SB Nation - Greg Jones

Greg Jones - Get Well Soon - We want you back!

Tkopa — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:11:47 -0000

It is the fourth quarter. Jaguars down 14-10. Maurice busts a run off the left side for 13 yards. We are on the Miami 39 yard line. The call goes to Maurice off the right side. Greg Jones comes out to engage Joey Porter. Maurice is caught in the backfield by the inside linebacker Channing Crowder. It looks like Channing got by Vince Manuwai. As Maurice is wrapped up, he rolls up on Greg Jones leg. Maurice knows what happened. Greg jumps to his feet and puts pressure on the leg and buckles. He signals to the sidelines for help. Del Rio is there. This is serious and everyone knows it. Greg is helped from the field and sits for awhile and then is almost carried to the locker room.

When a player can't put weight on the leg it is serious. We all know what Greg Jones means to this team. We all know how he tore the ACL a few years back and rehabed himself wonderfully. Even with a dedicated effort of training, it took a year to come back fully. Greg Jones means a lot to us all. Someday we will have to say goodbye to Greg as a Jaguar. I believe I speak for us all saying we hope that day wasn't last Sunday. Get well Greg, we want to see you return, and soon!

- Terry O'Brien

Miami@Jacksonville The View from the Stadium

Tkopa — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:25:32 -0000

It was a good day at the stadium, Oh yea, we lost. Sorry. You know what? I am not that disappointed. This team played very hard right to the end. We didn't have all of our muscle in today and even if we did, Miami has a lot of muscle. Miami looks to be rounding out as a playoff caliber team. We are not quite there yet, but we aren't as far off as we were a few weeks ago. We could have won, we almost won. In fact, the defense took it to them hard. If we had one more play on offense our playoff hopes would be strongly alive. That's OK, the Jaguars are OK, so let's take a look at it. By the way, if you stare hard enough at this picture you can see Jonathan and Collin, but you have to look for a long time to see them.

The game didn't start out very well. Jaxson DeVille got hung up on his high-wire act and hung upside down for almost 10 minutes as they tried to figure out how to get him down. As Curtis Dvorak hung 100 feet up over a stadium in a mascot outfit, I wonder if this thought passed his mind "How did my life come to this?".

In the first quarter, the Jaguars were just as hung up. I think Miami had the ball for 12 minutes and the Jaguars got to run all of 6 plays. It was clear Miami was the better team coming out of the gate. One thing about Miami since Bill took over, they are physical. I think the beating Houston gave David took a toll as David did not look sharp. The Dolphins smelled blood.

By the middle of the second quarter the dominance was complete. Miami drove down again and scored on a Chad Henne roll-out. Chad would begin a streak of 17 straight completions that the Jaguars struggled to stop. Everything was open for Miami, runs up the middle, reverses and receivers. We were dead. It was a complete beat down in the making.

Then something began to happen. The offense woke up. The blocking got better and the running and passing began to happen. Maurice ripped off a nine yard run and then Jennings ripped off a ten yard run. Both up the middle. At the goal line we saw what might have been Greg Jones final important play. He held open the Miami defense just long enough to get MJD through.

The defense woke up at this point. Miami had 14 points and the defense said that was enough. They began to get to Chad Henne and rattle him. Hitting began to happen and the ball began to come out. Gerald Alexander forced a fumble and Anthony Smith recovered it. Both of those guys have been playing very well and we have the nucleus of a very good defense in the making. 14-7 Miami at halftime.

Third quarter was one of the most fun quarters of football to watch in the stadium this season. Derrick Harvey set the tone of the second half with a huge sack. He played really well again today.

With the defense beginning their shutdown, the offense had to pick it up. The field was soggy and Maurice slipped a lot. No excuse, Ricky Williams got his 100 yards, but Maurice couldn't do it. They had him running back punts today and nothing good happened. Then lighting struck. Torry Holt pulled a vanishing move and reappeared behind the defense. David scrambled to his right and launched a ball that seemed to move in slow motion. The tension was amazing as we watched the high arc and the ever so slow decent. Please Torry please!!!

Got it! If I blew up this photo you could see the size of his hands. They look like a bushel basket. Torry didn't score but another catch of his had the Jaguars on the 8 yard line. Since they had their quota of red zone touchdowns for the game, it was time for a field goal.

Miami punts, Jacksonville punts, Gerald Alexander forces another fumble and recovers. We are on the 35 yard line. Just get a field goal, please! We can't move the ball and punt. Scobee for 57 yards? I would have tried it.

Miami punts and then the Jaguars fail to convert on fourth down while on the Miami 45 yard line. All we wanted was a field goal, please! Miami ball, Derrick Cox intercepts! A beautiful interception by the 103 best corner back in the draft. Once again, the Jaguars can't move the ball and punt. The defense holds and forces Miami to punt. The Jaguars fail to convert on fourth down again.

The defense had given the offense the ball four times to get 2 field goals or one touchdown. There was no way it was going to happen. Why did it end this way? Maurice could not get it going. Could it be he doesn't have 16 game legs? Is it the offensive line that can't block for him? He seems tired, they seem tired. I don't know.

So why do I feel OK with this game? The defense fought hard without Rahean and Big John. In Miami's last six possessions, the Jaguar defense forced four punts and two turnovers. They adjusted beautifully at halftime and owned the Dolphins in the second half. Miami is a decent team and this defense got it together and almost won the game for us. It was a pleasure watching this defense come alive.

The offense is where things didn't go well today. David didn't play well. Mike Sims-Walker is hurt and Torry can't carry a game. There was no third receiver today. Maurice looks like he has tired legs and can't break tackles as well as earlier in the season. Sadly, Greg Jones suffered a close your eyes leg injury I caught on camera. I won't show it today. He couldn't put any weight on it as he left.

We were beat, but this team fought hard every minute of the game. We are not quite a powerful team yet. We knew this was a year of finding new guys and Gene has done just that. If this team goes 8-8, I am calling it a great success. It is the start of what can get better, much better. This is a good team that knows it can compete. It is a bit tired right now, the veterans, especially on the offensive line, are not holding up. On the other hand, the rookies, this year's rookies and last year's rookies are coming on. Russel Allen is a great run stopping linebacker. Give Gene another year. In the mean time, prayers for Greg, and get ready for the Colts. The last game in the stadium this year is four days away. It was fun in the stadium this year and I think this team deserves a standing ovation.

