Bleacher Report - Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew's Kneel-Down in Jaguars' Win: Smart, Not "Unselfish"

Jack Harver — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:54:29 -0500

By now, Maurice Jones-Drew's refusal to take a fourth-quarter touchdown against the New York Jets has been widely witnessed, argued about, and gushed over.

For those who managed to miss its coverage in the sports media, Jacksonville's vertically-challenged star running back skidded to a halt one yard from the end zone on the Jaguars' game-winning drive in New York last weekend.

A score would have given his team the lead, but Jones-Drew's play (dialed up, for the record, by much-maligned head coach Jack Del Rio) allowed Jacksonville to retain possession for a decisive last-second field goal.

In the aftermath of the Jaguars' 24-22 win, "unselfish" has been the adjective most often used to describe Jones-Drew's kneel-down—an odd word choice, considering his stated ambitions for Jacksonville's 2009 season.

Throughout the year, ESPN.com blogger Paul Kuharsky, among others, has noted Jones-Drew's insistence that the Jaguars are the NFL's best team and that they have their sights on the Super Bowl. Through spirit-dampening losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans, Jones-Drew has remained optimistic about his team.

Even when speaking out to demand the ball after Jacksonville's blowout loss in Seattle, Jones-Drew's concern was for the offense as a whole.

"[Opponents need] to respect the run game," he said in his postgame press conference. "That's going to open up the pass game and open up the run game later on."

With his own interests tied up with the Jaguars' success, the truly unselfish play for Jones-Drew this past Sunday, really, would have been to give New York the ball. Jets defenders Jim Leonhard and Darrelle Revis were close by, and either would surely have accepted such a self-denigrating sacrifice.

(In fact, the replay shows Revis trying to "accept" it after the whistle had blown.)

For a player so concerned about winning, taking a knee to keep the Jets' offense off the field was practically selfish—and that's a good thing.

The popular conception of a "selfish" football player is that of a black hole who demands attention and revels in statistics, personal accolades, and big-money contracts.

Notorious personalities like Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens ("I love me some me!") and former Jets receiver Keyshawn Johnson—author of Just Give Me the Damn Ball! —strike fans as self-interest personified as they bounce, dissatisfied, from team to team.

Recent examples include former Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, who "tweeted" about breaking franchise rushing records amidst his team's struggles, and Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams' outspoken dissatisfaction with his targets from quarterback Tony Romo.

But as Johnson has fallen to injury fill-in status and Williams' Cowboys have struggled with their passing game chemistry, ironically, Jones-Drew's team-first play has brought him the national media attention and Pro Bowl votes—191,123 as of Tuesday, second in the AFC—that such malcontents crave.

Beyond following Del Rio's orders to forgo a sure touchdown, Jones-Drew has used every bit of energy and grit in his 5'7", 208-pound frame to fight for Jacksonville in his four years with the Jaguars.

Whether throwing vicious blocks in pass protection (as Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers can attest ) or shoving quarterback David Garrard forward on sneaks, his high level of effort without the ball in his hands is the mark of a player who takes pride in bearing subtle burdens in pursuit of team triumphs.

In short, Jones-Drew's the kind of player whose selfish desire for the joy of winning is a blessing for his team—even as his agent determines how best to account for the missed score in his next contract extension.

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Bill Belichick's Patriots, Jack Del Rio's Jaguars Scoffed at Late Risks

Jack Harver — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:30:29 -0500

By and large, fourth-quarter strategy is discussed in terms of timeless horse sense. Kill clock to protect a late lead, run out of bounds to save time for a late comeback, cling to your timeouts for dear life—that sort of thing.

(And, of course, John Madden's sage admonition to play for overtime when tied.)

Within that school of thought, punting for field position when leading and never taking sure points off the board when trailing are two sacrosanct truths.

This past Sunday, New England and Jacksonville committed blasphemy.

Facing 4th-and-2 from the Patriots' own 28-yard line, with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter and a six-point lead over the Colts in Indianapolis, Bill Belichick kept his punt team on the sideline as New England's offense attempted to sustain a game-ending drive Sunday night.

