SB Nation - Marcedes Lewis

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.

Bills @Jacksonville The View from the Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Terry O'Brien

Bills Fantasy Friday: Week 11 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em

Kurupt — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:03:49 -0000

It's been a rather eventful week, hasn't it? There's a new head coach, new starting quarterback and maybe some new hope for the future. Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bills' fantasy prospects are still quite dim for the rest of the season. The Bills head down to northern Florida to take on the 5-4 Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday. It'll be another difficult matchup for the Bills, especially for the run defense.

There aren't many fantasy players of significance for either side in this game, but we'll take a look at anyone who might have some value. Head on in after the jump for a review of all the individual fantasy players of note for Bills at Jaguars.

Quarterbacks
Ryan Fitzpatrick - Fitzpatrick was named the starting quarterback twice this week, by two different head coaches. That's odd and probably caused a few winces out of many Bills fans this week, but not as cringe-worthy as Fitzpatrick's play on the field this year. He's completing less than 50% of his passes at just 4.7 yards an attempt. His quarterback rating checks in at 49.8, which is slightly better than JaMarcus Russell's 47.7. Fitzpatrick has been that bad. It's hard to believe this guy is believed to give the Bills a better chance of winning, but such is life in Buffalo. Don't bother with him and don't bother keeping Trent Edwards anywhere near your roster either. Verdict: Sit 'Em

David Garrard - Garrard's had some good moments this year and overall his stats look pretty solid. However, he's been an up and down fantasy option, but has could be a borderline starter this week. He's thrown a touchdown pass in just four games this season (same as Edwards), but has done a good job racking up yards as he's averaging 232 yards per game. In league's where passing yards are weighed more heavily, Garrard has more value. Look for him to continue his modest success this week. Touchdowns could remain an iffy proposition, but he should be in line to reach his average yardage total. He's a potential starter in deeper leagues and you could do a lot worse this week. I'd rather go with someone else, though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Running Backs
Marshawn Lynch - Lynch continues to see his production decrease as the Bills offense continues to struggle. For the fourth consecutive game, Lynch's rushing yardage was less than the prior game. He finished with just 37 yards on 9 carries last and had a long carry of just 7 yards. Simply put, he hasn't been a fantasy option this year. He did add four receptions for 18 yards last week, but its hard to imagine him having much value behind the current Bills' offensive line. He will remain a flex option at best and until he puts up some big numbers, I can't envision using him. Keep him on your bench and hope a change in mindset at the head coaching position might provide him more opportunities. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Fred Jackson - Jackson was a little more involved last week against the Titans, but a good chunk of his production came late in the game when the score was out of hand. The Bills got him involved in the passing game again (3 receptions for 23 yards) and he actually threw a touchdown pass out of a beautifully designed Wildcat play. His value in the rushing game is quite limited at this point, so unless the Bills being using him more as a receiving again, he's probably not much of a flex option either. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Maurice Jones-Drew - If it wasn't for the spectacular Chris Johnson, MoJo would be the top scoring RB in most fantasy setups. He's been excellent in his first go-round as the Jaguars every down back. He leads the NFL in touchdowns with 12 through nine games, is fourth in the NFL with 860 yards rushing and has also added 32 receptions for 220 yards. He's lived up to his status as the number two player taken in many fantasy drafts this year. Expect it to continue against the terrible Bills run defense this week. A week after Johnson racked up 232 total yards and a pair of touchdowns, Jones-Drew looks every bit capable of matching that. Verdict: Start 'Em

Wide Receivers
Lee Evans - Evans once again had a solid fantasy game last week posting 4 receptions for 50 yards and two first half touchdowns. Quietly, despite overall horrific numbers, Evans has been somewhat useful the past month putting up 222 receiving yards on 15 catches and 4 touchdowns the past four games. I still can't recommend starting him at one of your WR spots, but he does look like he'll be a good flex option from time to time. This week, against the Jaguars 26th ranked pass defense, is one of those weeks. Verdict: Start 'Em as a flex

Terrell Owens - Owens' 85 yards receiving last week were the most he's put up in a Bills uniform. Is that a sign of things to come or just a fluke? I think it's most definitely the former. Last week was just the third times he's put up 50 or more receiving yards this season, and he still hasn't scored a touchdown through the air since week 2. With Fitzpatrick back under center, expect Owens' struggles to continue. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Mike Sims-Walker - MS-W has been one of this fantasy season's top free agent additions. He's been one of the biggest surprises so far this season, and looks to continue his success this week against the mediocre Bills' pass defense. Sims-Walker has caught a touchdown in 4 of his 7 games, and has six or more catches in 5 of those games. For the most part, he's been a consistent performer and David Garrard's favorite receiver. He's an every week starter and has played like a borderline #1 WR all season. Don't take him out now. Verdict: Start 'Em