- Terry O'Brien

49ers-Jaguars: The World According to Madden

Fooch — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:27 -0000

Fooch's Note: This post was written by mountaindew77 and I am posting it for him.

Hello Niners Nation. After a hectic week last week, I was unable to get the Madden simulation done. Thankfully, we have our good man Ninjames and he was able to fill in and do it. But now I'm back and hopefully I will be able to get it done each week from here on out. So here is how this works. I make sure I have downloaded the most updated rosters, I check the injury report and only take out the players from the depth chart that are going to miss the game for sure. I also update the depth charts according to how they are in the real NFL.

The game is Madden 10 for the PS3. I set up this week's matchup in Madden with 14 minute quarters and 25 second clock run-off for a more realistic amount of plays. I set the difficulty on All-Madden, sit back, and watch the matchup and give you guys a play-by-play. Let's get this thing started.

1^st Quarter

Niners win the toss and elect to receive. Robinson returns from 5 yards deep in the end zone and gets it out to the 49er 20 yard line where the Niners will start their first drive. The first play from scrimmage is a pitch to Gore to the right who gets dragged down by Justin Durant for no gain. On 2^nd down Smith drops back and feels pressure quick, but dumps off to Gore on a designed screen and Gore makes the first tackler miss and has room breaks it for a 24 yard gain to the 44 and a Niners first down. Crabs and Morgan are lined up out left Gore is the single back on the next play. Smith drops back throws a short curl route to Morgan who gets tackled immediately for only a 2 yard gain. The next play we see Smith drop back out of a 4 WR set but gets sacked almost instantly and it's now 3rd and 12. Smith drops back and again almost gets sacked, but dumps off to Gore once again on a designed screen. Gore has room, gets a couple nice blocks, makes a spin move to make a guy miss, but gets dragged down just 1 yard short of the 1st and the Niners have to punt. Andy Lee kicks it into the endzone for the touchback.

David Garrard drops back on the Jaguars first play from scrimmage and delivers a nice pass to Mike Sims-Walker over the middle who has room to run and does for a 27 yard gain. Garrard found a hole in the 49ers zone defense. From his own 47, Maurice Jones-Drew gets the handoff on the stretch play to the right but Michael Lewis comes up from the secondary and stops him for only a 3 yard gain. MJD gets the ball up the middle for another 3 yard gain before he gets tackled by Isaac Sopoaga. 3rd and 4. Spencer with the very light coverage leaves Sims Walker able to catch an easy pass and run for a 15 yard gain and another 1st down to the 31 yard line. Jones-Drew up the middle bounces off a couple tacklers and fights for a 9 yard gain. MJD gets it up the middle again but this time Manny Lawson breaks through and stuffs him for no gain. A big 3rd and 1 coming up. Garrard drops back to pass and Marcedes Lewis is covered by Lawson who cannot keep up with him and Garrard finds him for a 19 yard gain and the Jags are at the 49er 3 yard line. Jaguars come out in the goal line formation. Rashad Jennings gets the handoff and appears to be stopped, but no one seems to want to tackle him. He cuts out to the right and runs in for the touchdown. 7-0 Jaguars

Coffee kneels down in the endzone on the kickoff for the touchback. Smith drops back on first down, gets all day to throw, doesn't like what he sees, and scrambles. But he slides down to avoid getting hit for a 2 yard loss and a Jaguars sack. Gore gets the ball up the middle, but finds nowhere to run, no gain. Niners come out in the Shotgun, 4WR set. Smith gets good blocking again from the line, but again cannot find an open receiver. He proceeds to chuck it down field, but gets hit as he throws. Gore almost catches the lob, but it gets knocked down. A three-and-out for the 49er offense.

Lee with a decent punt, but the Niners punt coverage cannot get to Witherspoon and he gets a 15 yard return. Ball on the 49er 47. Niners blitz one corner on each side, and Garrard can only throw the ball away. MJD up the middle on 2nd down, but Lewis stuffs him for just a 2 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 Garrard drops back feels almost immediate pressure from Manny Lawson, and throws it quickly to Torry Holt on the left side but Dre Bly with the blanket coverage knocks it down. A three-and-out for the Jaguars.

Adam Podlesh punts it into the endzone for a touchback and the Niners start on the 20. Niners once again line up in the Shotgun, 4WR formation, with 2 WR's on each side. The Jags drop back in zone coverage, Smith throws a bullet to Crabs on the quick read for an 18 yard gain and a 1st down. Out of the Singleback 3WR, Smith drops back splits the defenders, and finds Arnaz Battle on a crossing route over the middle for a nice 14 yard gain and a first down. Ball on the Jacksonville 48. Smith drops back again, gets great protection, but can't find a receiver and throws it away. On 2nd down Smith has Delanie Walker behind the defense, but throws a terrible ball way short and way behind him. Justin Durant turns around and picks it off with ease and returns it to midfield.

David Garrard drops back and throws it out to the left for Holt, but Bly has him blanketed yet again, he turns around and jumps for the pick! The Niners get the ball back right away.

Niners ball on their own 42. Gore up the middle, shakes off 2 defenders and runs for a gain of 4. Out of the Shotgun, Gore gets the draw, finds room out to the left, sheds a tackler, and has no one to stop him. He is finally met by Reggie Nelson, but he shakes him off too and is finally brought down at the 13 after a beautiful 41 yard run! What a way to end the 1st quarter!

2^nd Quarter

Gore gets the ball up the middle on the dive play for a 2 yard gain. Smith tosses out to Gore out right, but the Jags are not fooled and stuff Gore as soon as he catches it for a 5 yard loss. 3rd and 12 at the 15. Smith drops back, has Gore open on the screen, but gets hit as he throws and the ball falls incomplete. The Niners disappointingly settle for a Joe Nedney field goal. 7-3 Jaguars

Witherspoon catches the kickoff at the 3, and returns to the Jacksonville 34. Jones-Drew on the stretch to the left, but Takeo Spikes stuffs him for a 1 yard loss. Garrard feels pressure from Spikes on 2nd down and has to throw the ball away quickly. 3rd and 11. Garrard finds Holt on the in route for 11 yards, and after a measurement, it's a Jacksonville 1st down. Gotta love that 3rd down 49er defense. MJD finds a hole up the middle for a 10 yard gain and yet another 1st down. MJD with a run, cuts to the left and gets a 3 yard gain. Niners bring the house on 2nd down, and Garrard just gets the ball off before getting pummeled by Haralson. The ball floats downfield intended for Mike Thomas, but Dashon Goldson catches up to the lobbed pass and nearly makes the pick but it bounces off his hand. 3rd and 7 at the 49er 41. Garrard drops back, throws it to MJD on the screen to the left, and sees daylight. He gets all the way down to the 10 before getting brought down by Lewis. Garrard hands off to Jennings up the middle who gets stuffed by Spikes for no gain. Garrard drops back, and the Niners drop back in zone coverage. He thinks he has Thomas wide open for the TD, but he doesn't see Spikes drop back into coverage, and he picks it off at the goal line! He is forced to bring it out, and the Niners start at their own 3. What a drive for Takeo Spikes.