Earlier in the day, Jaguars' running back Maurice Jones-Drew startled onlookers (and enraged his fantasy owners) by kneeling down on a red zone run—one yard away from a score that would have put Jacksonville up 27-22 on the New York Jets—on coach Jack Del Rio's orders, with less than two minutes remaining.

Belichick's gamble fell inches short as running back Kevin Faulk caught a pass short of the first-down marker, while Del Rio's paid off when kicker Josh Scobee's game-winning field goal split the uprights.

Both, though, drew criticism from advocates of traditional tactics.

Wednesday on Football Fix , ESPN Radio 's Colin Cowherd acknowledged Belichick and QB Tom Brady's 76 percent success rate on fourth down, with an interesting twist.

"Suppose you're jumping out of a plane," Cowherd analogized, "and 76 percent of the time, you have a great time. The other 25 percent, [sic] death."

"You're not jumping out of that plane."

Former Denver Broncos' linebacker Tom Jackson, similarly used math to question Del Rio's decision on ESPN 's Monday Night Countdown. Arguing that a short field goal was hardly a certainty, Jackson noted that the Jets were allowing Jones-Drew to cross the goal line.

"100 percent of the time [in that situation], you score," he quipped.

Those down-to-earth counterarguments have merit, of course.

By turning the ball over on downs so close to their own goal line, the Patriots practically handed Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning and his receivers six points. Two plays, both passes, put the Colts on the one-yard line with time to burn, and a slant route touchdown toss to Reggie Wayne made their comeback official.

New England punter Chris Hanson, averaging 44 net-yards per punt that night, could (theoretically) have flipped the field, pushing Indianapolis' offense back to their own 28-yard line.

Manning had completed seven of his 10 passes in the quarter, throwing for over 100 yards and a touchdown, but 72 yards in two minutes would hardly have been a cinch.

For the Jaguars, Jackson's caution that even a field goal from extra point distance isn't an automatic three points should have rang especially true.

Two weeks earlier, a botched point-after by their field goal team blunted Jones-Drew's potential game-tying touchdown in the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans. Coming onto the field for the kick, Scobee was an unimpressive 9-of-15 on field goals and had already pegged one of Giants Stadium's left uprights earlier in the game.

Injuries—the indefatigable bugger of even the best-laid football plans—factored into both coaches' decisions.

Had Belichick been able to count on absent defensive linemen Ty Warren and Jarvis Green to pressure Manning, he might have been more willing to trust his defense against the Colts' aerial attack. For Del Rio, cornerback Rashean Mathis' groin injury on the Jets' last drive left his defensive secondary dangerously thin.

The decision by both coaches to kill clock and keep their opponents' offenses off the field was, in and of itself, hardly radical. Their aggressive pursuits of that strategy though, have sent shock waves through the national sports consciousness.

As of Monday morning, every major news outlet and NFL blog had an opinion, and every water cooler, break room, and work shop has been buzzing with talk. Depending on who's asked, Belichick either made an epic goof or showed big-time chutzpah; Del Rio's call was either a heady play or a lucky gamble.

Overlooked in most of the back-and-forth is the simple fact that both men refused to react passively in crunch time.

Punting and taking the free touchdown, respectively, would have been inoffensive calls. Both coaches would have been given credit, at least for "trusting the defense." Neither would have received much postgame attention had Manning or New York's Mark Sanchez led successful comeback drives.

In the gut of a head coach though, is the realization that—as Del Rio said after his Jaguars' 24-22 win—in such close games, "It comes down to being able to make a play to win the game."

On that task, neither wanted to defer to his opponent.

Hindsight says that one stumbled into a loss while the other escaped with a win. But come January, teams steered by coaches bold enough to go all-in on one play are better equipped to succeed under the win-or-go-home pressure of playoff football. On 4th-and-2, or with one shot at a game-winning kick, they've been there before.

Because at some point in any playoff team's season, there's a deciding play and, as Belichick said after the Patriots' 35-34 loss, "You only get one chance."

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It's Time To Trim The Fat

Jack Bloomfield — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:44:29 -0500

Over the past 2 years, the world has seen a shake-up in the economy not witnessed in decades with multi-Billion dollar companies crashing. Hundreds of Billions have been ploughed into others to save them from tanking. Whether this was a smart move on the part of the government is a debate for another column. The Bail-Out plan I have a problem with is the NFL.