Torry Holt - The veteran receiver hasn't scored a touchdown all season, but has put up a solid 35 receptions for 485 yards thus far. Unless Sims-Walker gets hurt or suspended again, Holt doesn't have much value in fantasy lineups. Keep him on the bench. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Tight Ends
Shawn Nelson - With Derek Fine placed in Injury Reserve earlier this week, Nelson assumes the starting tight end role a lot sooner than many Bills fans expected. He hasn't exactly earned that role, but has a chance to prove himself over the final seven games of the season. Expect him to get more and more comfortable every week and with his athleticism, he could bust a big play at any time. Wait to see it first before you even consider adding Nelson to your bench. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Marcedes Lewis - The former first round pick has really disappeared after a solid first month of the season. He's a guy that routinely flashes big time ability, but never seems to be able to put it together. Unless you are desperate, look elsewhere. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Kickers
Rian Lindell - Lindell continues to have a quietly efficient season. Too bad that doesn't mean much for fantasy owners. Look elsewhere for your kicker, especially to a good offensive team. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Jose Scobee - Scobee has hit just 10 of 16 field goals this year and has scored seven points less than Lindell so far this year. That should tell you all you need to know about whether to go with him this week. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Defense/Special Teams
Buffalo D/ST - Jairus Byrd had another interception last week and he's about the only thing good about this unit at this point. With a poor pass rush and weak return units, it's hard to imagine even using a bench spot on these guys. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Jacksonville D/ST - Another very poor fantasy option, the Jaguars defense has been pretty ineffective totaling just 7 interceptions, 6 fumble recoveries and just 8 sacks. Even against the bumbling Bills offense, they aren't worth the pickup. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Sleepers
Buffalo - This space will remain vacant for the Bills until a guy outside of Jackson or Evans puts up some numbers. There aren't many options here for Buffalo.

Jacksonville - Mike Thomas (WR): Thomas is the Jaguars 3rd WR and actually has 23 receptions on the year for 220 yards, while adding another 70 yards rushing. He's the primary punt returner and has returned kicks this year in addition to his WR duties. For teams that pick up fantasy points for return yards, Thomas is a deep option.

*****

There are only a few weeks left of most fantasy regular seasons, so this week is of utmost importance. Keep rolling with your studs (MoJo, Sims-Walker) and consider your matchups for the other players in this game. With the bye weeks past us, it's unlikely you'll be using any of the other players in this game, but take a look at Evans, Jackson, Lynch, Garrard and Holt if you must. As always, good luck and use the comments section to discuss your fantasy issues. Go Bills!

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

sireric — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:50:01 -0000

Buffalo Bills (3-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium - Jacksonville, FL

This is a little later than we normally start to look at next week's opponent, but after the events of the past two days, it seemed appropriate to push it back a little bit. This will be the tenth meeting between the Bills and the Jaguars, including their first ever meeting in the 1996 AFC Wild Card playoff game. The Bills hold a 5-4 lead in the all-time series. This is also the fifth ever meeting to take place in Jacksonville, where the Bills hold a 3-1 victory edge. With the exception of two contests, these have been very close games, with the average margin of victory being a little over a touchdown. Recaps of last five meetings are after the jump.

Sunday, September 14, 2003: Bills 38, Jaguars 17
Completely unable to run the football, Drew Bledsoe and the Bills went to the air. Bledsoe passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns, while Travis Henry proved to be useful in the red zone by pushing in three goal line touchdowns to pace to Bills' offense. Alex Van Pelt even got into the game late and completed one pass for 14 yards. Eric Moulds had a nice day, with 7 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.

Sunday, September 12, 2004: Jaguars 13, Bills 10
This was another good day for Moulds, but his 8 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown weren't enough. The Bills had a 10-6 lead in the closing seconds of the game, but Byron Leftwich hit Ernest Wilford in the back of the end zone as time expired to give the Jags the win. I remember that I couldn't watch this game, but I was watching a different game looking for updates. The scroll on CBS kept saying that the game was over and the Bills had won, so I was happy. When they showed the game break, I got really pissed.