Gore with the stretch to the left for a 5 yard gain. Gore gets the handoff, cuts out right, finds a hole, shakes off Reggie Nelson, has no one in front of him, and never looks back! He... could... go... all... the... way!! Touchdown 49ers on the 91 yard run by Gore! 10-7 49ers

Witherspoon returns from the 1, and poor kick coverage yet again. Jaguars starts on their 35. MJD gets the hand off, but Sopoaga breaks through the line and stuffs him for a 1 yard loss. MJD with another run, and this time no one is there to stuff him and he gets an 8 yard gain. 3rd and 3 on their own 42. MJD gets the ball up the middle, sees a gap, but it closes quickly and Franklin/ Spikes drag him down for only a 1 yard gain. 4th and 2 and a three-and-out for the 49er defense.

Jones on the return gets the ball to the 24. 5 minutes remaining in the half. Smith takes a 7-step drop, stands in the same spot for about 7 seconds, and gets sacked by Terrance Knighton. Out of the 4 WR spread single back formation Smith drops back, Crabs has his man beat by a good 5 steps, but Smith feels the pressure and overthrows him by a mile. 3rd and 18 at the 16. Out of the Shotgun, Smith gets good protection again but cannot find an open man, so he dumps off to Gore who gets tackled as soon as he catches it for no gain. Three-and-out.

Jacksonville starts on their own 48. Garrard drops back, finds Marcedes Lewis over the middle for a 12 yard gain and a first down. MJD gets a nice 6 yard gain up the middle. MJD on the toss breaks a tackle, finds room and breaks it for an 8 yard gain and a first down to the 49er 26. The clock runs down to the 2 minute warning. MJD runs to the left for a 7 yard gain. Garrard drops back and sees Willis coming at him unblocked. Afraid for his life, he throws the ball away but still takes the hit from Bam Bam. 3rd and 3 at the 18. Garrard out of the shotgun finds Thomas on the quick pass for a 9 yard gain and a 1st down at the 9. Garrard drops back, Lawson sheds a defender, gets pressure on Garrard and he throws it out of the end zone incomplete. Lawson punished him though as the 49ers have been doing this whole first half. Jennings up the middle for 1 yard. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Garrard finds Thomas wide open in the back of the end zone who makes a nice leaping catch for the TD. 14-10 Jaguars

With 1:03 on the clock the Niners start on their own 25. They come out in a shotgun, and it appears they will try and get a quick score before the half. Smith hits Gore up the middle for a 13 yard catch. Smith gets hit as he throws and it falls incomplete. Smith overthrows Jones for an incomplete pass. On 3rd down Smith finds Battle down the left sideline, but he fails to get both feet in and it is ruled incomplete. 4th down and a three-and-out.

Jaguars start at their 30 with :33 left, and will run out the clock to the 2nd half with a handoff to MJD.

Halftime thoughts

So far it has been a back and forth game. Gore has had 2 huge plays and that is what has given the Niners all 10 of their points. The defense came up big in the red zone with that Spikes INT which likely would have been more points for the Jags. Garrard is feeling pressure almost every time he's dropped back to pass and has taken a beating so far. Despite that, the Niners defense cannot make plays on 3rd down when they need them and it has cost them the lead. On the other side, the O Line has been playing surprisingly well, but Smith has not taken advantage of it well enough. Gore has though, racking up 139 rushing yards already and 188 total yards. He is once again the one man offense of the 49ers.

3^rd Quarter

Jaguars get the ball to start on their own 31. The Niners special teams has played subpar today. MJD gets the ball up the middle, and Lawson finally brings him down after breaking 2 tackles and getting a tough 4 yard gain. Garrard finally gets some protection and time and finds Lewis out to the left for a 16 yard gain and they are at the 49er 49 yard line. Once again Lewis gets open and catches a 12 yard 1st down pass. MJD gets the toss to the right, but Willis is just too fast and chases him down for no gain. MJD up the middle and finds a huge hole for a 10 yard gain and yet another Jags first down. Ball at the 49er 27. Garrard splits two defenders with a pass to Holt, but he gets hit as he catches it and the ball pops out incomplete. Garrard drops back and hands off on the draw to Jennings for a 4 yard gain. 3rd and 6. Garrard gets plenty of time, and finds MJD on the streak route down the right side wide open and Spencer can't keep up with him and it's an easy catch for a TD. 21-10 Jaguars

Coffee gets hammered on the return and the Niners start on the 27. 3 WR Singleback set and Vernon Davis catches the patented pass over the shoulder for a nice 15 yard gain and a first down. The Niners spread out in a 4WR formation and Smith gets good protection which gives Davis time to get open on a deep post route and catches another pass, this time for 24 yards and the Niners are in Jacksonville territory. Ball on the 34. On the play action to Gore, Smith gets it out quickly to Moran Norris on a 4 yard catch. On 2nd down, Smith connects with Morgan who gets his first catch today on a short slant route for 6 yards and just enough for the first. Ball on the Jaguars 23. Another play action to Gore and on the same play, Norris gets another catch on the screen route and runs for an 8 yard gain. On 2nd and 2, Davis comes in motion to the right, Gore gets the handoff, breaks one tackle and sprawls the ball out across the first down marker as he gets dragged down. First down Niners and they are knocking on the door at the 13. Smith gets all day as the Jags only bring 2 rushers but he still cannot find a man and throws it incomplete on a pass intended for Gore on the curl route. Gore gets the ball on the draw, and finds a hole and fights his way for a 7 yard gain. 3rd and 3 at the 6. Smith on the play action stretch to Coffee, he rolls out to the right. He finds Davis wide open in the end zone... Touchdown Niners!!! It's called the Vernon Zone for a reason. The 9ers line up to go for 2, in hopes of bringing it within a field goal. In the I-Formation, Coffee gets the ball up the middle, gets met at the goal line, but he got the ball across the plane! 21-18 Jaguars