Ever since Pete Rozelle convinced the owners to share revenue, the topic has been debated in the style of a heated political debate. Those to the Left believe that all revenue should be shared, to create an equal opportunity for all teams, and with that, their fans. Those to the right believe teams should have to perform like any other business, making themselves profitable.

Personally, I believe revenue sharing has some merit, but only with conditions. Currently, the NFL shares all of its TV and licencing revenues between all teams, giving the smaller market teams enough operating capitol to be competitive. This has enabled the success of the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers, amongst others. But this leg-up has to come with conditions.

Currently the Jaguars are drawing a league low 45,792 per game, filling out just 68.2% of The Jacksonville Municipal Stadium each week. Furthermore, with 40% of gate revenue going to the Visiting team, eight weeks a year the Jaguars are tugging on the coat tails of the team they are visiting. Comparing this to Buffalo, a fellow small market team, and Carolina, who entered the league at the same time, does not offer a favorable picture of the Jaguars. Buffalo is averaging 70,223 per game, equating to a 96.1% capacity rating.

Although the Bills have a longer history, they still operate in a small market and attract fans with good brand building despite the lack of product on the field. Carolina gets on average 73,455 per game, with a 99.6% capacity each week, albeit in a bigger market. Even with this, the fact remains the same; the Jacksonville Jaguars have no place in the NFL. Florida has the Dolphins, Buccaneers, Gators and Hurricanes to support. College football saturates a lot of the market in the South, and three NFL teams to go along with 2 big programmes make the Jaguars a sitting duck.

If they were any company in the Fortune 500 or a humble convenience store on a street corner, they would have stopped operating years ago. They haemorrhage money and do not have the core fan base to support a franchise in the world's biggest League. Revenue sharing was introduced to give all teams an equal playing field, and this is a great idea that has worked for decades, but it was not introduced to prop up inefficient and unworthy teams.

Before the collective bargaining agreement can be signed, the Owners need to agree on a new revenue sharing agreement, mainly so they know the revenues the are negotiating with. I will be shocked and amazed if owners do not rewrite some of the agreement to keep more Liscening revenues for their own franchise. I also expect to see minimum requirements put into place for individual revenue gained by each franchise, with the smaller markets following the lead of the Bills and Packers in building strong revenue streams outside of the games. Packers toilet paper is a personal favourite of mine.

How to solve this? Step 1 is move the Jaguars to a bigger market. There are plenty of Viable options, with Los Angeles being the obvious choice. The fact that the second biggest market in the United States doesn't have an NFL team strikes me as ridiculous. Oklahoma could support an NFL team, but they would split a lot of fans with the Sooners, possibly leading to hard up fans choosing the Sooners game on Saturday over a Jaguars game on a Sunday.

The wild cards in this equation are London and Toronto. Although Toronto would share a significant number of fans with Buffalo, I believe the Canadian market could support a team, generating revenue in a whole new country. This would also be the thinking behind London—although this is more of a pipe dream. Would you want to be the one to tell DeMaurice Smith that his players would have to fly back and forth over the Atlantic ever week? Thought not. But with the growing passion for the sport in England and a Europe wide appeal, it is a more viable NFL city than Jacksonville currently is.

Whether they are moved, replaced, put down or simply ignored, the fact remains, the Jacksonville Jaguars have no future in a profit driven league.

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Stadium Journey: Jacksonville Jaguars' Half-Empty House a Good Bargain

Jack Harver — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:20:29 -0500

[Article originally published by Stadium Journey .]

Ten weeks into the 2009 season, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium has been one of the NFL's most buzzworthy facilities. Not for being big and flashy like the Dallas Cowboys' new billion-dollar home—it isn't—and not because it's on a farewell tour like Giants Stadium. (Not yet, at least.)

Instead, "The Jack" has been a hot topic for the national media because it's practically empty for Jaguars games.

There are over 67,000 seats in the stadium, not including almost 10,000 in the upper corners that remain covered—like training wheels for drawing a "sellout" crowd. But Jacksonville sold less than 46,000 tickets on average for each of the team's first three home contests this year, with reported attendance figures closer to 40,000 per game.

