SB Nation - Vince Manuwai

Comcast Presents: The Jaguars Offensive Line

Jonathan Loesche — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:45:50 -0000

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

The good news was that the Jaguars managed to convert when they were in the red zone. Maurice Jones-Drew finally broke his touchdown slump to tie Fred Taylor's single season touchdown record. It is the first time in weeks the Jaguars got points from all of their red zone trips, even if they only had two of them.

In fact, this is the first time the Jaguars got points out of all of their red zone possessions since playing Kansas City on November 8th. It was bittersweet though, as the Jaguars failed to score the game tying touchdown when it was needed, and had to settle for a FG.

Where are the Jaguars problems in the red zone centered? Obviously ball security is a big part of it with the absurd amount of red zone turnovers the team has committed, but I think the deterioration of the offensive line is another major piece.

Once again we'll look at Pro Football Focus' numbers on the offensive line. Eben Britton has been playing like a man possessed in recent weeks. I know Terry blasted him for missing a critical block in the Miami game, but has been playing far better than he was in the beginning of the season. It will be a joy to have him on the right side for the next decade.

Eugene Monroe on the other hand has been going back to Inconsistent-ville after having a solid middle part of the season It is good to see Monroe has only had one truly bad game since Week 2 (San Francisco), and hopefully the lumps he's taking will serve him well next season. It will be an excellent measuring stick for him this week if Freeney does go for Indy on Thursday.

Uche Nwaneri is the Jags best offensive lineman according to PFF, but he has also struggled recently. Nwaneri has still been the pillar of the offensive line this season, a shock considering he was probably the name everyone forgot to mention in the preseason. This is jar on the shelf working to its finest.

Vince Manuwai played well last week, but that is an outlier in a series of consistently poor play. It is sad to see this from Manuwai, who I thought deserved to inherit Fred Taylor's old title of "Player who's been screwed out of the most Pro Bowls by playing for the Jags." He was the only lineman to have a good game against the Dolphins, so maybe he'll use it as a building block like Britton did a few weeks prior against Buffalo.

While former Mr.Consistent Brad Meester is the 33rd ranked Center, remember there's only 32 teams, according to PFF. I'm just in shock when I look at this graph. There is a reason why Brad Meester has made the second most starts in franchise history, and this isn't it. I expect we'll see a center taken early in April.

What do these numbers tell me? We have three young players who are growing into good players in Monroe, Britton, and Nwaneri. We also have two older players that are showing us why you can't afford to remember yesterday at the expense of tomorrow in Meester and Manuwai.

Red Zone running plays are designed to go up the middle and blow defensive players off the line of scrimmage, the exact thing the Jaguars can't do at the moment. Until that changes, the Jaguars will continue to struggle to run the ball in the red zone.

New York Jets Run Defense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Run Offense

John B — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:14:47 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

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Jacksonville has one of the game's most explosive backs, Maurice Jones-Drew. He reminds me a lot of Tennessee's Chris Johnson (or Leon Washington if he was a full time back). Jones-Drew is small, but his blazing speed makes him a dangerous weapon. He's already got 737 yards on the ground, a 5.1 average, and 11 touchdowns. To combat him, we may see more of the big 4-3 with Ellis and Douglas at end, Pouha and Green at tackle, and Scott, Harris, and Pace at linebacker the Jets showed against Miami to slow down the run. The good news is this run defense won't necessarily take the teeth or aggression from the pass rush. The Jets did have 6 sacks while focusing on the run against Miami.

Jones-Drew's backup, Rashad Jennings, is a rookie from Liberty. For my money, he was one of the steals of the Draft. He has a very similar skill set to Shonn Greene, big and bruising between the tackles with a surprising second gear of speed. He's only averaging between 2 and 3 carries a game, but he can be dangerous.

Jacksonville's offensive line is much better run blocking than pass blocking. The rookie tackles, Eugene Monroe and Ebon Britton, who have struggled at times in pass protection, have been good opening holes for Jones-Drew. So have guards Uche Nwaneri and Vince Manuwai. Backup Maurice Williams has been arguably better than they have so we could see him in the lineup. Center Brad Meester has had problems, though. He'll have a tough time handling Pouha on his own, which means we'll likely see the Jaguars try and swing Jones-Drew outside plenty.

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Offense

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

by Phil Coale - AP

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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.

Jaguars Return to Roots in Victory Over Chiefs: Offensive edition

silencecs — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:15:05 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Morton - AP

about 1 month ago: Jacksonville Jaguars running back Rashad Jennings, right, stiff-arms Kansas City Chiefs safety Mike Brown for a touchdown in first-quarter action during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

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For the first time since week one, the Jacksonville Jaguars played like, well, the Jacksonville Jaguars. We returned to our roots in a vicious beating of the Kansas City Chiefs that wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated. Sunday, we saw what we can be, and it's a whole lot better than we thought up to this point. Today, I'll go over the offense's return to form, and tomorrow, expect my analysis of the defense's return to their roots. Let's look at why the Jaguars' offense succeeded on Sunday.

Run, and Do So Up the Middle.