Sunday, November 26, 2006: Bills 27, Jaguars 24
This time it was the Bills scoring as time expired to get the win. The Bills jumped out to a 17-7 lead on the strength of two Willis McGahee touchdown runs and a Rian Lindell field goal. The Jags pulled closer by adding a David Garrard-to-Marcedes Lewis touchdown pass to the Maurice Jones-Drew TD run they already had to make the score 17-14 at the half. After a Roscoe Parrish punt return for a touchdown and a Josh Scobee field goal, Garrard hit Matt Jones with 28 seconds left to tie the game up. But the Bills got into filed goal range in just 28 seconds, and Lindell hit a 42-yarder to give the Bills the win as the clock hit zeroes.

Sunday, November 25, 2007: Jaguars 36, Bills 14
This game was never really close. Fred Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Scobee hit five field goals as the Jags rolled over the Bills. Anthony Thomas and Roscoe Parrish found the end zone for the Bills as lone bright spots.

Sunday, September 14, 2008: Bills 20, Jags 16
This was probably the one game that I blame the high expectations from the previous year on the most. The Bills headed into heavily favored Jacksonville and pulled out a win. With the Jags leading 16-10 late in the fourth quarter, Trent Edwards hit James Hardy in the back of the end zone on a beautiful fade pass to give the Bills a 17-16 lead. Lindell added an insurance field goal to help seal it for the Bills. Buffalo would win their next two game to move to 4-0 on the season before starting a downward spiral that would crush all of our hearts.

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:33:16 -0000

by Phil Coale - AP

View full size photo »

The Jaguars bring an element to the passing game New York's pass rush has not seen this season. David Garrard is the most mobile quarterback the Jets have faced all year. He has 191 yards on the ground and 5.0 per carry. If his pocket collapses, he has the ability to extend plays to give his receivers extra time and to make plays on his own with his feet. It's going to be important for blitzers to stay disciplined, keep in their lanes, and tackle properly. A whiff on a sack will give Garrard a chance to make plays.

The good news is the Jets will have a great chance to put Garrard under constant pressure. Jacksonville has made five lineup changes on the offensive line through its first eight games. An offensive line functions as a unit. What the guy next to you does bears a direct impact on how difficult your assignments are. Just think of D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Do you think it's an accident his worst season as a pro was 2007, the year Adrien Clarke lined up next to him? Or that his play took off to Pro Bowl caliber level once the Jets signed Alan Faneca? A lot has to do with comfort level with those surrounding you. Part of the reason the Jets have such a great offensive line is talent. It's also that all five have started 24 consecutive games with each other.

It looks like the Jets will be against a pair of rookie tackles, Eugene Monroe and Ebon Britton. They both show flashes of potential, but their pass blocking has been an issue at times. Monroe has given up 4 sacks and Britton 3. Britton has allowed an unsightly 26 quarterback pressures, while Monroe is at 14. That puts both tackles in the top fifteen in the league. Center Brad Meester might have a tough time with Sione Pouha and require help. The guards, Vince Manuwai and Vince Manuwai are probably the best on the line.

Maurice Jones-Drew is a surprisingly solid pass blocker despite his small size, but the Jaguars will want to involve him in the passing game and get him the ball in space. If the Jets get to Garrard, Jacksonville will have to leave their back in more than they want. Same with their tight end, Marcedes Lewis, who has 17 receptions. They will also involve Ernest Wilfork in double tight sets, but Lewis is a better pass protector.

Again, it will likely come down to Garrard's ability to buy himself some extra time and the Jets' ability to bring pressure quickly. By this point, we know Darrelle Revis can take any receiver out of the game. He's only one player, though. The Jaguars have two good receivers, Torry Holt and Mike Sims-Walker. Dwight Lowery is starting opposite Revis instead of Lito Sheppard. I like Dwight. He's played well, but if Garrard buys himself some extra time, I worry about his ability to cover either for an extended period. Holt has lost a lot of his speed, but he is still an excellent route runner going to work on an inexperienced corner. Sims-Walker is starting to emerge as a big play threat for Jacksonville. Dwight's got great ball skills, but can he maintain coverage? It might be a good idea to get Lito in there if Garrard's mobility becomes a factor.

Overall, though, I like the matchup. The Jets feast on unstable offensive lines.

COMCAST's Red Zone Channel: Jaguars' MJD is better than Titans' Chris Johnson

silencecs — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:04:09 -0000

This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel, a new NFL Network channel. Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations? Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.

The Jaguars: This group has the makings of a team that can be great in the red-zone.