The upshot? Walk-up ticket buyers can score seats that would be prime real estate in other NFL stadiums.

Lower-level tickets were available on the team's website less than a week before the game, including one in the corner of the north end zone that provided an excellent view of the Jaguars' 24-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

With Jacksonville residents spending their Sunday afternoons elsewhere—in one of the many churches within walking distance of the stadium, perhaps—the Jaguars have won three of their four home games. At 5-4 on the year, they're dark horse playoff contenders despite bidding good-bye to over half of last year's 53-man roster and starting four rookies from their 2009 draft crop.

Factor in top-tier superstars like running back Maurice Jones-Drew and cornerback Rashean Mathis, and Jacksonville's on-field product figures to be respectable for years to come. Like the team, the fan experience at The Jack isn't mind-blowing, but it has its pluses.

FANFARE Score: 24

[StadiumJourney.com's unique "FANFARE" metric scores venues on a five-point scale in six categories, with additional bonus points awarded at the reviewer's discretion.]

F ood & Beverage: 5

"Stadium Classics" stands spread throughout the stadium cater to the traditionalist "peanuts and Cracker Jacks" crowd, selling hot dogs, sausages, popcorn, pretzels and the like for $5 apiece. For a few bucks more, though, several local-flavor niche options offer a departure from the regular: "El Gato Grande" (which translates, fittingly, to "The Big Cat") is an outpost of Burrito Gallery, a local Meixcan restaurant, and Andrew Jackson's BBQ makes a decent 'que in the trademark Florida style: sauceless, smoky, and tender.

Soft drinks are $4-6 and beers are $5-8 everywhere, with stiffer concoctions available for $10.

Want the camaraderie of a bar at the game, or just to get closer than a nosebleed ticket would otherwise allow? The Bud Zone, situated behind the lower-level seats in the stadium's south end zone, is a full-on sports bar, complete with rows of TVs tuned to other NFL games. In the past, this part of the stadium has been open (with no cover charge) for fans to watch the Jaguars' away playoff games and the NFL Draft.

Nothing beats a pro football stadium—even an empty one—for year-round atmosphere at a bar.

A tmosphere: 3

With that said, the feel of the stadium itself leaves something to be desired.

The lackluster attendance detracts from the magic of game day, to be sure. There's bustle outside the stadium and around the concourses, but not the kind of heavy human traffic that screams "This is NFL football, the place to be!" at venues like the New England Patriots' Gillette Stadium or even FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins' financially-exploited, pessimistic fans.

Still, those in attendance would be milling around in an atmosphere worth at least a "4" had the Jaguars not ripped out a walk-through exhibit showcasing the team's 15-year place in football history. "Decades of the NFL," marked by an overhead entrance sign featuring Jacksonville greats like Mark Brunell and Jimmy Smith, filled one side of the lower concourse, with a sprawling Jaguars logo on one wall and a visual history of NFL football on the other, as recently as last season.

In its place? A merchandise hallway shilling the same garden-variety shirts and souvenirs found in the many team shops around the stadium. From inside, it's easy to forget that The Jack is the site of "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party"—and the accompanying Florida-Georgia football game—every year and hosted the Super Bowl in 2004.

N eighborhood: 3

Churches. Lots and lots of churches. St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, St. John's Cathedral, First Presbyterian Church, Church of the Immaculate Conception, First United Methodist Church, and the nine city blocks occupied by First Baptist Church—all within a 15-minute stroll of the stadium.

Looking to take in a worship service before kickoff? Pick one.

Out-of-towners in search of other entertainment, though, have fewer options. With most of the Jacksonville Landing—a riverfront mall downtown—and surrounding shops closed until noon, even if the Jaguars' game starts at one o'clock, the immediate area around the stadium is the only part of Jacksonville that's awake.

Thanks to Tailgate Bar & Grill, which sits in a grassy lot across from the stadium's east entrance, it's not a terrible predicament.

