized Maurice had hit him. He got in Maurice's face and said something and I thought Maurice would send him back to the ground.

It was a rookie line again today with Eugene and Eben starting. There were a lot of plays where David had plenty of time. There were times when David could have stepped back and avoided the pressure. David is hard to protect sometimes as he seems to sometimes step into trouble instead of away. His focus is down field and he doesn't sense the pressure. However the rookies had moments of lapses again, and David paid the price. David is getting hit too hard too often for me to feel he has five more years left in him. His career is closing down quickly with all the punishment he takes. He was not sharp most of the game. He threw four interceptions today with two the Rams held on to and two others were in their hands and dropped. We hung perilously close to disaster today.

I am beginning to believe when the rookies start, Marcedes will vanish. He stays in to block more than go out for passes. It may look like he didn't have a good game, but I think he did more than anyone will give him credit for.

Derek Cox is getting better but he was singled out again today. He did start to take a bit more risk later in the game and made some good plays. He is a sure tackler and when he closes in, the guy goes down. He got better today. Rashean Mathis made a stunning interception and played beautiful. When you consider the Rams offense scored 13 points today, something was going well.

We played without Justin Durant and also with Russell Allen in the backfield. It showed. I know Justin Durant would have closed down a number of plays. I can't help but think Brian Williams as safety would have improved our defense. We don't have a shutdown capability yet.

Quentin Grovesplayed a lot for a third string guy. If Quentin Groves is a thrid string guy, we must be loaded with talent. On special teams, Quentin came flying down and stuck the runner solo. I don't know what is wrong but he has too much talent to sit.

Summary.

Folks, it all boils down to the lines. The offensive line is rough but has the talent to move upward. I am worried about the punishment David is taking while they learn, but it will get better. Eben Britton still has problems figuring out who his man is on blitzes.

The defensive line is a run stopping line. It is not a pass rushing line and without Durant, they couldn't afford to send the linebacker. When you see Steven Jackson you marvel at his size. When you see John Henderson grab him and drive him to the ground, you marvel even more at big Hen. If you are an opposing QB, playing the Jaguars is the same as wearing a no hit vest. This area may be worse than last year.

Without improvement on both lines, the Jaguars will not progress beyond a .500 team and find themselves in silly overtime games against a team they so clearly outplayed. Get used to it, we will have moments to rejoice and moments of anguish. Today we narrowly escaped anguish but that means celebration. At the by week we are 3-3.

-Terry O'Brien

Greg Knapp's Masterful Stretch Right, Cutback Left

John Morgan — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:37:01 -0000

Ray Willis sleepwalked through the first quarter. What more could he do? He wasn't challenged, protected or counted on. He was invisible -- in a good way.

That put me in a spot. I wanted to follow up on him after his perceived disastrous week in Indy, but if nothing's happening, nothing's happening.

Then something happened.

Seattle is set three wide, two tight ends. The right wide out is Justin Forsett. He motions to running back before the snap. The play starts like a stretch left, but it's not. It's an elegant cutback right that should have scored.

I highlighted the principle players. The wide receivers are important decoys. After Forsett motions in, cornerback Derek Cox moves into the tackle box, over but to the right of Forsett. At the snap, Seattle moves its line hard left. That action lures both inside linebackers into the pile. John Owens (86) runs past left outside linebacker Daryl Smith. Smith pursues Hasselbeck on Matt Hasselbeck's boot motion and takes himself out of the play. John Carlson is matched against right defensive end Derrick Harvey. That's a tough matchup, but one he must and does win.

The trap is sprung when Willis stops his pull right and circles back to block left defensive end John Henderson. All of a sudden, Forsett has a wide open cutback lane (the triangle beginning between 89 and 74 and extending towards the end zone), a cornerback to beat and Owens to block in front.

Forsett times his cut poorly and runs up on Carlson's legs. Carlson could have blocked Harvey better, but not much better. He eventually pancakes Harvey. Forsett's initial hole is not gaping, it's a cutback lane after all, but it's clear and large enough for any rusher to explode through with a head of steam. Instead he stumbles and the defense swarms around him. He gains two, but if he gets through that hole cleanly, he should have no problem taking it to the house. One only needs to see how empty the right side of the field is to see the brilliance of this play call and how close it was to a touchdown.

Greg Knapp constructed a beautiful play, but it was undone by Forsett. Seattle must find a way to use this again. Stumbles happen, and sometimes they cost you yardage, but any play design that can nearly clear out and entire half of the field deserves a prominent place in an NFL playbook.

