SBNation.com User Blog: MoveThoseChains

Remember how some Magic fans were really upset that Trevor Ariza wasn't on this team, especially given his performance for LA in the 2009 Finals?

MoveThoseChains — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:56:01 -0000

Remember how some Magic fans were really upset that Trevor Ariza wasn't on this team, especially given his performance for LA in the 2009 Finals?

Yeah...they shouldn't be.

A Response To Evan's Article About Jason Richardson

MoveThoseChains — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:18:01 -0000

Evan's article about Jason Richardson's recent performance led me to do some number-crunching of my own. First, to recap the stats:

In Phoenix, Richardson averaged 19.3 points in just 31.8 minutes per game on 57.8 percent True Shooting, a great figure for a volume-shooting perimeter player. Despite playing 2.1 more minutes per game on average with Orlando, Richardson's scoring has dipped 30 percent to 13.4 points per game, and his True Shooting is down to a more modest 53.8 percent.

The most obvious factor in his decline is his baffling inaccuracy from long range: he's connecting on just 35.8 percent of his 5.8 threes per game with Orlando. Were it not for his 41.9 percent mark with Phoenix, that'd be his worst showing from beyond the arc since 2004/05.

And of course, since Richardson is taking more threes here as a percentage of his total shots than he did in Phoenix, his overall effectiveness and scoring has declined dramatically.

Evan's article about Jason Richardson's recent performance led me to do some number-crunching of my own. First, to recap the stats:

And of course, since Richardson is taking more threes here as a percentage of his total shots than he did in Phoenix, his overall effectiveness and scoring has declined dramatically.

A few very interesting things:

Jason Richardson's percentage at the rim in Orlando (and earlier this year in Phoenix) is better than his career numbers. It'd be reasonable to want him to drive more then, since he's doing a great job of finishing. There's no shooting slump there. And his numbers 16-23 are right around his career average, so there is no shooting slump there either.

However, he is much worse 3-9 and 10-15 feet than his career numbers would predict. Odd. Maybe this is where his shooting slump is manifesting itself.

Of course, the biggest focus of Evan and the Magic community at large is Richardson's perceived slump from beyond the arc. Again using numbers from one of Evan's graphs, 49.6% of Richardson's shots in Orlando are coming from beyond the arc, compared to 38.2% in Phoenix earlier this season.

Richardson's performance in Phoenix this season immediately stands out as a huge outlier. In fact, his performance over his entire tenure in Phoenix is higher than his career average, whereas his current "shooting slump" in Orlando is only 0.7% lower than his career average. So, IS Jason Richardson going through a slump? Or is this just the result of him crashing back down to the mean?

The numbers clearly suggest that it was and is totally unreasonable for us to expect him to perform as well as he did in Phoenix. How Jason Richardson is shooting in Orlando is almost exactly how he has shot over the course of his career. From where I stand, the only question remaining is whether Jason Richardson has simply regressed to the mean, or whether this regression is part of the steady decline that happens to speed-oriented perimeter players around the time they turn 30 (Jason Richardson celebrated his 30th birthday on January 20).

One more graph:

*Redick's numbers begin with the 2008-2009 season, which is when he started averaging double-digit minutes per game.

Here we see that J.J. Redick has outperformed Richardson in every single category, except for being slightly worse around the rim. And Redick is about as good at drawing free throws: he draws 1 FT attempt per every 10.07 minutes, while Richardson draws a FT attempt every 9.97 minutes. To put it in a different way, that's a difference of 0.1 minutes, which is 6 seconds, which is so small that it's negligible.

So, to summarize, the numbers show that Jason Richardson isn't in a shooting slump. His numbers in Phoenix instead were just abnormally high, which may or may not be partially attributed to playing with Steve Nash. What Orlando is getting now is what can reasonably be expected from his career numbers. On top of that, J.J. Redick is very similar around the rim and at drawing free throw attempts, and Redick's numbers are significantly better everywhere else.