Vince Manuwai showed he's almost fully recovered from his season-ending injury last year, and that he's still a great run-blocker. At the age of 30, he still has a few solid years in the tank. Uche Nwaneri played one of his most physical games of the season, and the way he pushed the pile at the goal-line was textbook Jaguar football. Brad Meester played like a man possessed in the run game. Despite being 33, the savvy veteran showed he can still bring it. Our interior line is clearly better at run-blocking than they are at protecting David.

Rookie Tackles Showing Improvement

The first and second-round picks in this year's draft are both starting for the team, and both continue to improve each week. I don't want to hear anyone say that they're not doing great, because clearly they are. Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton are outperforming both Andre Smith, and Jason Smith, and continue to improve each week. We almost never see a holding penalty, unless it is to keep Garrard from getting sacked. Last year, it was surprising if our tackles weren't penalized for holding at least twice a week. Andy Heck is one of the better assistant coaches this team has, and under his tutelage, I expect both to be excelling by week 14.

WR's Emerging

Mike Sims-Walker has shown he's a legit number one receiver, and when the team runs to set up the pass, he makes things look easy. That being said, I was more impressed with out rookie WR play. We haven't ever seen such an instant impact from late round picks. Mike Thomas is a madman when returning kicks, and Spoony has likely lost his job, even when he returns healthy. Jarrett Dillard showed the hands he displayed in college, when he literaly snatched a crucial 3rd down rocket, courtesy of Garrard. The future is going to be sooner than we expect if these players continue to progress.

Clock Management

The Jaguars' return to their historical roots of running the ball and stopping the run was beautiful to watch, and it should remind all of us WHY they go hand in hand. The Jaguars had two drives of 10 plays, and three drives of 9 plays. They ran the ball 41 times, and controlled the clock as a result. We all know the clock stops after an incomplete pass, therefore, pass-happy teams leave more clock for their opponents to score with. The Jaguars had the ball almost 13 minutes more than the Chiefs, do you think that may have had something to do with why the Chiefs defense looked so exhausted in the 4th Quarter?

When you run the ball all game long, the defense wears down. RB's like Jerome Bettis, and Marcus Allen got better as the game wore on, because the defensive players had been so beaten down all game. It's like a boxing match between two heavy-weights, you may not knock the guy out in the first round, but the accumulation of punishment leads to mistakes by your opponent, and eventually, his defeat.

Running the Ball Makes 3rd Down Manageable

The Jaguars commitment to the run enabled them to post a better than 50% conversion ratio on third-down. We saw very few third and long situations, and even when the Jaguars encountered them, David seemed to find the open man. The Jaguars employed safe, hard-nosed football, and nothing brought me more joy than to see the Jaguars run the QB sneak on second or third and short numerous times. That's the kind of conservative, clock-eating football that keeps your defense fresh, the opponent's defense tired, and the opposing offense out of rhythm. Run the ball and stop the run, and you'll win far more than you'll lose.

Well Timed Play-Action Passes and Good Route Design

I have to give props to Dirk Koetter for calling a run-first game while still utilizing the play-action pass effectively. The play that sprung Sims-Walker free was all play-design. MJD lined up on the outside as a WR, while Sims-Walker was lined up with two other wide-outs in the trips formation to the opposite side. When MJD came in motion, the whole defense took notice. Once the ball was snapped, MSW ran a simple drag pattern across the defense and was completely unaccounted for because of the confusion the design caused the Chiefs. When Dirk establishes the run first, he looks a whole lot smarter.

-Collin Streetman

Darryl Tapp: The Consummate Defensive End

John Morgan — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:12:11 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Darry Tapp has always shown the quickness to track down rushers. For a quarter, he also showed the strength to stand up and stagger massive left tackles like Tra Thomas.

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Field Gulls is a dysfunctional blog. We keep weird hours and make weird, inappropriate jokes and sometimes we're down a couple extra hours sleeping off our victory hangover. I can't really do routine or structure.

This week I am doing player vignettes. They won't be linear. Instead, they will be short pieces about an individual players' quarter, plus some opinion and perspective on their future. I will create as many as I have time for.

My first pick is wholly selfish: Darryl Tapp. I may have been alone in thinking Tapp was a major part of what separated Seattle's 2007 defense from their 2008 defense. I even grew frustrated with Lawrence Jackson, who took snaps from Tapp without earning them. Jackson earns his snaps now. Tapp has earned a chance to be Seattle's right defensive end for the next six years.

Darryl Tapp was sure he had forced a false start. He stood up and pointed emphatically, but no flag was coming. He barely knelt into his three-point before David Garrard snapped. But Tapp was on the ball as ever, and after making a quick move outside, he cut in and pressured Garrard. His inside move separates Tapp.

As does his linebacker like run tackling. On the next play, Tapp turned such a tight angle and flashed such pursuit speed, I couldn't be sure he wasn't Aaron Curry. He wrapped around end and caught Maurice Jones-Drew from behind after a gain of two.

He finished the drive by dropping into cover. No one was within a mile of his zone, but his backpedal and presence in the middle is distinctly not-lineman like.

