Bleacher Report - Articles by Josh Carney

The 2009 Jacksonville Jaguar Game-by-Game Season Preview: Part Two

Josh Carney — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:00:34 -0400

Week's One through Five were tough for the Jacksonville Jaguars as seen in Part One of The 2009 Jacksonville Jaguar Game-by-Game Season Preview. So far the Jaguars have faced the 2008 Superbowl runner-up Arizona Cardinals, a formidable west coast NFC Seattle team on the rebound, as well as all of their AFC South divisional counterparts.

Before previewing the next five weeks, what did we learn during the first part of Jacksonville's schedule?

By this point, we should really see what kind of team the Jaguars will be in 2009. Two avenues we should really be able to focus on is the offensive line and the secondary.

The additions of Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton should be providing substantial holes for Maurice Jones-Drew to run through. If this is not happening, the Jaguars are most likely not on the positive side of .500 by this point.

The secondary has also been greatly tested thus far. Facing the passing attacks of Payton Manning, Kurt Warner, and Matt Hasslebeck in the first few weeks really allowed us to see what the secondary is made of.

We have also been able to see the Jaguar corners line up against wideouts such as Reggie Wayne, Larry Fitzgerald, TJ Houshmanzadeh, and Andre Johnson. Has Rashean Mathis rebounded his play to reflect his 2006 Pro Bowl year?

How has rookie corner Derek Cox responded to the NFL coming from the small school of William and Mary? How has free agent acquisition Sean Considine responded to his new team? We will know the answers to these questions by this point.

Now onto Week Six:

Week Six: St. Louis Rams, Home

Week Six presents Jacksonville with their most winnable game on paper thus far. Coming off of a 2-14 year, the Rams made good moves in the offseason, but nothing that reflects a "win now" approach.

It seems the Rams are building for the future selecting OT Jason Smith with the No. 2 overall pick and following up by taking MLB James Laurinaitis at pick 35. As a matter of fact, three out of the first four picks were defensive players. For a team that struggled scoring points, the lack of play-makers was not addressed in this years draft.

This game also presents a great storyline featuring current Jaguar wide receiver Torry Holt. Holt spent the first 10 years of his expected Hall of Fame NFL career in St. Louis and will be facing-off against his former team for the first time.

Overall, stopping the Ram's will highly depend on the defensive line and their ability to slow down Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson. If Jacksonville can contain Jackson to 50 or 60 yards rushing, the Jags should walk away with a nice home win. Look for Torry Holt to have a big day against his former team.

Week Seven: Bye Week

There's no time to sit back and relax during the bye week for Jacksonville. The AFC South divisional title is on the line and the Jaguars will have to play the Tennessee Titans once again Week Eight.

We should have a solid idea of the team's structure and depth chart by the bye week. The Jaguars will be anxious to see how Torry Holt's knees are holding up and how the absence of Fred Taylor is effecting the running game.

If the Jaguars want to make it to the playoffs, it is imperative that they are playing .500 ball at this point.

Week Eight: Tennessee Titans, Away

By Week Eight last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a record of 3-4 and had already lost once to the undefeated Tennessee Titans. They played them once again in Week 11 and lost for a second consecutive time.

This year might provide a different scenario. It's highly unlikely that the Titans will once again be undefeated by this point and most Tennessee fans and beat writers aren't so sure that Kerry Collins will be the starting QB by Week Eight.

Collins did just enough last year to keep their team on the winning track. However, he never really showed that he still has staying power as a starting NFL quarterback. Now after signing an extension, I'm not convinced he will once again catch the fire in the bottle needed to keep his job.

Tennessee drafted Vince Young in 2006 to be the franchise quarterback for a reason, not to sit on a bench collecting millions.

Might we see Vince Young suiting up against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week Eight? I think it's more likely then some may believe.

Remember, Jacksonville knocked Vince out of the regular season opener in 2008 and he never made it back into the starting lineup. Does anyone smell revenge?

Week Nine: Kansas City Chiefs, Home

The last time these two teams met was in the 2006 season and resulted in the Jaguars winning 17-7. Jacksonville actually shut out the Chiefs until the final seconds of the fourth quarter when Sammy Parker caught the Chiefs only touchdown of the game.