There is no reason to sign Jason Richardson beyond this season when they can get similar or better results from his backup. The Magic already made a huge mistake by paying a tremendous amount of money to Gilbert Arenas for performance comparable to Chris Duhon's, the man he was replacing. The team doesn't need to make the same mistake with its shooting guard position.

From SI's Point Forward Basketball Blog: These quotes from Arenas to SI.com’s Chris Mannix would...

MoveThoseChains — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:34:16 -0000

From SI's Point Forward Basketball Blog:

These quotes from Arenas to SI.com’s Chris Mannix would frighten me if I were an Orlando fan:

"I think for us to be successful, I need to have to start trying to dominate the second unit," Arenas said. "I think that’s how we had success early. When I look back at our games, when we were on the nine-game winning streak, I was dominating that second unit. I need to get back to that."

No, Gilbert, you don’t need to dominate the second unit, if by "dominate" you mean take a lot of shots. As a ball-dominator, Arenas has been a disaster in Orlando. He’s shooting 35 percent overall (25 percent from deep), getting to the line fewer times per minute than ever before and turning the ball over at a career-worst rate.

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/02/14/monday-musings-mavs-face-identity-issues/

A letter to Reggie Hayward: Ex-Jaguar

MoveThoseChains — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:37:54 -0000

Dear Reggie,

Thanks for the good memories and great times. Those 8.5 sacks in 2005 were magical. I wish you could've helped us in 2006, but I'm glad you got to experience the excitement of 2007. I'm sorry 2008 was such a disappointment. I wish I could turn back time and put your Achilles tendon back together like new. I would love to be able to give you back the years of productive play that have been robbed by injuries.

But I can't. I knew you would never be the same, and Gene Smith agreed.

But I could and still can always count on you being classy, and thanks so much for that, Reggie. Best of luck in whatever life brings you.

-MTC

Dear Reggie,

But I can't. I knew you would never be the same, and Gene Smith agreed.

But I could and still can always count on you being classy, and thanks so much for that, Reggie. Best of luck in whatever life brings you.

-MTC

Jaguars Should Not Bring Back Hayward: An Opposing View

MoveThoseChains — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:38:13 -0000

(pic via ESPN)

With the signing of Aaron Kampman and the continued improvement of Derrick Harvey (not to mention the massive contract), it is already apparent that Reggie Hayward's starting defensive end spot is gone for good. It was reported before free agency that the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to re-sign him, but Hayward balked at the prospect of taking a large cut in pay and in playing time. Though the Jaguars were offering little above the veteran's minimum, it was playing time in particular that bothered Hayward and kept him from rejoining the team.

But would Reggie Hayward be an asset to this football team?

I say no.

(pic via ESPN)

But would Reggie Hayward be an asset to this football team?

I say no.

First of all, Reggie's playing time is certainly not going to be as much as before, and it will likely never rise to a level that would satisfy him. With the two starting spots already occupied by Harvey and Kampman, Hayward can at best only hope to be the first one off the bench. But why would he be? This is Quentin Groves's make-or-break season. You have to know that he will be given every opportunity to shine this season, and whether or not he actually makes good on his opportunities, the fact of the matter is that he will probably be on the field a lot. A 2nd round player is not just discarded without knowing absolutely that he has no role on your team, and his trial will last all season.

As for the other options not named Groves, Julius Williams is pretty much a less-heralded clone. Jeremy Mincey has loads of potential to be a disruptive force. He is sneaky-quick and has a good burst, and he has the advantage of being sized like a true DE instead of the tweener bodies of Groves and Williams. Jeremy Navarre also has a 4-3 DE's body, some quickness, and a good head between his shoulders. All three of these guys will be given an opportunity to be a major part of the DE rotation.

And since the draft hasn't happened, I can't comment on the defensive end that will inevitably be drafted by Jaguars. Gene Smith is a fan of youth, and the rookie will certainly be another Gene Smith guy that "gets it" and will steal even more playing time behind the starters.