According to Pat Kirwin of NFL.com, here's what it takes to succeed in the most important area of the football field.

With four weeks of the 2009 season in the books, there is enough information to take a look at red-zone production. Also, a number of coaches have explained what it takes to be an effective red-zone team.

Here are the things most mentioned as components to being a successful red-zone team (in no particular order):

1. A mobile quarterback -- The threat to also run the ball in for a score can break down a red-zone defense.
2. An athletic tight end -- Teams need a player who can open up his alignment and take defenders away from the line of scrimmage to open up the running game.
3. A tall receiver -- With size, there is always the threat of a fade route in the end zone.
4. A power back -- Pushing the pile and moving the chains can keep defenses honest.

The Jaguars have every single one of those. Garrard is no doubt a running threat, and can provide TD's with his legs in crucial situations. Marcedes Lewis is starting to look like what we were promised he'd become last year, a tall, athletic, and oversized WR. HE's actually catching the ball, and seems to be on route to a very productive year. Our offensive line is improving every game, and they can push the pile forward, as we've seen first-hand evidence of during games. Top it off with Mike SIms-Walker, and you've got yourself the makings of a powerhouse in the red-zone.

Proof the MJD is better than Chris Johnson: It's all about the "zone"

MJD is the league's premier back, and there's nobody in the NFL I'd rather have in the backfield (No, not even AP). He's a dual threat to receive or run the ball every time he's on the field, and he plays a major role in closing out drives and guaranteeing success on third downs. MJD has 26 carries in the red-zone for 69 yards, a 2.7 YPC average. However, he's gotten a whopping 7 TD's out of those carries. He's stellar in the red-zone.

Chris Johnson is a speed-demon, but he's not a multi-faceted RB the likes of MJD. He possesses the same home-run ability the MJD has, and Johnson's receiving ability is adequate, although clearly inferior. The major flaw in Johnson's game is his inability to slam into a pile, and still gain 3 yards. He doesn't have the power of MJD, and his red-zone stats for the season clearly indicate this. So far, Chris Johnson has only two rushing attempts inside the red-zone, for an average of -2.0 YPC (You read that right, negative two yards on two carries). The team clearly believes that Lendale White is the only goal-line power-back, as he's gotten 6 carries and netted 16 yards (a respectable red-zone average of 2.7 YPC).

If MJD can continue to provide the key to the TD, then the Jags will win again on Sunday.

-Collin Streetm an

Titans@Jaguars The view from the Stadium

Tkopa — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:49:35 -0000

I'll try to give you impressions from my vantage point at the stadium. You all heard the game or pirated the streaming video, so you know the statistics. I saw Collin gave game balls and credit for the win to every one including the folks who wash the uniforms. He's an excitabe boy. Today, I was too, so the view from the stadium is a little different and let me tell you about it. Oh first, I promised. Jonathan was right. 27-17 Jaguars was his prediction and I mocked him. Jonathan was right. I feel like I am in a Bizzaro world. Good call Jonathan. Great call actually, I never saw this game coming. I never saw this coming
but you did.

After the jump, I'll tell you what I saw.

First impression, Josh Scobee can kick you in the head. The Titans average starting position was... the 20 yard line. Why? Because Scobee kicked it so far they couldn't run it back. One time he kicked it so far on the kickoff, it sailed out of the endzone and almost beaned a security guard in the back of the head while he was looking up into the crowd. I was hoping, while it was in flight, it would hit him. That is the sadastic side of me, but seriously, it landed so close the guy jumped. Scobee was pissed about missing the just before half time field goal of 56 yards. When he came out from half time, he went right to the line of scrimmage with his little ball holder device and nailed it on the mulligan. In person, Scobee is a big man, bigger than David. No one in the league is better than Josh Scobee. No one.

Second impression, Tra Thomas is who we thought he was. David gets the game ball for a standout performance, but Tra Thomas handed it to him. David was not ruffled at all during the game. No one bothered him in the pocket, no one. Watching Tra Thomas play was so amazing. Tra seems to read the mind of his defensive opponent and move instantly to where the guy would be. Kyle Vanden Bosch had like 15 sacks two years ago. Tra Thomas abused him in the same manner he treated Quentin Groves in training camp. The guy is such a good pass blocker you have to see it live to believe it. Here is one of my problems with JDR, he tries to pass BS off as the truth. Eugene Monroe beat Tra Thomas out for the position. BS flag thrown on that one. Jack has a problem now, the line without the rookies in there played unbelievable. What cha gonna do now Jack?

