Five Plays That Sum Up the Jacksonville Jaguars' 2008 Campaign

When I started thinking about the most successful offensive plays from Jacksonville's 2008 season, there was a long pause.

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After a great deal of racking the brain, copious amounts of research, and tons of Red Bull, I came up with what I thought were signature plays for the Jaguars in 2008.

Punt

(Bet you didn't think I'd find a picture of Adam Podlesh running the ball, did ya?)
One of the most memorable plays from the Jacksonville playbook in 2008, the Jaguars had a great deal of success when it came to punting the ball.

Jacksonville had the rare luxury of having two punters, Podlesh and Steve Weatherford, who both averaged more than 43 yards a punt last year.

Personally, I think it's a waste of a roster spot to have two punters on the team. Jacksonville must go with Podlesh, who was drafted in the fourth round (the fourth round?) of the 2007 NFL Draft.

After some struggles early, he got 26.1 percent of his punts inside the 20-yard line. He will be an integral part of Jacksonville's success in 2009 (but hopefully not as important as he was in 2008).

Field Goal

When Jacksonville's offense bogs down deep in the opponent's territory (the Jaguars did PLENTY of that last year), there are very few kickers you would rather have than Josh Scobee.

Scobee, the veteran entering his sixth year in the league, actually had his worst statistical year as a pro. He did make 19 of his 25 field goal attempts, good for 76 percent.

But that number was his lowest percentage since entering the NFL. Perhaps the most surprising stat was the fact that Scobee only made three of the six field goal attempts that were between 30 and 39 yards.

If Jacksonville is to return to the top, Scobee must return to his 2006 and 2007 form. In those two years, he made 38 of his 45 attempts (84.4 percent).

Jones-Drew up the gut

Sure, it was predictable. Yeah, it was easy to stop. But no play typified Jacksonville's offense like the old, reliable handoff up the middle to MJD on first and second down.

Jacksonville's offense might have struggled last year, but Jones-Drew still had himself a solid year (and was handsomely rewarded with a fat contract this off-season).

He actually had career highs in receptions (62) and receiving yards (565), while still scoring 14 touchdowns and rushing for more than 800 yards.

However, it wasn't all rosy from the UCLA alumnus. He had his lowest career yards per carry average (4.2). This year, it's going to be interesting to see how he adjusts to being the primary ball carrier.

One thing that people forget is MJD's ability in the return game. Obviously, those days are gone, but he did return a kickoff for a touchdown in each of his first two seasons.

Five yard curl (on 3rd-and-7)

Jacksonville was renowned for calling pass plays on third down that would get the team just enough yards to punt the ball.

Maybe it was the offensive line problems, maybe it was Garrard getting happy feet, maybe it was a below average receiving corps.

Whatever the reason was, Jacksonville very seldom went down field last year. It seemed like they very rarely put themselves in position to convert a 3rd-and-long.

They seemed far more content to avoid a turnover and punt the ball.

Dropped pass to the tight end

Anyone care to take a guess as to how many passes Marcedes Lewis dropped last year?

According to sports.myway.com, Lewis dropped eight passes in 16 games. That includes a pathetic performance against Houston, when he dropped four passes and had no catches.

Lewis has shown flashes of tremendous athletic ability, and did have a career year with 41 receptions and 489 yards. But he has to get better at catching the ball.

Especially with a receiving corps that has been average at best, the tight end's production is of paramount importance. When Lewis starts dropping passes, Garrard loses faith in him and looks elsewhere.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Obviously, this piece was very cynical and somewhat satirical. The point is that Jacksonville's offense was terrible in 2008. However, there are two factors that could make the 2009 offense far more dynamic.

1. A bolstered offensive line for MJD.

I don't care how good you are. If you don't have a solid offensive line, you'll struggle to run the ball. The one exception to this rule was Barry Sanders, but even he had games where he'd run for negative yardage.

Looking back at the stats, I was surprised Jones-Drew had the numbers he did. Imagine what he could do with an healthy, upgraded offensive line. As long as he can withstand the punishment that a featured RB takes, the offense should be in much better shape.

2. A slimmer, trimmer David Garrard.

Garrard ran the ball 73 times last year with a 4.4 yards-per-carry average. He posted those numbers despite carrying a few extra pounds.

Not to say that Garrard was out of shape, but he wasn't as svelte as he could have been.

This year, he came to camp 20 pounds lighter. That should only help his rushing numbers. If he shows a willingness to pull down the ball and run like he did last year, it will open up the passing game.