There are several more tangible reasons weighing against Hayward. First and foremost, there is the fact that he is coming off of a season-ending injury...again. A broken leg is no laughing matter, and that is not including the fact that he will likely never be the same after the torn Achilles tendon. Hayward is also suffering from decreased productivity. In 2005, Hayward played well and got 8.5 sacks. In the four seasons since, he has a combined 9 sacks. That's a startling decline, and one that history and everything else about older players says will not be reversed.

Of course, being injury-prone has not helped his stats, since he has missed 34 games in those seasons, plus the two where he was knocked out with his catastrophic injuries. The Jaguars are already taking a chance with Aaron Kampman's knee injury. Do they really need another aging guy past his prime coming off a major injury?

Given his injury and injury history, his age, the slow rate of recovery given his age, and the potential of the young guys on the roster, there is no reason to expect Hayward would be guaranteed meaningful playing time or that he could even earn it. It's a young man's game, and Reggie's injuries add even more "age" to his body. And if he is indeed unable to earn the level of playing time he wants, who's to say he doesn't become a negative brooding influence in the locker room? It's unlikely, and Reggie seems like a classy guy, but the defensive end position already has a good coach in Joe Cullen. It also has a "veteran mentor" in Kampman, though I personally believe older players are still there to play and coaches are there to do any actual coaching.

So if he's not bringing production, there's already a smart veteran fulfilling a mentoring role on the roster, and there would be 5 (including at least one rookie) younger guys competing for the same small pool of playing time, what exactly is the benefit of bringing back Hayward? Even at the veteran's minimum, which it sounds like Hayward wouldn't accept, I don't see much upside.

-Mike Nelson

Maybe the Jaguars aren't so bad at pass rushing

MoveThoseChains — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:17:27 -0000

I'm kidding, they really are, but I did see this article on the Sports Illustrated site. The full article is here, but here are a couple important quotes:

"There have been just 521 sacks in 7,630 pass attempts so far this year, among the lowest rates of sack-success in NFL history, and a far cry from the days when the likes of Deacon Jones dominated overmatched offensive tackles and made life a living hell for quarterbacks."

"The NFL itself deserves much of the blame for emasculating defenses and rendering defensive players second-rate citizens on the field of play .... There was the "re-emphasis" of pass interference that followed the 2003 playoffs. And, just this year, there's the ridiculous "Tom Brady Rule." Between these two officiating efforts, it seems defenders can barely even touch receivers or quarterbacks without getting flagged and fined. Defensive linemen are getting a little sack-shy in the process. Like cattle surrounded by an electric fence, pass-rush specialists have realized that their game has boundaries, boundaries it didn't have in Deacon's day."

The Chiefs set a record for pass-rushing incompetence last season, and the Jaguars seem to be mounting a serious challenge for a new record. Obviously this is only a very minor part of the Jaguars' struggles with getting to the quarterback, and obviously other teams like the Giants and Colts still do just fine these days. I guess it just makes me wish I'd been alive and cognizant of the NFL during the rough and tumble good ol' days.

This topic also gives me a chance to create a poll about Derrick Harvey, since he is the face of the future on the defensive line for the Jaguars. No opinions from me here - I just want to see where everyone stands.

I'm kidding, they really are, but I did see this article on the Sports Illustrated site. The full article is here, but here are a couple important quotes:

"There have been just 521 sacks in 7,630 pass attempts so far this year, among the lowest rates of sack-success in NFL history, and a far cry from the days when the likes of Deacon Jones dominated overmatched offensive tackles and made life a living hell for quarterbacks."

"The NFL itself deserves much of the blame for emasculating defenses and rendering defensive players second-rate citizens on the field of play .... There was the "re-emphasis" of pass interference that followed the 2003 playoffs. And, just this year, there's the ridiculous "Tom Brady Rule." Between these two officiating efforts, it seems defenders can barely even touch receivers or quarterbacks without getting flagged and fined. Defensive linemen are getting a little sack-shy in the process. Like cattle surrounded by an electric fence, pass-rush specialists have realized that their game has boundaries, boundaries it didn't have in Deacon's day."