A lot has changed on the Chief's roster since that game in '06. On that day, the leading passer for Kansas City was Damon Huard and their leading receiver was Tony Gonzalez, neither of which currently play for the Kansas City.

The new Chiefs are led by trade recipient QB Matt Cassel who led the Brady-less Patriots to an impressive 11-5 record in 2008. However, Scott Pioli did nothing in the draft to help protect his new quarterback.

Knowing that the Chiefs surrendered 37 sacks last year, the Jaguars' young defensive ends will really be trying to put on a show and prove to everyone why Jacksonville spent their first two draft picks in 2008 on defensive ends.

Once again however, the Jaguars' secondary will be tested in the new shotgun style offense that the Chiefs will be expected to run this year.

Week 10: New York Jets, Away

The end of the 2008 season didn't leave the New York Jets with a pleasant taste in their mouth. In the last five games, they went 1-4 with their alleged savior Brett Favre throwing nine interceptions and only two touchdowns.

With Favre out of the way, for now, the Jets look to rebound with the new face of the franchise, Mark Sanchez leading the way.

The last time these two teams met was in Jacksonville in 2006. That year the Jaguars embarrassed the Jets with a 41-0 win. As a matter of fact, the Jets are a mere 2-5 when playing against the Jaguars with their last win coming in 1998.

New York has lost five consecutive games versus the Jags and this year should prove to be no different. Even though the Jets attempted to improve with the additions of a new franchise QB, there are still major holes needing to be filled including the hole left by cut WR Laveranues Coles.

If the trend continues and Jacksonville wins once again, expect this game to really boost the confidence of the Jaguars as they start reaching the home stretch of the season.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for Part Three of the 2009 Jacksonville Jaguar Game-by-Game Season Preview.

The 2009 Jacksonville Jaguar Game-By-Game Season Preview: Part 1

Josh Carney — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:27:27 -0400

Heading into the 2008 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars had established themselves on most power polls as top 5 team. Even with a schedule that appeared as though it would cause possible road bumps, it appeared that the Jaguars were on their way back to the playoffs.

By the time the final seconds ticked off of the regular season, Jaguar players, coaches, and fans were stuck looking back at the disappointing 5-11 season, wondering what happened.

The season was over, there would not be a repeat playoff run, and they were considered in most NFL circles as a laughing stock due to multiple off-the-field issues and embarrassing off-season personnel moves.

Looking ahead to the 2009 season, fans and NFL analists are much more pesimistic on the Jaguars' chances of returning to the playoffs this year.

With 85 days left until the Jaguars' first kickoff of the preseason and no solid depth chart or final starting roster for any team, it would seem unreasonable to make predictions for the season.

So instead, we are going to do a game-by-game preview with a realistic approach using information based on what we have discerned from current offseason moves, draft picks, mini camp, and OTA's.

Season Preview Part One - Week's One through Five

Week One: Indianapolis Colts - Away

The rivalry returns week one with one of the biggest matches in the AFC South. Twelve of the last 14 -eetings between these two teams have been decided by eight points or less.

Interestingly last season, even with Payton Manning returning from knee surgery, an aging Marvin Harrison, a bad defensive line, and little to no running game, the Colts still managed a 12-4 season.

A win for the Jaguars here will slingshot them to a feeling of confidence that they have not felt since beating Pittsburgh in the 2006 playoffs. Can they do it? Much will depend on the play of the secondary and outside linebackers assigned to cover Dallas Clark.

Maurice Jones Drew should find running lanes through their defensive line and it should once again be a 7- to 10-point spread once the final whistle is blown.

Week Two: Arizona Cardinals - Home

Welcome home, Jacksonville. After a really tough week in Indy, you can now get to play the 2008 Super Bowl runner-up Arizona Cardinals!

The Cards are heading to Jacksonville, in my opinion, as a better team then we saw in the Super Bowl of last season.

With high quality and value draft pics such as RB Chris Wells, DE Cody Brown, and top guard prospect Herman Johnson, Arizona looks in position to repeat their NFC Championship run to the Super Bowl.

Some will reason that the Jaguars have a good chance of upsetting the Cardinals in this game is due to Arizona's poor winning percentage when playing on the east coast last season. I'm not sold on this idea. If Bolden gets re-signed, expect a long day for the Jaguar secondary.