Game Preview Week 5: Jacksonville Jaguars at Seattle Seahawks

Jonathan Loesche — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:36:46 -0000

Seattle Seahawks (1-3)

Week #5

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)

VS.

Date:	October 11th, 2009	Location:	Seattle, WA
Time:	4:00 PM EST	Stadium:	Qwest Field
TV:	CBS	Favorite:	Pick 'em
Radio:	Click Here	Over/Under:	OFF
Weather:	Low 50's, slight chance of rain	Injury Report:	Click Here
SBN Coverage:	Field Gulls	Coverage Map	Click Here

Week 5 sees the Jaguars traveling to the West Coast to take on the Seattle Seahawks. The last time the Jaguars played in Seattle, Tony Boselli played in his final game as a Jaguar, the Seahawks were playing in Husky Stadium, and the United States had just begun the War in Afghanistan. Now, nearly a decade later we're still in Afghanistan (along with a little side trip to Iraq), Tony Boselli has now begun a broadcasting career, and the Seahawks play in beautiful Qwest Field.

The Jaguars will have several things to contend with on their trip to the great Northwest. The biggest is, of course, the time difference. The Jaguars will head out a day early to help get their bodies in tune for the game, a logical move. The biggest development of the week is that Seattle's star quarterback Matt Hasselbeck may play this week after practicing several times this week. It would certainly be a boost to an offense that has been woeful under Seneca Wallace.

Things to Watch For: Jacksonville Jaguars

1. Pass Defense: With the return of Matt Hasselbeck likely, the Jaguars pass defense needs to shore-up this week. While the unit ranks dead last statistically, it has been improving since the second-half against the Texans. With Derek Cox getting his footing, and Gerald Alexander providing solid play at safety, this would seem to be a possible break out game for a unit that has been the lone sore spot of the first half of the season.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew: The forgotten man in the bedazzlement of Tennessee, look for MJD to once again become a focal point of the offense against what is regarded as one of the loudest crowds in the NFL. In addition, Seattle has one of the worst defensive interiors in the NFL; so expect to see a lot of MJD Sunday.

3. Offensive Line: So who really were the best players at tackle? I'm not going to jump on the Thomas/Williams bandwagon just yet as I've liked the progression Monroe and Britton have showen so far. I'll ask another question, considering where we thought this season was going to start the year, should we have started Thomas and Williams to begin with?

4.Defensive Line: Will the D-line continue it's resurgence over the last few games? John Henderson has experienced a career revival as a 3-4 DE that I never expected and I'm pleasantly surprised. Terrance Knighton has proved all of his doubters wrong up to this point with his play and has been the key to the Jags being successful at a 3-4. Going up against a banged up Seahawk O-line the unit will be expected to be a force Sunday.

5.Mike Sims-Walker: The man almost single handidly responsible for the Jaguars having a legitimate passing threat needs another big game this week against the Seahawks. MSW needs another big game to prove he is a legit #1 wide receiver in the NFL.

What to Watch For: Seattle Seahawks

1. Starting Quarterback: Will it be three time Pro Bowler Matt Hasselbeck or career backup Seneca Wallace? Hasselbeck has been practicing, and all signs point to a triumphant comeback against the Jaguars. Nothing energizes a team more than the return of their starting QB and that is just what a hopeless team needs.

2.Offensive Line: The 'Hawks are in the same position the Jaguars were in last year. They suffer from severe offensive line injuries that have held the team back at every level. Walter Jones, Seattle's All-World Left Tackle, will be missing time along with other starters along the offensive line.

3. Pass Defense: Seattle's pass defense is Jacksonville's neighbor near the bottom of the NFL standings and will be looking to improve this week just as Jacksonville is. We get to see ex-Jaguar Deon Grant at safety, who has been an enigma for the Seahawks this year.

4. The 12th (or 11.5th man): The Seahawks have enjoyed one of the best home field advantages in football since moving into Qwest Field. However, with tickets still available and many bandwagoner's getting off the wagon with the team's recent woes, it will be interesting to see if that will be the case this week.

Player On The Hot Seat

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville

In a tough, hostile enviornment like Seattle a dominant run game will take the crowd out of it and help break the energy Matt Hasselbeck's return will surely have. Look for MJD to get the ball alot to chew clock and keep the fans out of the game.

Prediction

Jacksonville Jaguars 28

Seattle Seahawks 17

-Jonathan Loesche

First Quarter Grades and Awards

Jonathan Loesche — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:45:09 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Morton - AP

Mike Sims-Walker has been showing flashes of being the best receiver the Jaguars have had since Jimmy Smith.