Poll

What is your opinion of Derrick Harvey?

Fire Ted Monachino! Harvey's progressing, and he'll be a Pro Bowler someday.

19 votes

Fire Ted Monachino! Harvey's progressing, but he'll never be a star.

53 votes

Fire Ted Monachino! Harvey's not progressing, and he's a bust.

2 votes

74 votes | Poll has closed

Rebuilding The Jaguars: Jack Del Rio is our best hope.

MoveThoseChains — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:16:15 -0000

I like Jack Del Rio. All signs indicate that he will be given until at least the rest of this year to show some progress, and he will probably still be here next year. I think this team's problems run much deeper than a simple switch at head coach. I still think Jack can turn this team around and execute the multi-season rebuilding job that is needed.

I know that I may be quickly becoming one of the minorities who still has faith in Jack, and as such, it has become time to analyze some people who are being lauded as possible replacements for Del Rio as head coach. I've included 6 candidates with NFL head coaching experience and 4 candidates with no NFL head coaching experience, presented in alphabetical order. I did not include Tony Dungy since I believe his retirement is permanent, and I did not include people like Romeo Crennel who I believe have no real support. How much, if at all, better off could the Jaguars be at the top? Let's find out...

The Retreads

Brian Billick (80-64 in the regular season, 5-3 playoffs, last seen with the Baltimore Ravens)

Billick spent 9 seasons with the Ravens, winning Super Bowl in 2000. Despite coordinating a very successful Vikings offense in the 1990s and having a reputation as a great offensive mind, his Baltimore teams were usually incredibly strong at defense and incredibly feeble at offense. Steve McNair led an offensive revival in 2006 but aged quickly and flamed out in the playoffs. In fact, after the 2001 season, Billick went 6 more seasons without winning a single playoff game. He was fired after his team went 5-11 in 2007.

Verdict: No evidence Billick would be do any better in Jacksonville. He's lost his reputation as an offensive mind, and his finest defensive years came when none other than Jack Del Rio was coaching his linebackers.

Bill Cowher (161-99-1, 12-9, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Cowher was the symbol of stability in Pittsburgh, spending 15 seasons as the head coach of the Steelers. He won Super Bowl 2005 in his 14th year as head coach, finally shaking the stigma of being unable to win the big game. His teams won 8 division titles and went to the playoffs 10 times, but Pittsburgh also underwent some lean years with Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox, missing the playoffs 3 years in a row from 1998-2000. Cowher resigned after a more disappointing 2006 season, 11 months after winning the Super Bowl.

Verdict: Cowher was helped tremendously in Pittsburgh by patience from his fans and his owner. He is the poster child for why it is good to have stability at the top of an organization. I think it would be extremely hard to convince him to come to Jacksonville, but he is a great coach.

Jon Gruden (95-77, 5-4, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Now an analyst on ESPN's Monday Night Football, Gruden started 38-26 with the Oakland Raiders, leading them to the infamous Tuck Rule AFC Championship Game that they lost. Gruden was traded to the Bucs in 2002 and promptly won the Super Bowl. In the six following seasons, his teams won two more NFC South titles but not a single playoff game, and it became popular to say that he won the Super Bowl with Tony Dungy's players. He forced out John McKay as GM and garnered a reputation for being somewhat difficult to work with. After losing the final four games of the 2008 season to miss the playoffs altogether, Gruden was fired.

Verdict: Gruden's record in Tampa was only 57-55, and the boy wonder has lost much of his shine. He has a reputation as an offensive mind, but his Tampa teams didn't do much of anything. I don't believe Gruden would be an upgrade over Jack Del Rio.

Marty Schottenheimer (200-126-1, 5-13, San Diego Chargers)

The 5-13 playoff record should tell you all you need to know. No matter where he is, Marty's teams do very well in the regular season and flop in the playoffs. Martyball is ultra-conservative, relying on a powerful running game and his defense.

Verdict: Martyball wouldn't be any different from Jack Del Rio's own preferences, and it would be unrealistic to expect any better postseason performances. Not an upgrade.