Third impression, Chris Johnson is fast but so are our linebackers. Chris Johnson is unbelievably fast. The game moves at a different pace when he has the ball. You can't believe how the alarm bells went off when he had the ball. Daryl Smith chased him down to the corner and Justin Durant chased him down to the corner. The reaction time our linebackers showed in diagnosing the play was measured in nano-seconds. They were there, instantly. When Chris Johnson was taken away as a threat, there was no fight left in the Titans.

Fourth impression, Jeff Fishers team quit. The Jaguars punched them in the mouth so hard in the first quarter, they quit. Oh, Terry, come on, you are being overly dramatic now. THEY QUIT!!! A Jeff Fisher team knew they were done. I never saw that before. The final play of the first quarter was the Titans first first down. They knew they two things, Chris Johnson wasn't going anywhere and Kerry Collins is a horrible quarterback this year. Kerry Collins threw the ball no where near anyone a number of times. As Bill Parcells said. "You are what your record says you are" and the Titans have no wins this year. I bought into the best 0-3 team story until I saw them play. Vince Young needs to start and the Titans need something to jump start them. They quit today. Sometimes we say the score didn't reflect the game and in this case it is true. The Jaguars left 10 points on the field today with the half time blunder and the fumble at the goal line. The score should have been 47-17.

Fifth impression, Mike Thomas is slippery. Mike ran kickoffs back today. He did nothing special that I could see, no blazing speed, no elusive moves. The stange thing was no one could tackle him. He was like oil sliding through the opposing coverage. I can only guess he reads and follows blocks beautifully. His reverse last week showed he could find the sweet spot and that ability showed up on kickoff runbacks. Because of Mike and Scobee, the Jaguars played half court basketball while the Titans played full court. I don't know how to say it any different, he is somehow special without looking like he is doing anything special. Make sense? Not to me, someone help me out.

Sixth impression, Play calling is devious.. Dirk Koetter has cooked up a number of misdirection plays that are a wonder to see. The first Maurice touchdown was pure legerdemain. Everyone pulled to the right. Tra Thomas let his man beat him to the inside. You could see the defensive guy licking his chops, he had finally beat Tra to the backfield, now where was the ball? Tra stood there and laughed at him as Maurice walked around the end where Tra's man used to be. Maurice seemed to draw that moment out as well. No hurry, no big deal, just a nice slow jog for a score. A Jeff Fisher defense laughed at by the Jaguars who aren't supposed to be that good. I could hear the Jaguars telling the Titans "It is over when we say it is over, now get back here we aren't done having fun".

Seventh impression, John Henderson rocks the stadium. Early in the game the Titans were pinned back against the North End Zone. It was third down and the Jaguars had been doing a good job shutting them down. John Henderson signalled the crowd to pump up the noise. The place went nuts. I have not seen John Henderson do that in two years. Maybe he did, but this was the first time in a long time it meant something. John Henderson was in this game emotionally and it showed. I have not seen the big guy play like this and act tlike this since the Monday Night game against the Steelers in 2006.

I could go on and on so why not. Here are more general impressions.

I am sorry David that I ever doubted you. You threw some of the most amazing tight coverage passes without ever really taking a risk. You are a very good quarterback. You just needed a team around you.

Mike Sims-Walker, nice job. How about watching Marcedes Lewis execute some YAC. When the big guy get rumbling down field, he almost dances sometimes. I get the sense Mike Sims-Walker can break it, but he seems to not yet make it happen.

Jarret Dillard got in when MSW limped off the field in the third quarter. I am telling you, that guy is quick. The Jaguars kept running this quick pass like screen. Only Jarret could bring it alive. Loved seeing him get in the game.

Zack Miller got some action but I don't see it yet from him. He looks like what he says he is, a poor man's Tim Tebow. Nothing special from Zack, nothing bad. A note to everyone who said Ernest Wilford wouldn't provide value, write that on a piece of paper, crumple it up and eat the paper. As Collin called it, David loves to throw to Ernest and he is showing the same guts and sure hands he did here in 2007. IGWT.

Justin Gage meet Rasheen Mathis. Rasheen will be your escort today and will take you off the field and show you what inconsequntial feels like.

You might see pink cleats and gloves on the players when they replay the game. It was Breast Cancer awareness day in the stadium and I am guessing the players with the pink have been touched in some way by the cancer. No jokes, i respect the significance.