Witherspoon returns to the 21 as the Niners finally get good special teams coverage. MJD gets dragged down by Lawson and Willis for a 2 yard gain. Garrard takes a 3 step drop and throws to Sims-Walker on the hot read who runs for a 15 yard gain to the 37. Out of the shotgun, Garrard throws out to Thomas on the short slant, but he did not get 2 feet in and it's ruled incomplete. On 2nd down, Marcedes Lewis burns Michael Lewis and gets wide open and with some nice YAC, gets the ball to the 49er 35 on a 28 yard completion. On first down Garrard throws to Mike Thomas on the out route. He has a step on Haralson, but he under throws him and Parys jumps the route and picks it off! He then gets the ball back into Jacksonville territory to the 38. That is Garrard's 3rd interception thrown this game.

Niners in 4WR Shotgun formation, it's a draw to Gore who gets pummeled for a 5 yard loss. Smith gets hit as he throws on 2nd down and almost gets picked off but it's dropped. On 3rd down out of the shotgun, Smith has all day to throw, throws it for Battle, but it is a terrible decision as it's thrown into heavy coverage and Witherspoon picks it off, and no one is in front of him to stop him from going all the way and getting the pick-6. 28-18 Jaguars

Robinson on the return to the 27. Handoff up the middle to Gore who gets 8 yards. 2 WR set Smith drops back hits an open Walker out to the left for an 8 yard gain and a first down. With just 4 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Smith drops back and hits Battle over the middle in tight coverage who gets brought down right away for a 7 yard gain.

4^th Quarter

Niners out of the shotgun, 3 WR set and Smith hits Battle yet again who's wide open over the middle for a 12 yard gain. The ball is now on the JAX 37. Out of the shotgun, Smith throws to Crabs who has his man beat downfield, but it's underthrown and gets knocked down. Smith hits Battle over the middle again for an 8 yard gain. 3rd and 2 on the 30, Niners in Shotgun, Smith drops back, has Vernon downfield open, but he gets hit just as he throws and lobs it up and the ball gets knocked down by Reggie Nelson. Joe Nedney kicks, the ball hits the upright, and barely falls through. 28-21 Jaguars with 12:30 left in the game.

Witherspoon returns the kick to the 29. MJD with a 2 yard run up the gut. Garrard drops back, can't find a WR, and gets sacked by Lawson. On 3rd and 14, the Jags don't want to take any chances and give the ball to MJD who gets 2 yards and the Jags have to punt on the three-and-out.

Brandon Jones gets a 5 yard return to the 34. Gore rushes up the middle for 5 yards. Out of the Taser, Gore gets the direct snap and gets stuffed for 1 yard... On 3rd and 4, Smith throws into double coverage for Davis and it is nearly picked off. What would we do without that Taser?

Jacksonville starts on their 36. Garrard to Greg Jones on the flat route for 7 yards. MJD on the draw, but Lawson meets him 4 yards in the backfield for a nice stuff. 3rd and 7. Garrard out of the shotgun, has a man over the middle, but Spikes sneaks in there in the zone and bats it away for a much needed big 3rd down play. 7:25 remaining after the three-and-out.

Jones returns the punt to the 22. Gore up the middle, sheds 2 guys, and gets 6 yards. Niners in the bunch formation on 2nd and 4, Smith drops back, and it's a draw play to Gore. Gore fights his way for 4 yards and after a measurement, it's a Niners first down! About 6 minutes remaining. Ball on their own 33. Smith gets all day, steps up in the pocket, but holds on for entirely too long and gets sacked for a 4 yard loss. On 2nd and 14 Gore gets a hand off, sees no holes in the line, and breaks out to the right. He leaps over a downed defender and makes a nice gain out of nothing for 13 yards. On 3rd and 1, we see the Taser again. Gore with the direct snap up the middle, and he barely gets the first. Niners ball on their own 43. Coffee with a run on first down up the gut for 3. 3 WR Singleback, Coffee gets another handoff towards the right for a 1 yard gain. Only 3 minutes remaining and a big 3rd and 6 coming up. It's a 4WR set with Davis split out with Jones and Morgan out to the left and Crabs on the right. Play action to Gore, Smith rolls out left, throws a deep pass to Morgan who has his man beat... and he comes down with it! He gets tackled by Nelson as he does and it's the Niners ball at the Jacksonville 24 with 2:10 remaining. Smith drops back and throws it to Gore on the flat route to the right and he gets brought down after a 6 yard gain. That brings us to the 2 minute warning and the Niners are officially in the Vernon Zone. We see another 4 WR singleback set, Smith throws it to Morgan on the short out route, but he cannot get his right foot in bounds, and the refs rule it incomplete. 3rd and 4. Out of the gun, Smith hits Davis on the curl route, who appears about to be brought down short of the first, but he trucks the guy, runs, and trucks yet another defender and runs all the way down to the 3 where he is brought down! Davis comes up big in his zone. Niners come up in the hurry up, for some reason. There is still about 1:40 on the clock. Out of the gun, Smith tries to throw, but gets hit as he does and it falls incomplete about 1 yard in front of him. Clock stopped at 1:32. Niners in the Split back formation. Smith drops back, Jags with the blitz, but Smith sees Jones over the middle running free...and hits him for the touchdown!!! Joe Nedney hits the game tying extra point and it's all square at 28! The Jags still have 1:29 left on the clock though.

Jennings on the return to the 27. 1:23 after the kickoff and all 3 timeouts. Garrard drops back, hits Sims-Walker in tight coverage on the curl route for 12 yards and a first. In the hurry up, the Jags in shotgun, Garrard catches the snap over his head, nearly gets sacked by Willis, but he just got the ball off as it falls incomplete. 1:05 left on 2nd and 10. Garrard drops back, gets very good protection from his line, and throws a very deep ball. It's a lobber though, and the Spikes has time to get back and swat the pass intended for Thomas. 3rd and 10. Garrard throws a quick pass over the middle, Willis jumps the route, and nearly picks it off for what surely would have been a game winning INT. The Jags have to punt with :53 remaining.