Mike Shanahan (138-90, 8-5, Denver Broncos)

After a rebuilding year and losing to the Jaguars in the playoffs the following year, Shanahan's Broncos won the Super Bowl after the 1997 and 1998 seasons, riding John Elway's arm the whole way. In what is a common theme here, Shanahan's teams won only 1 playoff game in the ten seasons following Elway's retirement. He was fired after the 2008 season fell apart.

Verdict: With a Hall of Fame QB, Shanahan was successful. Without one, he was not. This can be argued either way, but I believe Shanahan in teal would look much more like the other 10 seasons than the two Super Bowl seasons.

Mike Tice (32-33, 1-1, Minnesota Vikings as head coach, Jaguars as Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends)

After two mediocre seasons, the Vikings exploded in 2004, led by Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. They finished 8-8 but made the playoffs, defeating the Packers before falling to the Eagles. Tice's team failed to make the playoffs in 2005 despite being a game better at 9-7. Tice also faced controversy from a Super Bowl ticket scalping operation, and the party-boat scandal also happened on his watch. He was fired after the 2005 season and subsequently joined the Jaguars.

Verdict: I see nothing that indicates that the Jaguars would be better-disciplined under Mike Tice, and it scares me that his offensive explosion year only led to an 8-8 record and a loss in the divisional round. Tice would be nothing more than an interim coach in Jacksonville.

The Newbies

Russ Grimm, currently assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals

Grimm spent seven season with the Steelers as offensive line coach, adding assistant head coach duties in the final three years. As such, he had a huge part in keeping Pittsburgh's powerful rushing attack. He was widely considered Cowher's likely successor, but after the job went to Mike Tomlin instead, Grimm joined Ken Whisenhunt in the desert. In his first year there, the Cardinals gave up the fewest amount of sacks they'd given up since 1978. The line also allowed Edgerrin James to rush for 1222 yards, the 5th-highest total in team history. The 2009 team ranked 2nd in passing and 4th overall, though the running game crashed to dead last in the NFL.

Verdict: An intriguing possibility. You have to wonder why the Steelers chose to give the much greener Tomlin a chance, and it is odd that Grimm is 50 and still has not ever been a head coach. He is very respected though, and the Jaguars would greatly benefit from his offensive line expertise.

Kyle Shanahan, currently offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans

The son of Mike Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan is considered a rising star in coaching. He joined the Texans as WR coach in 2006, moved to QB coach in 2007, and was promoted to offensive coordinator for last season. During Kyle's time as a position coach, Andre Johnson was a beast (of course), and Matt Shaub and Sage Rosenfels compiled passer ratings in the mid 80s. The 2008 Texans offense ranked 4th in passing, 13th in rushing, and 3rd overall.

Verdict: Kyle Shanahan is only 29 years old. Lane Kiffin was over two years older when he was hired by the Raiders. He might not be ready to be an NFL head coach yet. It would take a huge leap of faith for a GM or owner to promote a candidate with such a short resume.

Charlie Strong, currently linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, and associate head coach for the Florida Gators

Strong's defenses at Florida have been....well, strong. His defense is largely responsible for winning the BCS championship game after the 2006 season. He is responsible for such college stars as Brandon Spikes, Reggie Nelson, and Derek Harvey. His units are known for being aggressive, disciplined, and apt at producing turnovers. Strong, who is black, has never been a college head coach despite experience that dates all the way back to 1991, and it is rumored that racism has played a part. He was hired as the coordinator under Ron Zook, served as the interim coach for the bowl game after Zook's dismissal, and stayed on as part of Urban Meyer's staff.

Verdict: Strong has absolutely no NFL experience, but few defensive coordinators in college football have as strong (sorry, I can't resist) a resume. He would be a gamble, and there is no precedent that I know of for hiring a college coordinator directly as an NFL head coach. Can he be successful? I don't know, but I am not sure the Jaguars in their present state couldn't afford to bring in someone that will be only then be learning the ways of the NFL.