He dropped into coverage again on the second play of the Jaguars second drive. It was a fun looking blitz that failed miserably. Tapp and opposing end Jackson dropped into curl zones, and Seattle's three linebackers attempted a complex, layered blitz. It snagged when Will Herring couldn't power through the pile and pressure Garrard. In fact, he fell. It's one those moments you miss Leroy Hill. Jackson tackled Holt from behind 25-yards down the field. I'll talk Jackson at some point, but he is an excellent athlete and his progress as a pass rusher is exciting. Very exciting.

Tapp was everywhere on the nine-play drive Seattle silenced with assignment-correct football at the two. He assisted on a run tackle for no gain and showed improved ability to hold the long edge on another down. He used a rip to force an incomplete and a spin to force a check down in the red zone. He went inside and nearly knocked left guard Vince Manuwai into Garrard.

Darry Tapp factored into almost every play. He hurried passes and contained. He shot behind the line and chased down Jones-Drew. Tapp isn't Cory Redding and doesn't demand double teams. Though he's bulked up, he's reasonably small. If talent came to order, Tapp might be a little lacking in so and so, but that's not the game.

If Tapp was the Tapp Seattle drafted, he could still start. That's the comparative importance of pass defense to run defense. He isn't that player though. Tapp is more disciplined. He doesn't start every play sprinting towards the edge. He can hold ground and control. He can cut in and avoid the chip. He can tackle in the open field better than many linebackers. Through fourteen plays in the first quarter, Tapp showed he is a complete end and a vital part of Seattle's future.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Tom Uhlman - AP

3 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer (9) is sacked by Denver Broncos linebacker Mario Haggan (57) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Cincinnati. Denver won the game 12-7. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)

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Happy Tuesday, friends. It's a happy week in Broncoland, hopefully one of many to come this season. There was some good, some bad, some lucky, and some spectacular on Sunday. We'll discuss it all, like we always do, and we won't apologize for winning, because a win is a win. Ready.... BEGIN!!!

1. The Broncos on Sunday reminded me of the Patriots of about 2005, only operating at about 60% of potential. The defensive looks were varied, the tackling and coverage were solid, and the whole was generally greater than the sum of its parts. On offense, there was a lot of commitment to running the ball, some screening, and mostly lower-risk stuff when they did go downfield. The team played like they expected a close game, and did the sorts of things you have to do to win close.

Consider the following:

a. The Broncos committed no turnovers, and forced two. (I personally count the bad snap on the FG, which doesn't technically count, and don't count Scheffler's interception, which does.) I now reiterate my belief that turnovers are the number one determinant of winning and losing.

b. The Broncos committed few penalties, and they were minor ones, the obvious exception being the Casey Wiegmann holding call on the successful 4th-quarter Correll Buckhalter screen.

c. Brett Kern had one notable shank, but mostly punted very well, helping the Broncos in field position. (I now reiterate my belief that field position is the number two determinant of winning and losing.) The return work for the Broncos was very shaky all day, and I would say the Broncos lost the field position battle by a bit. It would have been a lot worse without Kern's solid work, and some good coverage on punts.

d. The clock management methodology at the end of the first half was right out of Bill Belichick's book, and we can expect to see it repeatedly over the coming years. I want to talk about this in some detail, because it's going to become a key part of the character of the Broncos football team.

The unsophisticated observer of football tends to think that a "2-minute drill" calls for clock conservation and a sense of urgency. You know, people like Dan Fouts. It's not that simple, though. You have to consider field position and how many timeouts you have, and do a mental calculation of the probability of your offense scoring, and failing that, the probability of pinning the opposing team deep, and giving them no good shot at scoring, should you have to punt.

The Belichick 2-minute ethos is simple. The number-one objective in a 2-minute situation is to prevent the opposition from scoring. The number-two objective is to score yourself. Deep in your own territory, you make the clock run, almost always by handing off from a spread-out shotgun look. The Patriots have been doing this with Kevin Faulk forever, and I knew that's what the Broncos were doing on first down on Sunday.

Eddie Royal returns the ball to the Denver 17, with 1:48 to go, and 2 timeouts.

DEN 1-10 own 17 yard line 1:48 Handoff to Correll Buckhalter for 7 yards

DEN 2-3 own 24 yard line 1:17 Handoff to Buckhalter for 6 yards

DEN 1-10 own 30 yard line 1:01 Screen pass to Buckhalter for 7 yards

DEN 2-3 own 37 yard line :40 Incomplete deep out to Jabar Gaffney

DEN 3-3 own 37 yard line :34 WR screen to Eddie Royal for 11 yards

Timeout Denver

DEN 1-10 own 48 yard line :26 Deep out to Jabar Gaffney for 21 yards, out-of bounds

DEN 1-10 CIN 31 yard line :20 Incomplete downfield pass to Tony Scheffler (near fumble)

DEN 2-10 CIN 31 yard line :14 Inside handoff to Buckhalter for no gain

Timeout Denver

DEN 3-10 CIN 31 yard line :05 Matt Prater makes 48 yard field goal, Denver leads 3-0 at halftime.

This is very good clock management. The likelihood of driving 83 yards in 1:48 with 2 timeouts, and getting a Touchdown is pretty low, particularly when the offense has struggled all half. The likelihood of getting close enough to try a field goal is much higher.