Catering to those who aren't in with one of the many tailgates set up in lots around the stadium, Tailgate's outdoor grill cooks up $7 wings, fish, shrimp, turkey legs, and barbeque ribs ($8) in addition to burgers and dogs, and beer comes in small (16oz. - $4) and large football-shaped (44oz - $8) cups. Meanwhile, WOKV (690AM) broadcasts its Jaguars pre and post-game shows from upstairs, starting at 10am on game days.

For a Monday or late-Sunday game, or after an early game, the Landing is worth a visit. A quiet morning stop, Jacksonville's downtown center picks up its pace as the sun sets with live music, dining options ranging from Hooters to Koja Sushi and the more-upscale Benny's Steak & Seafood, and a view of the bridges that criss-cross the St. John's River.

F ans: 2

To be fair, the fans who fill two thirds of The Jack deserve at least a "3"—especially those in the rowdy north end zone. They're pin-drop quiet for the Jaguars' offense and raucously loud for the defense. They wear jerseys, body paint, team-color beads, and anything else to show their support. After first downs, touchdowns, and big plays, there are high-fives for everyone around.

Most endearingly, they pick favorites apart from the team's superstar players. Tight end Ernest Wilford, in his second stint with Jacksonville after the team decided against re-signing him last year, earned respect as a red zone target in his first two years with the team and has a banner dedicated to him in the south end zone. Recently-released long snapper Joe Zelenka also enjoyed a significant following among Jaguars faithful as the NFL's only player at his position with a fan club.

But there just aren't enough butts in the seats to give these fans their full due. Those present are true-blue enough for any fan base, but almost 17,000 season ticket holders decided not to renew for the 2009 season and the city at large seems only mildly interested in its team. With the stadium at two-thirds capacity, the fans get two thirds of their grade.

A ccess: 5

Then again, that's 17,000 people who aren't taking up parking spaces near the stadium or forming lines for concessions or bathrooms. Parking in The Jack's immediate vicinity goes for $20, but room in $10 lots abounds in all directions, including several to the west along Duval St.

After the game, leaving the stadium is a matter of painlessly shuffling out along cone-lined lanes. Traffic disperses in all directions, north and south on I-95 and west on I-10, clearing up within an hour or so of the game's final whistle.

R eturn on Investment: 4

The Jaguars realize that they aren't exactly packing this house on game days, and the price of a day at The Jack reflects that fact. Despite an on-field product that would command higher prices in every facet of the fan experience in most other NFL cities, they continue to attempt to lure Jacksonville citizens to games by reducing their impact on a fan's wallet.

One metric the NFL uses to measure its teams' affordability is the Fan Cost Index (FCI): the average price for a family of four to buy four tickets, soft drinks, and hot dogs, two small beers, programs, hats, and parking. League-wide, the average FCI is close to $415; at a Jaguars game, it's barely above $300.

For any team except the 2008 Lions, that's relatively fair. For Jacksonville, a team on the rise with enough star power to entertain, it's a bargain.

E tc. (Everything Else & Bonus Points): 2

One point for the jaguar statue in front of the stadium's west entrance, whose heel is signed "Go Jags!" by team owner Wayne Weaver and dated to 1995. A great photo opportunity if there ever was one.

Another, for the Jacksonville coaches' fondness for pre-game "catch." Receivers coach Todd Monken is all business with up-and-coming star receiver Mike Sims-Walker, but head coach Jack Del Rio tosses around with the players in early warm-ups and running backs coach Kennedy Pola has thrown with fans on occasion.

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Jaguars' Thriller in the Meadowlands: The Dream Is Still Alive

Tim Higgins — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:36:00 -0500

On Super Bowl Nations Jets web page, or Gang Green Nation, said it best after the Jaguars sensational victory over the Jets:

"All Hail MJD."

It is truly the little 5 foot 7 monster from UCLA, who may be single handily resurrecting the Jaguars franchise. Twelve touchdowns this year, and a smart play by downing the ball to let time go down.

NOTE: I don't agree with the Jaguars kneeing the football, but I do believe that MJD taking a knee was the right thing to do because it wasted time.

The Jaguars had a nearly perfect first half, and won another close game, and now stand at 5-4 and as mentioned in my preview for the game, enter into a metaphorical wardrobe to Narnia, or in this case, playoff contention.

But more important then this was the fact that the Jaguars have already matched there win total from last year, and still have seven more games to go.