Brandon Jones on the return. He trucks one guy and gets a decent return to the Niner 36 with :43 left. Do they play for OT or try and score? They do have all 3 timeouts. It appears they choose the latter as they come out in the shotgun. Davis in motion to the left... Alex throws it for Morgan who jumps up for the catch, but it bounces off his hands. 2nd and 10. Niners in shotgun again. Smith drops way back, throws it very deep before he gets hit, but just as Garrard's pass, it's a lobber and it gets knocked down. Intended for Battle. :32 remaining. Niners come out in the Gun again for one more try for this first down. Smith dumps it off to Gore over the middle, who gets stopped 6 yards short and the Jags call a timeout. Witherspoon returns the punt to the JAX 25.

On 1st and 10, it's a false start on the Jags. 1st and 15 from the 20, and they just hand off to MJD who gets stopped for no gain, and they let the clock run out and we're headed to overtime!

Overtime

The Jags win the toss and get the ball first. Witherspoon returns the kickoff to the 27. Garrard hits Sims-Walker on the quick pass for an 18 yard gain and they're on their own 45. Another quick pass this time to the right to Lewis, who has a 15 yard gain, another first down, and he has now passed 100 yards receiving on the day. Ball on the Niner 41. Out of the gun, Garrard throws the slant route to Jones who runs out of bounds after 6 yards. 2^nd and 4. Garrard dances around in the pocket, no pressure at all. After seeing nothing, he scrambles up the middle. But he doesn't slide, and instead he takes a HUGE hit from Patrick Willis, and he fumbles! Parys Haralson picks it up and the Niners have possession! Ball on the Jaguars 35.

Smith hands off to Gore up the middle for a 3 yard gain. Gore again up the middle for 5 yards. 3rd and a little more than 1 on the 44. Gore fights up the middle for a nice 3 yard gain and a first down. Gore up the middle for a 2 yard gain to the 49. 2nd and 8. On the screen play, Smith gets smashed as he throws and the ball flies up and nearly gets picked off by Daryl Smith. 3rd and 9. In the gun, Davis moves from the TE spot and motions out to the left next to Morgan. Smith takes the snap, has Crabs on a deep out post route, but he waited a bit too long as he catches it out of bounds. 4th and 9.

Lee punts it into the end zone. Play action to MJD, who goes out for a curl route, catches the pass, but then gets plowed by Bam Bam but holds on for an 8 yard gain. MJD up the middle on 2nd and 2 for 3 yards and a first down. Garrard with the fake to MJD, throws it out left, but Bly comes up and knocks it down. 2nd and 10. Out of the gun, Garrard gets the snap, has some time, and throws a deep ball. Thomas is the intended receiver and somehow got matched up with Parys Haralson who just can't keep up and has no help from a safety. Thomas comes down with the wide open catch on a perfectly placed pass, and has room to run, and he does. Touchdown Jags on the 69 yard TD reception. What a heartbreaker. Jaguars win 34-28

Post Game Stats

JAX - 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 - 34

SF - 0 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 0 - 28

Jacksonville -- Stat - San Francisco

448 - Total Offense - 423

95 - Rushing Yards - 197

353 - Passing Yards - 226

18 - First Downs - 16

4 - Turnovers - 2

7-12 (58%) - 3^rd Down - 5-15 (33%)

34:12 - TOP - 32:51

Alex Smith -- 65.6 RTG 22-42 (52%) 241 YDS 2 TD 2 INT David Garrard - 82.9 RTG 20-36 (55%) 359 YDS 3 TD 3 INT

Frank Gore - 22 ATT 195 YDS (8.8 YPC) | 6 REC 59 YDS Maurice Jones-Drew - 24 ATT 81 YDS (3.3 YPC) | 3 REC 61 YDS 1 TD

Arnaz Battle -- 4 REC 41 YDS Marcedes Lewis - 6 REC 101 YDS

Brandon Jones/Vernon Davis- 1 REC TD Mike Thomas -- 3 REC 86 YDS 2 TD

Manny Lawson - 5 TK (3 TFL) 2 Sacks Terrance Knighton - 5 TKL (3 TFL) 2 Sacks

Takeo Spikes - 4 TKL 1 INT 3 knockdowns Justin Durant - 8 TKL (1 TFL) 1 INT

Dre Bly/Parys Haralson -1 INT Brian Witherspoon - 2 TKL 1 INT (TD)

Post-Game Thoughts
Well this game definitely did not disappoint as far as exciting goes. These teams were back and forth all game trading blow for blow. But even 256 total yards from Frank Gore, containment of Maurice Jones-Drew for the most part, and 4 turnovers from Garrard could not lead the Niners to a victory in this one. The defense did not make plays when they needed to in key situations; mainly on 3rd down and the offense could not take advantage of the chances Garrard was giving them left and right. The big plays made the difference in this one, and the Jags had just one too many. Let's hope tomorrow brings us a different result.

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)

Browse more photos »

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

Pre-Game Recon With Big Cat Country

Tim — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:51:05 -0000

The fellas over at SB Nation's site for all things Jacksonville Jaguar--the aptly named Big Cat Country--were kind enough to field five questions from me in advance of Sunday's game. Here's what they had to say:

1. Judging from what I've seen and read at Big Cat Country, things ain't so rosy in the Land of the Jaguars right now. While you can't call a Week Three game a true "must-win," I'm gathering that this game is awfully close to that for Jags fans. Based on what you saw the last two weeks, what's the biggest problem on the field for the Jags these days?

BCC: The Jaguars' two biggest problems right now are inexperience and coaching. The Jaguars have four rookies starting and all 8 of the draft picks were expecting to contribute from the start. Any team with that much youth is going to make for some bad moments. However, bad coaching leads to being down 31-3 and allowing Kurt Warner to complete 92% of his passes before the Cardinals nearly made a huge blunder and benched Warner in the 3rd quarter. If that didn't happen, that game might as well have been Florida vs. Troy. That falls completely on coaching and is another example of the ups and downs of Jack Del Rio.

2. Entering last season, the Jags were thought to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender by many pundits. After the troubles of '08, that bandwagon is considerably less hopping in 2009. What do you attribute this paradigm shift to--player turnover, questions about management, questions about coaching, or something else?