If you go 3-and-out really quickly on 3 incomplete passes, there is suddenly about 1:35 left, and it's 4th and 10 on your own 17. In 2008, over 2,293 punts in the NFL, the average net outcome was a change in field position of 39.53 yards. Add that to 17, and you just gave the ball to the other team at their own 43, with 1:20 or so to go. They only have to go 20-25 yards to get into field-goal range, which is really manageable. That is why your starting field position matters to your strategy in a compressed-time situation (I don't like the term 2-minute drill. This is the real thing, not a damn drill. It's the old Boatswain's Mate in me). When the Broncos have the ball inside their own 30 or so, expect them to always follow this strategy at the end of the first half.

2. Information from my eyes, from a second pass of the Broncos-Bengals game:

a. The Broncos have a terrific set of CBs. Champ Bailey showed his worth, and Andre' Goodman made one outstanding downfield play, deflecting a ball, and generally had good coverage, even when balls were completed near him. The guy who continued to flash star ability, though, was Alphonso Smith. The Broncos are never going to regret taking this guy.

b. Brett Kern really punted well Sunday, except for one shank. The pass rush bailed him out of that, which I will get into a bit later. For awhile, Kern was the best weapon the Broncos had.

c. Knowshon Moreno ran sideways way too much Sunday. Bobby Turner will certainly be on his back about that, and let's hope the lesson sinks in very quickly.

d. I am not the first person to say this, but I wanted to see more of Peyton Hillis carrying the ball. I wonder if Spencer Larsen's injury caused the staff to shy away from it, since Peyton is really now the only available FB for awhile.

e. Andra Davis had a fantastic game, with 9 tackles, 3 for losses, and 1 sack. He played downhill all day, and thumped some Bengals. That's exactly what we need from him.

f. We need Wesley Woodyard to come in for Davis in coverage situations too, and we got some return on that, with his interception.

g. Wrapping up in the tackling game needs to definitely be better.

3. Information from my eyes, other games' version:

a. The Cardinals really struggled to protect Kurt Warner on Sunday, and it was the main reason they lost to the 49ers. The Niners sacked him 3 times, but hit him a lot of times more than that, 8 according to ESPN.com's box score. The 49ers also struggled in protection, but in key moments, they kept Shaun Hill upright.

b. Warner hasn't looked quite right to me, through the preseason, and into today's game. I haven't figured out what it is yet, but there's something wrong. It's almost like his personal sense of timing isn't there, like it is when he is going well. It will bear watching in the coming weeks, but if he falls off really sharply, the Cardinals will have something to worry about.

c. I really don't like Shaun Hill's skills, but he finds a way to win games. I can see why Mike Singletary likes him, because he is sort of similar to Jim McMahon from a skill-set perspective. I kind of feel bad for Mike, actually, because at no point in his career, as either a player or a coach, has he ever had a big-time QB to work with.

d. Cullen Jenkins is a beast, and he dominated against the Bears on Sunday night. Nobody on the Chicago line could handle him. I've said it before, but his injury almost single-handedly sunk the Packers season last year. When you have a guy like him, you have a really good chance to be stout against the run with 7 in the box, which is what their old Jim Bates-inspired (Bob Sanders-coached) defensive scheme is predicated upon. When they had to stack the box, they couldn't cover well enough anymore, and all of a sudden, they're a 6-10 team.

e. I believed it, and said it on Draft Day, and I believe it even more strongly now. The Packers messed up drafting B.J. Raji, despite the strong likelihood that he'll be a good player. They badly, badly needed help at Offensive Tackle, and they should have either traded up for Eugene Monroe or traded down a bit and taken Michael Oher. Chad Clifton is horrible on the left side, and Allen Barbre, the new RT, looks quite a bit worse than Mark Tauscher, the out-of-work, washed-up guy he replaced. This is a big enough problem to potentially make them struggle to make the playoffs, and it's otherwise a Super Bowl-caliber team.

f. Jay Cutler flat-out choked with that 4th pick. And like on the first three, Cris Collinsworth blamed the receiver. Guys, Cutler doesn't need enabling. That's the lesson from Denver that nobody seems to learn. (He needs to be coached with a foot in his hind parts, actually.) While it is true that the guy (Johnny Knox) needed to shield Al Harris from getting inside him, it was a terrible decision to go there anyway. KC Joyner's bad-decision metric would kill Cutler's game Sunday, because he threw the ball straight to the other team 6 times, with them only catching 4 of them.

g. There were a lot of dropped passes across the NFL this weekend, it wasn't just the Broncos and Bengals. I don't know if receivers were just rusty or what, but it was pretty bad.

h. I loved the call on third-and-one with 1:18 to go in the Packers-Bears game. Aaron Rodgers threw a great ball and hit Greg Jennings for a 51-yard TD pass. Jennings ran a textbook go-route on the play, widening out on Nathan Vasher, and then taking a great line to the catch spot. They exploited the hell out of the whole Bears secondary on that play, and it was an easy pitch and catch.