OK, I was saving the negative for last. Derek Cox was the leading tackler for a reason. He was covering the guy who caught the ball. In the third quarter, the Titans came out with a new game plan, go after Cox. Collins went back to his man over and over. One time Daryl Smith broke into the backfield and pressured Collins who overthrew the receiver and Cox got the interception. Derek Cox needs to pick his game up quickly. He is the weakness in the backfield right now.

I am sure you are bored with all of this by now so let me close with this. I could barely speak to those around me today in the first half. It was too emotional to get the words out. I have been in that stadium for so many games waiting for the Jaguars to return. I was overjoyed and overcome with happiness today. The real Jaguars, my Jaguars, have come home. Welcome back guys. Jonathan, nice to meet you as well!

- Terry O'Brien

Are the Jaguars a Young Team?

Tkopa — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:59:27 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

Jaguars 2008 number 8 overall selection Derrick Harvey represents the youth of the Jaguars. Players such as himself must succeed for the team to follow suit.

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"We’ve taken a very aggressive approach at it; the amount of turnover is unusually large and you can’t continue to do that and have much success. Part of that was moving on, purging guys that just didn’t fit," Del Rio said. "We do have a young team."

I read that and nodded, yes they are a young team. But, then I thought about it. "Hey wait a minute, what does that actually mean?" I thought. A young college team is freshmen and sophomores that probably won't contend for the National Title, I get that. Is a young pro team a lot of rookies? Is it a lot of first and second year guys? What exactly is Jack telling us? I really don't know so I'll leave that question for the comments. Let's look at who the Jaguars kept, and what youth there is on the squad.

Offensive Line: The preseason starting lineup has been Tra Thomas (12th year), Vince Manuwai (7th year), Brad Meester (10th year), Mo Williams (9th year), Uche Nwaneri (3rd year), Tony Pashos (7th year) and Dennis Norman (9th year). I know they want to work Eben Britton and Eugene Monroe in but they should have to earn a spot over a lower performing veteran. I don't see a young team here; in fact this is a group of veterans that should be dependable.

Offensive Backfield: David Garrard is the QB (8th year), Gregg Jones at FB (6th year), Maurice Jones Drew RB (4th year). If you include Tight Ends, we have Marcedes Lewis (4th year), Ernest Wilford (6th year), Greg Estandia (3rd year). Again, a strong group of veterans that should be ready on game day, in fact climbing into their most productive years.

Receivers: Torry Holt is the number one receiver (11th year), Troy Williamson is number two (5th year), number three receiver will probably be a rookie.

Offensive Summary: One guy on the starting offensive team will be a rookie. If they decide to go with Monroe and Britton, they will have dependable veterans right behind them. To be honest, unless there is a problem with the players on this team, this amount of experience on offense should be able to deliver a competitive performance.

Let's look at the defense.

Defensive line: John Henderson (8th year), Reggie Hayward (9th year), Derrick Harvey (2nd year), Quentin Groves (2nd year), Terrance Knighton (1st year), Derek Landri (3rd year), Rob Meier (10th year). Basically I see a nice mix of veterans and youth in here with most of the youth represented by second year guys, Groves and Harvey. I can give a slight nod to youth here, but not inexperience. This line is not as seasoned as the offensive line but is a nice combination of fresh legs and wisdom.

Linebackers: Daryl Smith (6th year), Justin Durant (3rd year), and Clint Ingram (4th year). Brian Iwuh (4th year), Adam Seward (5th year) all represent the core of the lineup. There is nothing but experience in this group and should represent an easy bunch to coach to be productive.

Defensive Backfield: The starters look to be Rashean Mathis (7th year), Brian Williams (8th year), Reggie Nelson (3rd year), Gerald Alexander (3rd year), Sean Considine (5th year) Tyron Brackenridge (3rd year), Scott Starks (5th year), Brian Witherspoon (3rd year) and Derek Cox (rookie). I know they would like to integrate Derek Cox into the lineup but the basic starting lineup will have 3 years or more experience.

Defensive Summary: Harvey, Groves and Knighton represent the true youth in the defense and the line is on the younger side. Other than that, the backfield has a strong mix of experience and should know what is expected. Maybe a slight nod to lack of playing experience?

My Take: When I looked at it, I was surprised at how much experience the Jaguars have. They don't resemble a young college team. If we can't post 8 wins with this group, Gene has more work to do. A lot more.

So help me understand, what do you think Jack is trying to say?