It's also safe to assume that the 12th man will be there in full force for this home opener. However, is it possible that Jaguar fans might be more interested in attending this game to watch Larry Fitzgerald than just to support their home team? You better believe it.

Week Three: Houston Texans - Away

Another big AFC South clash early in the season. The Texans are coming off of a 8-8 season with a strong feeling of forward progression over the past three seasons. Four of their eight losses last season were by a touchdown or less. If they can fix a few careless mistakes, this team can all but challenge for their first playoff appearance ever.

How does Jacksonville stack up in this matchup? Following a impressive Monay Night Football blowout of the Jaguars and taking them all the way to overtime in thier last matchup, the Texans show no fear when playing Jacksonville.

Jaguar fans are still trying to understand why the Houston Texans have turned into the Tennessee Titans of the mid-to-late Nineties, seeming to have the Jaguars' number every time they play.

Very possibly being 0-2 here, expect the Jaguars to be very motivated to show the world that they are not a bottom 10 team and to get a win. But don't think for a second that Andre Johnson doesn't lick his chops every time he lines up against Jacksonville.

This game could be a turning point for the Jags, or it could be the true start to another very long season.

Week Four: Tennessee Titans - Home

The Jaguars return home week four to complete the first round of their AFC South match-ups against the rival Titans. Tennessee has taken four of the last five games from Jacksonville and seems to feel as comfortable in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium as they do at home.

Once main difference this year, however, is the huge loss of Albert Hainesworth on the Titan's defensive line, who in the last two meetings with the Jaguars, appeared unblockable.

This gives Jacksonville a legitimate chance to ride the coattails of Maurice Jones-Drew, who can really cause a problem for this Titans defense if the middle of the field opens up.

One side note, the Jaguars secondary finally gets a break this week. The real question will be, who's going to stop Chris Johnson? If they can contain him, it appears this could provide a possible win for the home team.

Week Five: Seattle Seahawks - Away

Pack your bags, Jaguar fans. You are heading to the west coast to meet a Seattle Seahawk team hungry to get back to the top of the NFC power polls.

Coming off of a 4-12 season, there isn't many good things you can say about a team. Or is there? Remember, Matt Hasselbeck was plagued by injuries the duration of the season, receivers were dropping like flies left and right, and Kelly Jennings couldn't seem to even cover himself with a blanket most of the season.

This year is different for the struggling Seahawks. Hasslebeck's back appears to be on the mend, they addressed their wide receiver woes by signing TJ Houshmandzadeh and drafting Deon Butler from Penn State, and they brought in CB Ken Lucas to help repair a bad secondary.

This game will not be easy win for a Jaguar team who by this point, has faced the likes of Indy, Arizona, and Tennessee, all three of which bore playoff appearances in 2008.

The key to Jacksonville winning this game will be the momentum they have received from the previous four games. If the Jaguars are 0-4 by this point, don't expect a win here. However, if the Jaguars are 3-1, I'd say Jacksonville has a really nice chance of getting to 4-1 by overcoming the Seahawks.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for Part 2 of The 2009 Jacksonville Jaguar Game-By-Game Season Preview.

The Top Five Plays Jaguar Fan's Can Live Without in 2009

Josh Carney — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:55:11 -0400

"What kind of play call was that Del Rio?! Even I can do better then that!" Sound familiar? If you are a fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars and attended any of their home games last year, I'm sure that you have heard that expression stated more then once. Last year, Jaguar fans who were used to the big play, sure scoring, offensive drives of 2007, were left wondering, where did that offense go? Jack Del Rio watched his Jacksonville Jaguar offense drop from 7th in offensive production in 2007 to a dismal 20th in 2008. A lot of that might have been due to 5 play calls that I think Jaguar fans would love to never see return. So grab your shovel and I'll grab the tombstone because it's time to put these plays to rest.

Begin Slideshow

Jacksonville Jaguars: Left Tackle? Check. Wide Receiver? Check. Fan Base? Blank.

Josh Carney — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:40:33 -0400

When Gene Smith received the call from Wayne Weaver, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, informing him that he would be replacing Shaq Harris as the General Manager, Gene knew that he had a lot of work ahead of him.

A dismal 5-11 year was fresh on the minds of the players and the fans, and it was very apparent that this was not the team that many had envisioned them to be just a few months prior.