BCC: I think the 2008 bandwagon was fueled with Kool-Aid and two inch thick Teal and Black glasses. The problems were there to be seen; we just didn't see them. The abysmal 2008 campaign and the ticket sales issues are the reason for the current bitterness in the River City.

3. The very early returns on Maurice Jones-Drew this season, his first without Fred Taylor around to share the workload, look fairly positive (4.8 yards per carry). Do you think the offense is better with MJD as the big dog, or have you noticed that not having Taylor hurts? Furthermore, are you worried about MJD wearing down over the course of the season thanks to the additional workload?

BCC: MJD has been a 20+ touch back when you factor in receptions for a while now, and I think he'll hold up well enough through the year. However, it is still vital for either Rashad Jennings or Greg Jones to become a consistent threat to allow MJD some time to rest on the bench.

4. Prior to the 2007 NFL Draft, I was one of many fans intrigued by the notion of Reggie Nelson becoming a Texan. As he marches through his third year, what's your view on him? Has he met or exceeded expectations?

BCC: After Nelson's excellent rookie year, he has been regressing ever since. One play he'll make a perfect break on the ball, the next forget his zone area and be the reason the defense gave up six. In other words, there is a reason I have Eric Berry at the top of my "prospects to watch" list for the Jags.

5. PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: The final score of Sunday's game will be Jaguars _____, Texans _____. Come the end of the regular season, the Jags' record will be ___-___ and the Texans' record will be ___-___.

BCC: Jaguars 24, Texans 17. Jaguars' record: 7-9. Texans' record: 9-7.

Thanks to the guys over at Big Cat Country for taking the time. Head on over there to see what the Jags' frustrated fan base thinks about how their beloved team will fare against your Houston Texans on Sunday.

Jaguars vs Dolphins: Winners and Losers

silencecs — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:06:57 -0000

More photos » by Marta Lavandier - AP

Tony Pashos leads a group of players who continue to underperform. Pashos was penalized, and allowed 2 sacks, as the Jaguars offensive line was a major culprit in the teams awful play.

Browse more photos »

The Jaguars were handily beaten by the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, and the game raised more questions than it answered. I'll examine the players who performed well, and those who faltered in Monday's season opener.

Losers:

Tony Pashos: The veteran gave up two clear sacks and was penalized on at least one occasion during the game. He is abover average in the run game, but was beaten badly time and time again. I'm not sure he would make a great guard either, and I think his salary is too much for an average guard. Maybe he'll prove me wrong, but he sure isn't showing any improvement as a RT, especially in the passing game. Something needs to be done about the RT position, Tony is not an adequate pass blocker. Period.

Uche Nwaneri/ Brad Meester/ Mo Williams: The starting interior trio wasn't able to allow Garrard enough time to pass, and couldn't open up lanes for MJD or Greg Jones. There is less concern here, because once Vinny comes back to RG, Uche will be able to head back to the bench. Uche is a great back-up, but there is a significant drop-off between Vince Manuwai and Uche, however, Manuwai is a premier guard, so that is to be expected.

Greg Estandia: Greg didn't do a lot to help his case in a crowed TE position. He was called for a penalty, and got very little separation even against the 3rd and 4th stringers of the Miami defense.

Greg Jones: The vet didn't show much in the running or passing game. He dropped passes, and looked nothing like the Greg of old. The line wasn't much help, but he looked very pedestrian in his first outing of the season, as did much of the team.

Brian Williams: The crafty veteran looked bad. He was flagged for penalty after penalty, and was beaten badly on more than one occasion. There is no question the acquisition of Derek Cox is looking like a much better gamble after Monday's game. Hopefully Derek will beat out Brian at some point in the season, and Williams can move to the nickel spot, where he would be much better suited (He'd be closer to the line of scrimmage to help in run defense). His salary is too high to play a nickel corner, so this may be the last season we have B-Dub around. He must improve over Monday's game, though.

Special Teams: Russ' unit looked atrocious. The kickoff coverage now uses the bunch formation (which is where everyone bunches behind the kicker and breaks apart as the ball is about to be kicked). This is amateur hour stuff, folks. It is a tactic that is used to try to confuse the return team's blockers, however, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Scobee made all his FG's, but the punting was inconsistent. The kickoff coverage was the main culprit here, and with the new wedge-ban in effect, it should make it easier on kickoff units to stop returns from going the distance.

Winners:

Nate Hughes: The second-year burner at WR continued to make his case for a roster spot, and it is a strong one. Nate has had a great camp, and that carried over into the preseason opener. He showed good speed and route running, and caught the ball with his hands, literally snatching it out of the air on one occasion. At a weak position, he may be a valuable find.

Eugene Monroe: "The Future" was dominant on Monday, shutting down the defensive ends the entire time he was in the game. He looked solid against the run, but most importantly, he looked like he belonged on an NFL field. The best case scenario involves Eugene starting the season at LT and Tra starting it at RT... Eugene needs to be starting, and if he continues to perform like he did on Monday, the coaching staff is going to have hard time keeping him off the field.

Tra Thomas: The newly acquired Tra Thomas looked sharp on Monday, and shows that Gene Smith knows how to scout offensive linemen. Tra needs to be on the field, and his run-blocking looked consistently strong. He's got remarkably good feet for someone his age, and he needs to be playing at RT over Pashos.

Russell Allen: Wow... Talk about answering the call of duty. Russell was called in to play MLB for Justin Durant when he was sidelined with a hip problem. Allen responded with 4 tackles and one pass defended. He did a good job of getting the defense into position and calling the plays. We may be looking at one of our future LB's here...

Montavius Stanley/Atylliah Ellison: Both made their case for solving the DT problem by stopping the run. Ellison seems to be the better of the two on the line, however, the importance of Stanley's blocked extra point can't be overstated. Special teams can get you on the field.

[Edititorial Note: Thanks to Rufio for reminding me of Thomas Williams]

Thomas Williams: Last year's fifth-round pick looked great. He was making absolutely vicious tackles and continued to show why our LB corp is the team's strongest unit. Williams turned out an all around fantastic performance.

On The Fence:

Troy Williamson: When people are raving over a guy who fumbled the ball, and got lucky on one of his catches, you know things are bad at the WR position. Troy looked OK to me. I didn't like seeing that fumble, because it was before the rain even started, so there is no excuse. He needs to step it up consistently before I start congratulating the guy on an above average performance.