i. NBC criticism time. Bob Costas doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. (The Colts lost their outstanding receiver Anthony Gonzalez today! Really? Outstanding?) Rodney Harrison can barely get a clean sentence out, and reminds me of Emmitt Smith already, as a TV guy. Tony Dungy is going to get old quick, and the holdovers from the NBC studio still aren't that good either, though I'm glad to be rid of Jerome Bettis. Collinsworth is really hit or miss, but mostly missed Sunday night, and Al Michaels just seems like he doesn't care anymore. Twenty years ago, he was pretty good, but now, he's the worst play-by-play guy in the business. He blows more calls, and misspeaks more often than anybody. It's like a George W. Bush speech with him, every game. It makes me wish Madden 10 was real life, and Tom Hammond was in there instead. Michaels' toupee is atrocious too, but that isn't exactly new news.

j. I got beat up for this a couple weeks ago, but I still think Joe Flacco is better than Matt Ryan, and I want to reiterate it. He can do everything Ryan can do, but he has much more zip on his fastball, and he's significantly more mobile, too. It's kind of reminiscent of the Chris Paul/Deron Williams debate (now, non-debate) in the NBA. Both are really good, but the one who was drafted lower is a bit better.

Flacco was hurt by a lot of drops on Sunday, but he personally looked really good, and was the primary reason Baltimore beat Kansas City. The Chiefs tied the game at 24 with 5:21 to go, and Flacco went and won the game, beating a blitz with a great deep ball to Mark Clayton (who I should have started in the official MHR fantasy league).

k. Tamba Hali continues to look pretty good as a LB in the 3-4 for Kansas City, but Mike Vrabel alternately looked lazy and washed-up on the other side. Big things are allegedly expected from Vrabel this year, but I sure can't tell.

l. My brother Chris (a fellow Broncos fan, and sometimes MHR lurker) was stuck with the Jets-Texans game at home in Los Angeles on Sunday, but he said it was worth watching, so I took in the Short Cut. The Jets defensive front did a job on the Texans O-line, and I asked Chris if it was primarily schematic, or primarily a man beating a man. He said it was some of both, and I agree wholeheartedly, after watching the game. Rex Ryan is definitely still at it, sometimes lining up a three-man line as a 1-technique, 3-technique, and 5-technique, all to one side of the Center, having nothing but LBs on the other side. Nice evaluation, Chris, if you get around to reading this.

Vernon Gholston actually showed some flashes of being able to play, which was surprising, and the Jets clearly have a plan to overload blitz from a lot of fronts. Darrelle Revis did a great job on Andre Johnson, too, really taking Houston's best player out of the game.

m. The second-best defensive rookie I saw this weekend (behind Alphonso Smith) was Brian Cushing of the Texans. He was constantly around the ball, and looked like a better, more downhill-playing Chad Greenway.

n. I continue to be very impressed with Mark Sanchez. He looked poised and talented, which I expected. What I didn't necessarily expect was how well he would bounce back from throwing a TD pass to the other team (for Houston's only points of the game.)

o. So, you remember that thing about your objectives when getting the ball inside 2 minutes of the first half? Here's an example of the wrong way to do it. Tampa Bay started with 2 minutes to play, at their own 14-yard line. They led the game 7-6 at that point.

TB 1-10 own 14 yard line 2:00 WR screen to Michael Clayton, loss of 1 yard

TB 2-11 own 13 yard line 1:21 Byron Leftwich runs out of bounds for a gain of 1 yard, rather than staying in the field of play and gaining a couple additional yards.

TB 3-10 own 14 yard line 1:14 Handoff to Clifton Smith for 4 yards, burning 6 seconds

Dallas Timeout

TB 4-6 own 18 yard line 1:08 Punt out of bounds, Dallas ball, own 44 yard line

DAL 1-10 own 44 yard line 1:01 Tony Romo passes to Jason Witten, 9 yard gain, out-of-bounds at TB 47

DAL 2-1 TB 47 Offsides by (disappointing) Gaines Adams, 5 yard penalty, first down Dallas

DAL 1-10 TB 42 :55 Romo passes to Miles Austin for a 42 yard TD

This is the exact scenario which I described above, that you're trying to avoid.

After Tampa hit on a long pass to Michael Clayton, and Mike Nugent missed his second field goal, Dallas led 13-7 at the half, and went in with all the momentum. In a compressed-time situation, (especially when you lead 7-6), the status quo is okay. Write that down, the status quo is okay. THE STATUS QUO IS OKAY. The dumb play was Leftwich running out of bounds, and it cost the Bucs bigtime.

p. You know who might be the comeback player of the year this year, if he can stay healthy, is Cadillac Williams. He ran with suddenness and violence on Saturday, and looked better than he has since his rookie season.

q. The Patriots offensive line probably makes them not a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Of course, I thought the same thing of the Steelers last year, so take that for what it's worth. It is very, very difficult to be a championship team with a bad offensive line, though, and both of those teams have bad offensive lines.

r. I still think Tennessee is the best all-around team in the AFC. They're really strong on both lines, and their rookie WR, Kenny Britt, is going to open up their running game even further as the season progresses. I picked them at the last minute against Pittsburgh, and though the Steelers won, I feel like I had the game right. The Steelers couldn't block Tennessee, and Tennessee mostly could block Pittsburgh.