There were major player gaps that needed to be filled, coaches that needed to be replaced, and players that had to go, regardless of the financial repercussions. How did Gene respond?

He started by cleaning house, quickly cutting Jerry Porter, Drayton Florence, Fred Taylor, Paul Spicer, Mike Petterson, and anyone else he felt didn't fit the Jaguars mold of a team-first attitude or could be used to rebuild for the future.

These aggressive moves had the fans cheering and scratching their heads at the same time. But the real question on the fans' minds was still what Gene was going to do in free agency and the draft.

Jaguar fans would say that they know a thing or two about disappointing free agent signings and first-round draft picks.

With the previous year's recent signing of free agents such as wide receiver Jerry Porter, who was paid just over 10 million dollars to catch 11 passes for 181 yards with one touchdown, the fans knew that free agency was not the way to build your team of the future.

Everyone put faith in Gene to build the team through the draft as he repeatedly said was his intention. However, some fans scoffed that this notion as well, realizing that 3 out of Jacksonville's last 6 first round draft picks had been cut from the team. Notice I said cut, not traded. What was to follow?

Gene and his staff broke down the roster and spotted the obvious weaknesses that needed long-term solutions.

The offensive line, which two years prior had allowed the Jaguars to have one of the most dominating running games in the NFL, had been completely decimated by injuries and obviously needed vast improvement.

This improvement would have to include the replacement of released left tackle Kalif Barns, who really struggled protecting quarterback David Garrard's blind side. For the fifth year in a row, the Jaguars sorely needed help at wide receiver.

Even with the free agent signing of veteran Torry Holt, the Jaguars knew that they were a mere small knee injury away from having Dennis Northcut and injury-prone Mike Walker as their starting two wide receivers.

As the final pick in the draft passed, the Jaguars had accomplished exactly what Gene Smith and Jack Del Rio set out to do. Picking two dominating left tackles with their first two picks, including Eugene Monroe who some thought to be the No. 1 overall tackle in the draft, the Jags locked up their bookends on the offensive line for a decade to come.

They also used three other picks to acquire speedy, sure-handed wide receivers to compete for the number two and three slots on the team. Everything was looking up for the Jaguars. Player weak spots were strengthened, locker room issues were gone, exciting new talent was arriving.

But there was one major hole still missing in Jacksonville. Where were the fans? Correction... Where ARE the fans?

The following quote was taken from Jacksonville.com regarding ticket sales for upcoming 2009 season:

The Jaguars may be forced to blackout most, if not all, eight regular season home games on TV. The Jaguars need to sell 50,000 non-premium seats at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium to lift the blackout, but they're not close to that figure after finishing their season ticket renewal campaign.

Tim Connolly, the team's senior vice president for business administration, declined to release the figure of how many non-premium seats they've sold, but a league source put the figure in the 35,000-range. "It's going to be challenging," Connolly said.

Fifty thousand seats?! Despite trying to turn the team around, the fans just aren't buying in.

Blame it on the economy, blame it on the lack of star playmakers, blame it on the small market, blame it on anything you want, but the truth of the matter is that it appears that the Jaguars may be on the fast path to moving cities-but not because Wayne Weaver wants to sell the team.

Let me explain. Mr. Weaver has very strong ties in Jacksonville and really loves the city he fought so hard to bring an NFL team to. But, how much money can he afford to give away?

With cities such as Los Angeles sitting back licking their chops for the opportunity to steal an established NFL team away from a small market city, it would be pretty hard to pass up the opportunity to move a team that couldn't sell out one home game in a season of great potential. So what can Jacksonville do?

How do you get the fans in the door? Jacksonville already hosts some of the lowest prices in the country for an NFL game experience. Prices therefore are not the issue. There is only one thing that will bring fans into the seats and that's winning ball games.

Gene Smith has done everything he has said he would so far, but the only way that anyone will see the results is if his work puts a W in the win column. Is it shallow of Jacksonville fans to only support a winning team? Maybe. But sadly, that's just how it appears.

If the team comes out and shows that they are once again the team that the fans fell in love with just two seasons ago, then Gene will be able to sit back and place a check in the box next to "Fan Base." Has he done enough? I guess we will all sit back and watch... during away games that is.