Tyron Brackenridge: The CB had one pass defense, and one tackle. Most importantly though, he didn't look overwhelmed. He seems to be a player the Jaguars are hot on, and I didn't see him make any major gaffes, so I would say he's one to watch.

Zach Miller: This QB turned TE can flat out move. The kid was flying around on offense, and special teams, making a shoestring tackle at the 2 yd like on punt coverage. His only problem may be adjusting to having to catch the ball, especially when David really puts the mustard on it. He had one drop against the dolphins that should've been caught. He's not natural looking at the position yet, and his blocking leaves something to be desired, but he's got major upside, and he showed it Monday.

-Collin Streetman

Poll

Biggest Concern Going Into 2009

Offensive Line

179 votes

Defensive Line

68 votes

Secondary

101 votes

Coaching

54 votes

402 votes | Poll has closed

Quick Bytes:August 7th, 2009

Jonathan Loesche — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:12:02 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

4 months ago: Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Mike Walker, left, works his way around Mesphin Forrester during special teams practice at NFLfootball training camp, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Browse more photos »

The Associated Press: Walker welcomes change after somber season
Mike Walker has battled a career's worth of injuries, the death of a close friend, and other issues. Now, he is finally healthy and ready to go in 2009.

Jags TE Honored As Community Leader - Sports News Story - WJXT Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis was named the Jacksonville Jaguars/Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Community Leader of the Year for 2008 Thursday.

The Associated Press: Thomas ready for starting role with Jaguars
Tra Thomas may only be keeping the Left Tackle position warm for Eugene Monroe, but he expects to be keeping it for awhile.

Jones now in line for carries behind Jones-Drew - AFC South - ESPN
Expect Greg Jones to start getting the ball more now that Fred Taylor is gone.

Cox working on watching the right things - AFC South - ESPN
Great article on Cox and how he is dealing with the pressure of being in the NFL.

On Jags' headsets and field goals - AFC South - ESPN
Scobee hit 5 of 6, including from 47 and 52 yards, in the rain. In addition, apparently Del Rio has been headset happy.

Ex-Jaguars starting QB Quinn Gray signs with UFL - Breaking News - Sports - MiamiHerald.com
Quinn Gray finally has the chance to compete for a starting job, in the UFL.

Camp Battle 2009: Running Backs

Jonathan Loesche — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:13:32 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Maurice Jones-Drew leads the Jaguars' stable of running backs heading into 2009. Can he shoulder the load or will the another player need to step up?

Browse more photos »

Since Maurice Jones-Drew was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, he has been used in a two back system with Fred Taylor. The system was seen as a win-win as it kept Drew from taking excessive punishment and allowed Taylor to stay fresh throughout the season. Now that Fred Taylor is with the New England Patriots and Jones-Drew signed a massive contract extension, it is expected Jones-Drew will be the feature back for the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the main questions fans have been asking is, can he take the grind of being a full time running back.

Here is a look at Jones-Drew's production since becoming a Jaguar.

	Rushing Attempts	Yards	Touchdowns	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	Total Touches	Yards	Touchdowns
2006	166	824	12	46	436	2	212	1260	14
2007	167	728	9	40	407	0	207	1135	9
2008	197	941	13	62	565	2	259	1506	15
Career	540	2533	34	148	1408	4	688	3941	38

Last year was Jones-Drew's best year statistically. However, it still pales in comparison to the type of touches he'll be expected to have as the feature back. Jones-Drew's 197 carries in 2008 was good enough for 25th in the NFL. With the contract Jones-Drew signed in the off-season, it seems to be expected he'll easily eclipse that mark this season. So then, in this era of two back backfields, is there another small back that carried the load for their team? Yes, and it was in our own division.

Steve Slaton was 10th in the NFL with 268 carries. Slaton also had 50 receptions while being the feature back for the Houston Texans. Slaton is 5'9 215lbs, a build close enough to Jones-Drew's. I expect MJD's numbers to look similar in terms of carries and receptions as Slaton's 2008 campaign.

MJD is not going to be a 300-350 carry a year back in the NFL. As much as we all love Pocket Hercules, I think that might be asking too much of him. So then, who is there to help the load for Jones-Drew?

Greg Jones

Jones has carved out a niche as one of the best fullbacks in the league, despite being a converted running back. Jones was a monster at Florida State, when healthy. Jones hasn't seen the ball as much since becoming a Pro, thanks in part to having Taylor and MJD on the roster. Expect Jones to see his carries increase this year, especially in short yardage situations. Touchdown vulture for someone's fantasy team?

Alvin Pearman

Pearman was resigned by the Jaguars last season after being traded to Seattle. Pearman is purely a third down back that provides very little upside compared to others on the roster. Unless either he excels at the third down back role or on special teams, Pearman will be looking for another team this fall.

Chauncey Washington

Washington is another player that is going to have to prove himself in training camp. Washington had a checkered past at USC and saw limited action his rookie season.

Rashad Jennings

Jennings comes to the Jaguars out of Liberty University. Jennings has potential, as evidenced in his lone season at the Divsion I-A level. He is a feel good story that will have the entire Jaguars fan base rooting for him. However, he is more than that. Jennings is a power back that has looked good so far in the Underwear league. Time will tell if he'll add his name to the list of late round running back finds.

-John

Poll

How many rushing yards will Maurice Jones-Drew have this year?

Less than 1,000

9 votes

1,000-1,250

172 votes

1,250-1,500

156 votes

Greater than 1,500

34 votes

371 votes | Poll has closed

Ranking the Kansas City Chiefs by Position

Joel Thorman — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:31:07 -0000

Note: The table is best viewed under the 'wide version' to the top left (on the homepage) or top right of the page.

ILB

OLB

Manning

Peterson

Jones

Fitzgerald

Witten

Clady

Hutchinson

Mangold

Urlacher

Ware

Allen

Haynesworth

Chiefs

The Sporting News has been ranking the top 20 players at each position in the NFL. Last week we went over the quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, guards, centers and tackles. Matt Cassel and Brian Waters were the only ones to appear on that list.

Today, we'll be completing the offense with the running back and fullback rankings, along with the defense: outside linebacker, defensive ends, inside linebacker and defensive tackle.