s. A rookie CB who was impressive was Derek Cox from the Jaguars. He had a fantastic interception of Peyton Manning in the end zone, on a fade route, and recovered a fumble too. He was hurt by getting beat deep twice by Reggie Wayne, but all in all, I think he's a find at CB, as a 3rd-rounder from William & Mary.

t. The Patriots definitely deserved to lose on Monday night, and there are serious issues with their team. Their offensive line is bad, they lack much talent at RB, and their defense can be thrown on, if they don't get pressure on the QB. They're brilliantly coached, but talent-deficient in some key places. They don't need to apologize for winning, but they do need to remember that they got dominated all game.

u. How about the effort and discipline showed by the Raiders? They came to play football Monday night, and the Chargers mostly looked like they want to sleepwalk through the early part of the season again.

v. Speaking of the Raiders, they must be really happy with the acquisitions of Greg Ellis and Richard Seymour. Those two players really improved their defense, and both got sacks Monday night.

w. Marcus McNeill looked awful against Seymour, and don't underestimate the importance of a long-term Nick Hardwick injury (an assumption, since he left by cart). The Chargers have no quality offensive line depth, not even anybody as good as Russ Hochstein or Seth Olsen.

x. Great coverage by the Raiders, especially Tyvon Branch and Chris Johnson. Branch, especially, did a nice job on Antonio Gates for most of the game. Nnamdi Asomugha was his normal self, even if Vincent Jackson did get a TD on him in the 4th quarter.

y. The Chargers defense is not very good, and the Raiders' suddenly seems like it is. I am positive that the Broncos' defense is better than San Diego's, as I have been saying for a couple weeks now. Shawne Merriman is staying blocked, and they're less talented at DE and ILB than they've been in recent years.

z. You may recall that Louis Murphy was one of my Draft favorites. And, incidentally, he caught a great throw by JaMarcus Russell too, after he struggled for a lot of the game. He is coming along as a player, as I said a couple weeks ago. Russell did struggle with accuracy a lot of the night, but I can see a lot of improvement in his process and decisiveness over this time last year.

aa. Hopefully, Darren Sproles is still having trouble fielding kicks in about 5 weeks. He flubbed three of them Monday night.

4. Between The Lines, Week 1: (Big up bchiper for suggesting the name about a month ago, when I solicited input from the community.)

a. Denver at Cincinnati

Denver Offense vs. Cincinnati Defense:

i. The Broncos offensive tackles were both outstanding, in both pass protection and the running game. Ryan Harris technically gave up a sack, although after 5 seconds and a trip on a shoestring tackle as Ryan rode the player deep and outside; it was totally on Kyle Orton. Antwan Odom got that sack, and another on Russ Hochstein later, and Robert Geathers was a total non-factor in the passing game, mostly against Ryan Clady.

ii. The interior of the Broncos offensive line was much more of a mixed bag. Ben Hamilton was called for holding and a false start, on the key 4th-quarter drive where the Broncos didn't score. He mostly carried out his assignments beyond that, but those lapses are very troubling. Hochstein gave up two sacks, and didn't look good. He really made me miss Chris Kuper. Casey Wiegmann had maybe his worst game as a Bronco, and got pushed backward a few times in the running game. The holding call on the successful Correll Buckhalter screen pass in the 4th quarter was really not much of a hold, but you can't be taking that penalty in that spot.

iii. The interior line for Cincinnati did a much better job than I thought they would, and mostly maintained their gaps in the running game. Hochstein and Wiegmann struggled some with Pat Sims and Domata Peko. I was impressed with their play for the Bengals, and they played a key part in the Broncos running game never really getting going.

iv. Among 20 running plays, I counted 11 zone-blocked plays and 9 man-blocked plays. Buckhalter had good success both ways, and LaMont Jordan had a nice run on a zone play. Peyton Hillis had his only carry behind man-blocking, which I think suits him best, and Knowshon Moreno ran both ways, having more success in man-blocking, which didn't have him running sideways, which was largely his downfall in his underwhelming debut.

v. I would call this battle pretty much a draw, which means the Broncos underachieved. Both sides had some success at times, in a battle that most would have expected the Broncos to win going away. The Broncos have some work to do on the offensive line. Statistically, the Broncos rushed 20 times for 75 yards, 3.8 yard per carry average. Orton was sacked 3 times, and hit 5 more, but really never faced significant pressure from a 4-man rush. Cincinnati really only got there by blitzing.