Charlie Weis, currently head coach at Notre Dame (30-22)

Weis is arrogant; he's embattled at Notre Dame; and he's a three-time Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots. After his third championship and fourth year overall with the team, Weis left the Patriots after the 2004 season to become the head coach at Notre Dame. His team did fine at first with Brady Quinn, endured the worst record (3-9) in school history in 2007, and has received mixed reviews since.

Verdict: Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini both were also successful coordinators with the Patriots, and both have already been fired from their first head coaching jobs. Josh McDaniels - Weis's successor as OC - has already rocked the boat as the new coach of the Denver Broncos, and he was forced to trade away his franchise quarterback after clashing with him. Could Charlie Weis be the first successful fruit from the Bill Belichick tree? I doubt it.

Again, every indication from the Jaguars organization is that Jack Del Rio is not going anywhere for this year or next. He is signed through 2012. But even if he is dismissed, I am having a hard time seeing many possibilities that are better. Cowher would be the best, but I seriously doubt he'd ever come here. Most of the other choices don't particularly inspire me, especially when compared to Jack. Only time will tell what happens, but I believe GM Gene Smith will make the right decision, no matter what that decision is.

In Gene We Trust.

-Mike Nelson

Rebuilding The Jaguars: The aliens came and took everyone's brains

MoveThoseChains — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:22:58 -0000

What has happened to everyone?

In the preseason, everyone agreed that this is a rebuilding year. This is a year to evaluate talent, reinstall a physical, focused, and disciplined mindset, and to, for once, let Gene and Jack do their jobs. Just a few days after the Jaguars played better than anyone expected, suddenly everyone is head-over-heels for Tim Tebow, wants to fire Jack Del Rio, hates Derrick Harvey for not getting sacks while making a transition to a 3-4 end (whose job it is to play the run, not get sacks), and generally checked their brains at the door.

What makes Big Cat Country great is that we are supposed to understand that drafting receivers every year is not the way to go. Football starts and ends in the trenches, and without great play from the lines, the rest of the offense and defense both suffer. We are supposed to understand that it's players not plays. We are supposed to understand that no one wants to win more than the coaches, and the coaches know more about football than we ever will - or we'd be on the sidelines instead of them.

What has happened to everyone?

Here are some quarterback statistics:

Cmp/Att % Yrds TDs INTs Rushes Yrds TDs Avg/Rush

A 212/325 65.2 3036 26 10 155 1050 12 6.77

B 192/298 64.4 2747 30 4 176 673 12 3.82

C 214/317 67.5 2952 32 4 135 631 10 4.67

Look at A and B for a second: Both of these quarterbacks won championships, both were regarded as the uncontested leader of their team, both won big games, both are regarded highly for their running, both played in a spread, and both have a weird throwing motion that concerns NFL scouts. Player A, however, has always been considered an NFL QB prospect, while many scouts are just not sure what to think about player B.

Aside from rushing statistics saying that player B is slower, I do not understand what makes player B better than player A. The tangibles and intangibles are all the same. However, when I tell you that player A is Vince Young, and player B is Tim Tebow, suddenly everyone falls into zombie-unity, and proclaims that, "Vince Young is garbage and will never be a big-time NFL quarterback (he won't)". Followed closely by, "Tebow is Steve Young, combined with Namath and Montana, and Unitas and Superman."

It doesn't make sense.

Oh by the way, player C is Alex Smith. He had better passing and rushing statistics and was just as much of a leader at Utah as Tebow is at UF. The difference is that the Ute Nation is not everywhere.

Now here are some coaching statistics:

No, actually no there aren't. You know what, I'm tired of this. People are going to believe what they want to believe. If you think Jack Del Rio is a bad coach, then nothing I say will change your mind. If you think Jack Del Rio is doing everything he can with what he's been given and that absolutely nothing has changed since the end of last season except that the Jaguars have undeniably gotten better and look more disciplined and cohesive and better-coached, then I agree with you.