Running back - No Chiefs (#1 - Adrian Peterson, Vikings - Full list here)

Wow. When we talk about Larry Johnson's stock plummeting this is what we mean. As much as I've criticized LJ, he is a top 20 back in this league. As of now, is a rookie like Chris "Beanie" Wells really better than LJ?

Fullback - No Chiefs (#1 - Greg Jones, Jaguars - Full list here)

I'm not sure many people in the NFL outside of Kansas City know who MIke Cox is (that's what she said).

Defensive tackle - No Chiefs (#1 - Albert Haynesworth, Redskins - Full list here)

Maybe in two years Tank Tyler will crack this list. Or maybe Glenn Dorsey...if we go back to the 4-3.

Defensive End - No Chiefs (#1 - Jared Allen, Vikings - Full list here)

These rankings don't look too fondly on the end who was ranked 106th in the NFL last year (Tamba Hali).

Outside linebacker - #12 Mike Vrabel (#1 - DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys - Full list here)

Vrabel is getting up in years and coming off a subpar season, but he will have an important leadership role in the Chiefs' transition to a 3-4 scheme. Coordinator Clancy Pendergast likes to play the matchup game and mix looks, and Vrabel can play just about anywhere, even on offense.

Inside linebacker - No Chiefs (#1 - Brian Urlacher, Bears - Full list here)

Zach Thomas is an acceptable inside linebacker (assuming he's healthy) but certainly isn't in the top 20 category anymore. Derrick Johnson is moving to the middle this season.

After the jump I included the write up of the other positions linked above.

Quarterback - #20 Matt Cassel (#1 - Peyton Manning, Colts - Full list here)

Cassel wildly exceeded expectations in New England last year, but a good portion of his success can be attributed to the Patriots' system. New coach Todd Haley certainly will play to Cassel's strengths, inserting him in a pass-first, shotgun-heavy attack. Smart coaching and a favorable system are enough to keep him on this list, but he will not be lining up behind Patriots' line or have Randy Moss and Wes Welker outside. And it remains to be seen whether RB Larry Johnson has anything left to offer.

I'm wiling to cede the argument that Chad Pennington (#19) is better than Cassel, but I will not agree that Jason Campbell (#18) and Matt Schaub (#17) are better options.

Wide Receiver - No Chiefs (#1 - Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals - Full list here)

No real arguments here. While Bowe is an excellent receiver whose put up over 2,000 yards in his first two years, numbers that don't come around very often, he's not in the elite category yet. Maybe that's because of the oft-cited dropped balls issue or that he hasn't had a great quarterback throwing to him, but he's not a top 20 receiver...yet.

Tight End - #2 Tony Gonzalez No Chiefs (#1 - Jason Witten, Cowboys - Full list here)

Of course Brad Cottam, who has never started a game for the Chiefs, isn't on the list. Tony Gonzalez should be #1, but that's a different argument for a different day.

Center - No Chiefs (#1 - Nick Mangold, Jets - Full list here)

Rudy Niswanger is a converted guard playing center. The Chiefs signed Eric Ghiaciuc, who wasn't re-signed by the Bengals.

Guard - #3 Brian Waters (#1 - Steve Hutchinson, Vikings - Full list here)

Despite getting off to a shaky start with the new boss, Waters is a former Pro Bowler and the Chiefs' best lineman. Scott Pioli and Todd Haley know it, which is why Waters didn't go anywhere during draft weekend despite numerous rumors indicating he might be dealt. He is 32 years old, but his combination of strength and agility is hard to find in a man his size.

No surprise here. Even at 34 years old Waters is one of the best in the game.

Tackle - No Chiefs (#1 - Ryan Clady, Broncos - Full list here)

I won't argue that Clady should be #1 since he gave up 1/2 a sack last season but no Brandon Albert is a bit surprising. He gave up 4 sacks in his rookie year.

***

I agree with the majority of this list. I would strongly disagree with the running back rankings. Larry Johnson is still a top 20 talent in this league, especially when he's compared to rookies.

I can see the argument that Dwayne Bowe should be in the top 20 wide receiver rankings. He's had 2,000 yards in his first two seasons. Then again, people keep pointing to him dropping balls.

Poll

Do you agree or disagree with the Chiefs rankings?

Agree

95 votes

Disagree

141 votes

Ambivalent; explain in comments

26 votes

262 votes | Poll has closed

NFL Draft 2009 Review: RB Rashad Jennings

Skeller — Sun, 17 May 2009 12:00:16 -0000

Going into the NFL Draft, pundits and mock drafters generally liked Liberty University RB Rashad Jennings. ESPN's Super Pundit Mel Kiper had him ranked among his top running backs. It wouldn't have been crazy to see Jennings taken in the second round. Jennings wasn't drafted in the second round.

He wasn't drafted in the third round.

Or the fourth. Or the fifth.

This led to the awkward (for ESPN, not me) situation where Jennings was listed on "Mel's Best Available" list for about a day and a half. At first, ESPN analysts tried to delicately address the issue ("Mel, why do you think teams are passing on Jennings?") but eventually they just pretended Jennings didn't exist so Kiper didn't have to tap dance around his pick. Hmm-hmm-hmmm nothing to see here, move along.

Jennings eventually landed with the Jaguars in the 7th round, the last running back taken in 2009. Even though he's big (6'1", 231 lbs) and put up big sparkly stats in college (Big South Offensive Player of the Year two years in a row), teams questioned how good he really was considering the lower level of competition he faced. I don't know if he's any good or not, but I do know that Jennings landed in a great fantasy situation. A fantastic fantasy situation. Knowshon Moreno dreams of having a situation like this.

The Jaguars said goodbye to long-time RB Fred Taylor and turned away from the running back by committee approach in order to make Maurice Jones-Drew the sole starting running back. This plan makes Jones-Drew an absolute fantasy stud (drool) but I don't think it's going to work.

Jones-Drew has never had more than 197 carries in a season. He's capable of amazing things but he's not going to pound the ball into the end zone from the 3 yard line. Jennings is a serious candidate to be the Jags' regular short yardage back. The only guys standing in his way are Greg Jones and Alvin Pearman and those two guys don't scare anybody. Jennings looks like a huge fantasy sleeper opportunity this season.

I expect Jennings will start to make some noise in the preseason the way Tim Hightower did last year. I'm hoping Jennings doesn't do that, because I want him available for the late rounds of my draft.