Cincinnati Offense vs. Denver Defense:

i. The good for Cincinnati: Andrew Whitworth did a pretty nice job at Left Tackle. He showed the ability to be fine there this season. The bad: Anthony Collins had a pretty rough time on the Right side, and looked like a guy who needs to be a backup. Collins never handled Elvis Dumervil well when he rushed from that side, and he got pushed backward a lot in the running game.

ii. As a general statement, the Broncos defensive line did an outstanding job of maintaining the line of scrimmage, and often resetting it a yard behind the blue line on the screen. It was a very encouraging sign against a big offensive line. I was very pleased with the interior performance of both Ronald Fields and Marcus Thomas. They didn't get their names called much, but both played with excellent leverage and physicality.

iii. I felt like the Denver DE/OLBs could have done a much better job in setting the edge in the running game. That is their number-one job, and several times, the interior successfully strung running plays out to the sideline, only to see Cedric Benson get some room out there. They're going to have to get better there.

iv. Of the Broncos' 3 sacks, all came from players who are classified as linebackers. Andra Davis and Mario Haggan both just barely beat Dumervil to the QB. Darrell Reid rushed with his hand down from a DE position on 3rd down, right after Haggan's sack, and beat Collins like he stole something on the play. Those two sacks were really important, incidentally, because both came right after Brett Kern shanked a punt and gave Cincinnati outstanding field position.

v. The Broncos won this battle, no question about it. They wore down a little at the end, but the defensive line was terrific in this game. They allowed 86 yards rushing on 27 carries, with 1 TD. That's a 3.2 yard average, which is very good, especially against a really talented guy like Benson. The pass rush was okay, but can get better. They hit Carson Palmer 4 times, in addition to the 3 sacks, and hurried him several other times.

b. Jacksonville at Indianapolis

Jacksonville Offense vs. Indianapolis Defense:

i. The key matchup featured Dwight Freeney against Eugene Monroe, who was making his NFL debut. Freeney dominated Monroe early in the game, notching a sack, and barely missing another, when David Garrard pulled out of his tackle. Monroe did better as the game went on, and the Jaguars took advantage of Freeney's constant proclivity to rush upfield by running several successful draws to his vacated spot. Monroe did have the key block on Jacksonville's only TD play, impressively hitting Antoine Bethea in space, a la Ryan Clady. On the negative side, Freeney had a neutral-zone infraction in the game, giving Jacksonville a first down.

ii. The Jaguars' other rookie Tackle, second-rounder Eben Britton, also was a mixed bag, mostly against Robert Mathis. He stoned Mathis a few times, got pantsed by him a couple more, but mostly they played close to even. Mathis did have a few impressive plays in the running game as the backside DE, crashing down the line.

iii. I was impressed by the job done by the inside guys for the Jags, including Maurice Williams, Brad Meester, and Vince Manuwai. They opened a lot of holes for Maurice Jones-Drew and anchored very well in the passing game. I only saw one very impressive defensive play by a Colts interior player, and that was a pursuit play by Ed Johnson. I was more impressed with his effort in hustling for 25 yards than anything, really.

iv. The Colts D-line looked the same as ever, with speed from the edges, not much anchoring power, and averageness inside. The Jaguars are much better up front than last season, and I would venture to speculate that they'll be a good offensive line 8-10 weeks from now, when Monroe and Britton have a bit more experience.

v. Statistically, the Jaguars rushed 26 times for 114 yards and 1 TD, a 4.4 yard average. David Garrard was sacked once and hit 6 more times. The numbers tend to support my conclusion that Jacksonville had a slight overall edge in this area.

Indianapolis Offense vs. Jacksonville Defense:

i. Indianapolis' Left Tackle, Charlie Johnson struggled somewhat, mostly against Derrick Harvey. Harvey didn't do a lot in the pass-rushing game, but he made his presence felt in stopping the run. Some were surprised that Johnson ended up as the starter, with Tony Ugoh on the bench, but I was a charter member of the Ugoh-Is-Soft-And-Lousy club a year ago, when the BMIA's of the world were still loving on him. Harvey is improved from his rookie year, but is still a better run player than pass rusher, and probably always will be. He's just not a fast-twitch guy, and smartly tries to play with power rather than quickness.

ii. I've never been the biggest Jeff Saturday fan, and Sunday's game was a good example of the reasons why. He really, really struggles when you ask him to anchor against a power player in pass protection or move a defensive lineman vertically in the running game. This has always been the case to some degree, but he's declined somewhat since his best years, from the looks of things. Saturday's strength is getting out to the second level and hitting pursuers. His quickness is an asset there, and his lack of power is minimized as a liability. He did look good several times in that tasking. I don't think he's a good Center anymore, overall, though - he's more like an average one.

iii. John Henderson had kind of an underwhelming game for the Jags from a playmaking perspective, but he generally was stout inside in the running game. He spent a good amount of time pushing Mike Pollak and Saturday backwards in the running game. Really, the Colts' whole O-line spent a lot of their day a step into their own backfield.

iv. Jacksonville's pass rush was marginal, and they got only one sack, from Reggie Hayward, who subsequently broke his shin and went down for the season. Ryan Lilja got beat for the sack, but the blocking scheme put him in a tough spot, coming from the inside to block an outside rusher.

v. The numbers tell two stories. The Jags were stout against the run, allowing 71 yards on 31 carries, a 2.3 yard average, with 1 TD. Peyton Manning had his way in the passing game though, taking one sack, and only getting hit two additional times. Give the slight edge to the Colts for volume, and if you're the Jaguars, you know you've now gone two offseasons needing pass rush help, and not satisfied the need.