- Terry O'Brien

Philadelphia Eagles win preseason thriller 33-32 over Jaguars

JasonB — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:52:24 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

3 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles running back Marcus Mailei, left, dives for a touchdown as Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Thomas Williams and cornerback Pete Ittersagen defend during the third quarter of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

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Yes It doesn't count, but that was still a pretty fun end to a game. Down 12 with 12 minutes left Kevin Kolb led the Eagles on three straight scoring drives, the last of which ended in a go ahead David Akers FG with 15 seconds left in the game. It gave the Eagles their first win in preseason and dropped the Jaguars to 0-3.

It was a big night for Kolb, whose last game action was last years' devastating loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Even though it was against backups in a preseason game, Kolb showed poise and looked very sharp with his passes. Not to steal Bob Q's thunder, but I'll say "stock up" for Kolb tonight.

Now to the important stuff. The first team offense and defense. It was an odd night with two flukey touchdowns that put the Jaguars up early. The first came on a play where Jacksonville had driven down to the red zone and Asante Samuel put a devastating(and probably illegal helmet to helmet) hit on a Jags WR, who dropped the ball on the one yard line. The Eagles players stood around as if it was an incomplete pass, but Torry Holt made a heads up play to pick up the ball and walk it in for a TD. While it was somewhat of a "fluke" play, the fact that the Jags had driven that far down the field and were likely to score anyway was not. Other than that drive though, the Eagles first team defense was much improved from the first two preseason games. The return of Trent Cole meant the return of the pressure as the front four repeatedly hurried and hit Jags' QB David Garrard.

The secondary also played well, led by Asante Samuel... who seemed to have an extra something in his play tonight. Samuel was out hitting like a linebacker, picked off a pass, and made a very nice strip on a Jags' WR that was initially ruled a fumble. Asante certainly seemed like he was up for filling whatever leadership void might exist on the defense in the absence on Brian Dawkins.

We get to the offense after the jump.

The offense is another story. We'll get to Vick later.... First, they generally moved the ball well. In a stat line that was all too reminiscent of last season, they were better than the Jags' offense in pretty much every conceivable stat other than the score. They moved the ball, but failed to score TDs in the red zone. In the red zone, they settled for two FGs and had one fumble returned 92 yards for a TD. The fumble came on a swing pass to Lesean McCoy that the Eagles and most of the Jags thought fell incomplete, but since the pass wasn't thrown forward it was a live ball. Jags' backup LB Brian Iwuh made a heads up play to pick up the live ball and return it all the way for a TD. No excuses though, it was a bad play and McNabb & McCoy certainly share the blame.

The second half opened with a fumble finally going the Eagles way. Broderick Bunkley tore the ball out of the grip of Chauncey Washington and Quintin Demps returned it to put the Eagles in good scoring position. Lesean McCoy ended up scoring after bouncing a run outside and beating two Jaguar defenders to the pylon for a TD. The offensive starters would score another TD on a 4 yard McNabb pass to rookie Marcus Mailei in what ended up being the starters' final drive of the night. The starting offense left having put up 20 points on the board in a little less than three quarters.

Things started tough for the second team when Kevin Kolb was called for an intentional grounding on his first pass which awarded the Jaguars a safety. From there on though, the Eagles reserves thoroughly outplayed the Jaguars' second string and ended up coming from 12 points down to win the game.

Finally, let's get to Vick.

First, I think that the experimenting Andy Reid did with him in the first quarter threw McNabb and the offense off a bit. The team clearly moved better and McNabb looked sharper when Vick wasn't being subbed in every two or three plays. It makes sense that the offense would be somewhat out of sync if they're running gimmick plays once every 4 downs. The experimenting made it hard for me to really evaluate how the first team offense really looked in that first quarter.

Vick himself looked as about as good as expected. Physically he seems like he's in pretty good shape. He didn't appear a step slow, he looked quite comfortable out there, and executed the few things he was asked to do well. That said, he wasn't asked to do much. He did appear in the wildcat formation with McNabb lining up as a WR and tossed a few shovel passes to Lesean McCoy. He threw one beautiful pass to Hank Baskett, which really showed that he still has a cannon for an arm... and ran one designed run play that really wasn't blocked well and left him with no where to go.

So while Vick looked fine, he really wasn't asked to do much.

A few more random thoughts before we wrap this thing up.

- While Jeremy Maclin still didn't show much as a return man, he did play noticeably better as a WR in the first half where he caught 4 passes for 53 yards. Still a work in progress.