I am frustrated because I know I have to accept that this year is about progress rather than wins. I've accepted it, but it doesn't make it fun. The only thing that frustrates me more is the fanatical fire-Jack pro-Tebow zombie mob. Like John said, be careful what you wish for, because it might come true, and then this team will be in an even worse place. I don't know where that place is, but it's not Jacksonville.

-Mike Nelson

Jack Del Rio is not the problem

MoveThoseChains — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:14:22 -0000

Let me start out by saying that this is nothing personally against some posters here that have recently called for JDR to be fired. I am also completely ok when BigBlueShoe and those crazies over on the jaguars.com discussion boards claim JDR is the worst coach in the league.

The Jaguars right now have a lot of problems, and obviously this season was very disappointing. I'll tell you what's not a problem for the Jags - their head coach. Common complaints are that he's lost the team, the players have quit, he takes no risks, he runs too much (when the play just called wasn't a pass), he doesn't run enough (when the play just called was a pass gone awry), his team plays with no emotion, and he runs a fundamentally bad team. Let's go through this and work it out.

"The team has quit; he's lost the players; this team plays with no emotion"

As Chris has documented on a recent post, the players say otherwise, and if you're not going to believe the players, then why bother doing any research at all? Just assume everyone is out to get you and is always lying, start a conspiracy theory website, and never go outside again. MJD: "You just learn so much about the guys you play with, and I think the guys fought hard and a lot of people thought we were going to quit. We just kept fighting hard. Sometimes, the ball doesn’t bounce your way. We just have to get better and remember this and look back at it and see what we did here and know we have to fix it."

Even Mike Peterson, who knows he's not coming back to Jacksonville and can say anything he wants about his coaches with no repercussions: "The good thing about it, though, the guys in this locker room – I know you all wrote us off early with everything that had happened – but these guys never quit. You can say whatever you want to say about us, but you never saw anybody in this locker room quit. We fought until the end."

"He has no guts, he doesn't take risks, he's too conservative"

Some quick stats on going for it on 4th down for the 2007 and 2008 seasons combined:

Jaguars: 28.5 attempts/season; League average of the other 31 teams: 15.6 attempts/season

Jack is crazy. Crazy like fox. He will do whatever he wants whenever he wants, and he'll make you like it.

Look, I would love if every play was a successful deep pass, but that's just not going to happen until we have a legitimate deep threat and an uninjured offensive line that can block long enough for a deep route to develop. That's not JDR's fault. In fact, it would be terrible coaching on his part if he demanded plays that we just don't have the players for right now.

"The Jaguars suck, and it's Jack Del Rio's fault"

This is the most infuriating comment to me, because it's so general that it's actually hard to respond to.

Look, the Jaguars were not good this year. They could not rush the passer, cover the pass, block for the QB, or catch the ball. But really, they couldn't do that last year either, and everyone seemed just fine with the coaching then. The Jags were 12th in total defense last year and 17th this year. They dropped from 7th to 20th in total offense, but a patchwork line that couldn't create running room or keep David upright was a main reason for that.

Simply, it's players not plays. it always has been, and it always will be. It's always very easy to blame the coach or the quarterback, but that's usually just a way of avoiding actually analyzing what went wrong and what needs to be done to get better.

Let's all wish Gene Smith good luck and wise judgement in rebuilding for the future, and let's all be glad we have Jack Del Rio instead of Herm Edwards or Wade Phillips or anyone from the Bill Belichick coaching tree.

"The team has quit; he's lost the players; this team plays with no emotion"

"He has no guts, he doesn't take risks, he's too conservative"

Some quick stats on going for it on 4th down for the 2007 and 2008 seasons combined:

Jaguars: 28.5 attempts/season; League average of the other 31 teams: 15.6 attempts/season

Jack is crazy. Crazy like fox. He will do whatever he wants whenever he wants, and he'll make you like it.

"The Jaguars suck, and it's Jack Del Rio's fault"

This is the most infuriating comment to me, because it's so general that it's actually hard to respond to.