Browse more photos »

The first quarter has been filled with some great moments (Week 4) and some not so great moments (Week 2.) In between, we have seen a team that came into the season with tempered expectations amongst a gutted roster. Now, that roster has begun to show signs of life that has the word "Playoffs" being spoke and the idea of going 6-2 heading into a showdown against the New York Jets a possibility. However, I think this team is somewhere in between at the moment.

Passing Game

David Garrard has begun to regain his 2007 form, averaging over 235 yards a game and already has five touchdowns to start the season. The main concern for me though is that he only has a completion percentage of 59.7%. David's resurgence can be thanked in part to the resurgence of the offensive line. In the last two weeks, David has been given all the time in the world and it has shown.

The other key to the resurgence of the passing game has been the fact the Jaguars no longer have a CFL level wide receiving corp.Mike Sims-Walker has been a monster since being forced into the starting line up due to Troy Williamson's season ending injury. Torry Holt has been a nice veteran edition who still has something left in the tank. The one disappointment so far has been dearly departed Nate Hughes. I felt like he was scape goated for the loss to Arizona.

Grade: B+

Rushing Game

Maurice Jones-Drew was made one of the highest paid running backs in the league and he has played like it through four weeks. MJD has 296 rushing yards and five touch downs in the through the first five games on the season. Keep in mind that is including the Titans game where he only had six carries. Overall I'm very pleased with how Jones-Drew has taken to being the starting running back.

Biggest surprise to the run game has been Mike Thomas' edition. Thomas gives the Jaguars a nice change of pace player off the end around that has paid nice dividends so far.

Grade: B+

Rushing Defense

The defense has been in a state of transition going from a 4-3 to a 3-4. However, the rush defense has been adequate for the Jaguars. The Jags currently rank 12th in the NFL against the rush giving up 98.8 yards a game. This can be thanked in part to the emergence of Terrance Knighton as a legitimate 3-4 NT (and to think some people wanted us to draft B.J. Raji) and John Henderson's career revival as a 3-4 DE. However, the low rush numbers can also be thanked by something else.........

Grade: B-

Passing Defense

Or lack there of. The Jaguars are tied for dead last in the NFL allowing 282 yards a game in the air and opposing QBs are averaging a 97.2 QB rating against the Jaguars defense. The first two and a half games were horrific to watch, to say the least. However, it seems the defensive line is now starting to get pressure and rookie Derek Cox is getting his footing and showing why he was worth a 2nd round investment. However, the weak link that still exists is FS Reggie Nelson. Nelson is constantly out of place and is going to cost us more big plays in the future. As I told Terry on Sunday, let's hope some team is dumb enough to swap first round picks and take Reggie Nelson in a trade that'll let us take Eric Berry.

Grade: D+

Special Teams

Josh Scobee's 70% FG accuracy is something of a misnomer considering two of his three misses were from 56 and 62 yards. Discounting those two misses, Scobee is 7/8 and I dare say has become the best kicker in the NFL. Also, Scobee is second in the league averaging 71.1 yards a kick off. In other words, Scobee's AVERAGE kickoff is landing a yard deep in the end zone.

On the flip side, Adam Podlesh is an enigma. Podlesh currently ranks 26th in the league with a 36.1 yard net average. The strange thing is his actual average is 39.7 yards, meaning he's getting a lot of fair catches.Still, he needs to show something more than any other journeyman punter.

The coverage units have been solid so far, certainly aided by Scobee's bombing kick offs. While the haven't been at the top of the league, they are far from the disaster many fans feared when Russ Purnell was hired.

The returning duties have been a game of musical chairs that have seemingly found a winner in Mike Thomas. Thomas has looked excellent so far in his duties and I'm sure a highlight reel punt return for touchdown is coming soon.

Grade: B+

Intangibles

The Jaguars are sixth in the league with a +4 turnover differential and are tied for sixth in the league for fewest penalties with 19. For a team that is transition, these are huge and I don't think I need to explain why

Grade: A

I'm going to save my thoughts on the Jaguars' coaching for a separate article.

MVP: Mike Sims-Walker

Sims-Walker has been the spark plug a sputtering offense has needed foe years. Now that he is finally healthy we see what all of the hype was about and he is well on his way to becoming a true #1 wide receiver in the league.

Best Rookie: Terrance Knighton

A tough call between Knighton and fellow third rounder Derek Cox. However, I went with Knighton for almost singlehandidly helping lead a resurgence on the defensive line.

-Jonathan Loesche