- I noticed that rookie Macho Harris started at free safety and not Quintin Demps. Demps had one poor play where he flung himself at TE Marcedes Lewis and bounced off him, rather than make the smart play to wrap him up. Plays like that might be a reason he didn't get the start... He did grab a fumble though and make a decent return with it, although he attempted an ill advised lateral that thankfully went out of bounds. Smart play to pick up the ball and run, bonehead play to lateral it.

- Speaking of second year men having up and down games... DE Bryan Smith made a really nice interception after a Paul Smith pass was tipped, but later drew a pretty stupid and obvious roughing the passer penalty.

- Can anyone make an argument that Jason Avant is at least the second best WR on this team? Avant again caught nearly everything that went near him, ran perfect routes, and constantly got himself open. He was the best WR on the field tonight. With Kevin Curtis being banged up, Maclin still catching up, Reggie being Reggie... should Jason Avant be starting on this team come opening day? You can't say he hasn't earned it.

- Both ex-Patriot starting corners tonight played well. Asante Samuel we've already discussed... but Ellis Hobbs played the run very well tonight and managed to knock down a pass as well. He certainly helped to redeem himself after a rough outing against the Colts.

- Moises Fokou led the team in tackles for the second straight game and saw some time with the first team at middle linebacker.

- 4 FGs for David Akers tonight including the game winner. After two missed against New England it was nice to see him bounce back with a strong night.

Impressions from Camp - Thursday and Friday

Tkopa — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:12:14 -0000

Scott Starks has recovered nicely from ACL tear. I'll post pictures to prove it later on.

The run defense looks good. No one will take advantage of the middle. I don't know what is going on, but the middle actually looks very stout.

A lot of three WR sets. Trust in the O-Line is there. No more two Tight End sets with blocking help. It is definately a stretch the field Dirk Koetter season coming.

I don't care when he comes in, Eugene Monroe will never beat out Tra Thomas. In fact, no one beats Tra Thomas. I have some pictures later of poor poor Quentin Groves trying to get past Tra. They may give the position to Eugene but he will never earn it.,

Todd Bauman can't throw to his left. He has a good arm, but he is a half the field quarterback. Up the middle and to the right.

There were very few deep balls thrown. A lot of 10-15 yard pass plays. Maybe that was by design, but the long ball was not evident all week.

Jarett Dillard is Dennis Northcutt only much better. He has a real quickness and burst of speed. He can get deep and when he comes across the middle, he is moving and juking. What a jitter bug he is..

You can hear the ball hit Marcedes Lewis's pads. Right on the money, no catch. POW! You hear it from across the field. Can't be thrown any better. POW... OOPS. I wish he had hands.

Quentin Groves doesn't look any different than last year. He is quick but easily tied up. I don't know where the weight gain is but I don't see the Defensive End in him.

Todd Bauman has a strong arm but Paul Smith may be a better back-up QB. Todd Bauman can throw, but something about Paul Smith looks smarter.

Rashad Jennings is getting a lot more touches than Greg Jones. There is clearly something going on here. It might be a rookie look before we go behind closed doors, but he has been a featured back this week.

If you didn't know who Torry Holt was, he would still be special. If Tra Thomas is special, Torry is more so. Just seeing him on the field draws your eye to him. I will post pictures of an amazing move he put on Derek Cox later. No one saw the move coming and the crowd just gasped and applauded when he did it. If he doesn't draw double coverage, I will be surprised.

Derek Cox looks like he is on the first team, but he can be beaten. I think they want him on the firld. He has no fear of covering, but they are giving him quite a learning experience right now.

David is much smaller this year. The weight David is supposed to be down shows. I will say this, he is the only quarterback on the field and man can he throw on the run.

Camp finished early both Thursday and Friday. The Del Rio statement about hard, tough, brutal, maybe. There is hitting and you can hear the contact, but it does close down early and start late. I wonder about him sometimes.

Referees on site tonight and threw a lot of off sides. The stupid jumping early is still a problem. Why doesn't Jack work on that? Even when go on two was the standard count, someone jumped on a hard one. Every stinking time.

Don't expect anything different from this team than a normal JDR team. JDR is JDR and this team will resemble the other teams, different people, different plays, same character.

No Tight End can catch. They worked a lot of drills to the TE and couldn't get much caught. Marcedes Lewis can be beaten out for a spot if Zack Miller could catch. It ain't happening. They ran drill after drill of four receivers and threw to the Tight End each time hoping to get a reception.

So there you have your Staurday night primer for the scrimmage tonight. I Have some great photos I will get up soon. Have fun tonight and remember, don't drink and drive. Give the keys to someone else.

- Terry