5. The following is the schedule for the regular season for the Between The Lines feature.

Week
1	Jacksonville at Indianapolis
1	Denver at Cincinnati
2	Houston at Tennessee
2	Cleveland at Denver
3	Green Bay at St. Louis
3	Denver at Oakland
4	New York Jets at New Orleans
4	Dallas at Denver
5	Atlanta at San Francisco
5	New England at Denver
6	Baltimore at Minnesota
6	Denver at San Diego
7	Arizona at New York Giants
8	Denver at Baltimore
8	Cleveland at Chicago
9	Green Bay at Tampa Bay
9	Pittsburgh at Denver
10	Chicago at San Francisco
10	Denver at Washington
11	Miami at Carolina
11	San Diego at Denver
12	New York Giants at Denver
12	Pittsburgh at Baltimore
13	Houston at Jacksonville
13	Denver at Kansas City
14	Green Bay at Chicago
14	Denver at Indianapolis
14	Philadelphia at New York Giants
15	New England at Buffalo
15	Oakland at Denver
16	Seattle at Green Bay
16	Denver at Philadelphia
17	Chicago at Detroit
17	Kansas City at Denver

All 32 teams will be evaluated at least once. I'll evaluate the Broncos 17 times, obviously, and the next most frequent subjects will be Chicago and Green Bay with 4 appearances, Baltimore and the Giants with 3, and Cleveland, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, New England, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego and San Francisco twice each. All other teams will appear once.

6. My apologies for the lack of Lighting Up The Scoreboard Friday. I was having software problems on the recording from the Madden end, and I don't even know if it will work this week, when i try again. I will at least shoot to have an audio podcast this week, even if I can't get the Madden content in there.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. Man-cavery:

I have been fighting the urge to spend $1,000 on another living-room TV, and I have managed to keep that beast at bay, for now at least. I brought the TV on the right (a 32" job), in from my bedroom for gameday, and I think I will continue to do so for awhile. I had the Red Zone channel on the bigger laptop, the main game I wanted to see on the bigger TV, and another interesting game on the smaller, moved-in TV. I was keeping notes on the smaller laptop, on the couch. My only problem was changing channels, because the remote wanted to change the channels on both DirecTV receivers, when I only wanted one to move. Does anybody know any solutions to that?

That's all I have after taking up a lot of your time. Have a great week, and let's hope I can get my software issues worked out this week. It's Browns week, which means a lot of grief for me from the locals here in Cleveland, but it's the kind of grief I am happy to absorb if the Broncos win. In any case, we'll be back next Tuesday with more Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations.

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.

Browse more photos »

"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

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:July 13th, 2009

Jonathan Loesche — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:31:12 -0000

High impact from low-key 'V' - Centurions - Starbulletin.com
Great story on how Vince Manuwai got to the NFL and his offseason

Mailbag: On top picks reporting on time - AFC South - ESPN
Kuharsky believes the Jaguars have enough options at tackle to deal with a prolonged holdout by Monroe.In addition, while he loves what Gene Smith is doing, be believes the Jaguars are still a year away from the playoffs.

Key year for Maurice Jones-Drew, David Garrard in Jacksonville - ESPN
Eric Karabell previews the Jacksonville Jaguars from a fantasy perspective and notes there are many question marks, including whether Maurice Jones-Drew can handle the load and whether David Garrard and Torry Holt still have something left.

10 Best offseason moves - STLtoday.com
The Jaguars signing Torry Holt checks in at #8.

jaguars.com | News | Jaguars news | Linebackers at heart of retooling
The Jaguars linebacking corp must now provide the heart of the defense.

Paul Smith battles to keep No. 3 spot
BCC favorite Paul Smith is looking to stay on the Jaguars roster. He is competing with UDFA Todd Boeckman for the #3 spot, or more likely, a practice squad role.

Jacksonville Jaguars' Eugene Monroe Should Take a History Lesson | Bleacher Report
We all know the situation with Derrick Harvey last year. Eugene Monroe should learn from that and the Jaguars front office won't be the ones to blink in a long holdout.

Poll

If need be, could the Jaguars deal with Monroe holding out?

Yes, Tra Thomas still has something in the tank

175 votes

Maybe. I'm not sure

14 votes

No, Monroe is the futre of the position and needs to be in camp on time

59 votes

248 votes | Poll has closed

Desperate Jaguars Fans willing to steal for their hydration:

River City Rage — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:48:58 -0000

I was going to talk about Vince Manuwai's return to the field, but the Florida Times Union decided to drop this little bomb into the bottom of the story.

From the department of WTF?

Thief gets away with Gatorade

A thief broke into the Jacksonville Jaguars practice field Saturday and made off a cooler full of Gatorade and a box of nutrition bars, police said.

A security guard at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium spotted the thief fleeing the field and tried to catch him. But with the lightning speed of a running back, the man bolted, dropping the nutrition bars in the process.

Really? How fast can you run with a 5 gallon cooler of Gatorade? I remember lugging those things around and the idea of running and getting away with it seems pretty far fetched. Not to mention the insanity of actually stealing it from the practice field. Under what circumstance is this a good idea?