Here is my top ten shout outs from this game:

1. MJD, how could it not be MJD, he was a beast against the number two rush defense in the leauge and was the first player to go over 100 yards against the Jets, and that would include Chirs Johnson.

2. Marcedess Lewis. Sorry David Garrard but Marcedes Lewis looked like the tight end he was drafted to be, all over the field making two HUGE catches in the game, and had a pancake on David Garrard's touchdown run, taking out TWO defenders.

3. David Garrard. Did what David was supposed to. This is the Jaguars team that could go to the playoffs. The one in which MJD dominates and Garrard simply has to manage the game. But a great end of the game drive to win the game.

4. Rookie Wide Receivers. Mike Thomas made a couple sensational catches, including a CLUTCH fourth down conversion (the first against the Jets all year). Jarret Dillard will be very good in a year, however, sadly he is out for the season.

5. Sorry Mike Sims-Walker I have to give my last shout out to the defense. They did a fantastic job forcing three turnovers, and this game really should have been 31-22 but alas Groves, you tripped.

My top five Thoughts on the Game:

1. Although I am very sad to see Jarret Dillard injured and out for the season, he is starting to be a force in the wide receiver with his departure, Nate Hughes should be back in a Jaguars uniform and have a shot at redemption.

2. Mike Thomas and Jarrett Dillard were worth their draft picks, and possibly more. Especially Thomas, who is having a fantastic rookie season. So what have we learned? Gene Smith can draft receivers.

3. David Garrard is the answer; for now. I think Garrard can last as Jaguars quarterback, HOWEVER, we should definitely grab another quarterback in the draft to develop for when Garrard gets too old. Suggestions: Riley Skinner (from Jacksonville, shouldn't go very high) Wake Forest, Jake Lockear (Washington), and I really like Jimmy Clausen but he will probably be gone before we get a chance to grab him

4. Even with a poor game the Jaguars should be able to be 6-4. MJD has proven consistency and should run all over the Bills defense.

5. Jaguars fans, lets have NO more blackouts until the Jaguars give us reason to.

The Jaguars are in the playoff hunt with four of the next five at home. Lets rekindle Jaguars Pride and cancel a blackout for the Buffalo game. I bet the Jaguars play better if the fans show up, and against Buffalo it should be a very entertaining game, especially with MJD.

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The Wardrobe To Narnia: Jaguars vs. Jets—Winner Enters a Whole New World

Tim Higgins — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:47:39 -0500

First, I'd like to congradulate Rashad Jennings for his first NFL rushing touchdown, and honor him with the picture on this week's preview article.

Next, I'd like to make clear that this is not the game of the year for the Jaguars. If they win of course.

IF the Jaguars were to win this game, a far shot from a sure thing, this would be a game that would push them into a whole new world that begins with the letter "P".

The playoff world.

A loss would send them into the mist of teams longing to find there place in the world. And with a loss, and a Tennessee win, the Titans would draw one game away from the Jaguars.

A loss would send this team, once again to under .500, and would once again start the Jaguars suck, Jack Del Rio needs to be fired, David Garrard isn't the real deal for a quarterback talk that we all know will come.

Yet what do we expect from the Jaguars this week? A great performance or a flat out embarrassing one?

Many people are aware of the fact that David Garrard has yet to throw a touchdown pass on the road. And get this: The Jaguars have scored 101 points at home and only 56 on the road.

That leads to an average of 25 points a game at home, with only 14 points a game on the road. Ten points can mean a lot in a football game. Ten points would've given the Jaguars a win over the Colts, and made them 5-3 at this point.

The defense is slightly more consistent, giving up 22 points at home and 27 away. So at home, the Jaguars usually win by three points, which has been the case twice, and away they usually lose by 17 which has happened once.

Yet, my friends I would like to bring up a much different point here.

Week One: Indianapolis: Big Game of course, Jags expected to lose, and the Jaguars played extremely well considering they held the Colts to 14 points. We now see how good they actually did. Well defensively at least.

Week Two: Arizona: Many people think that the Jaguars are back, and the Cardinals aren't a east coast team. I mean look at last season. Jaguars are smothered.

Week Three: Houston: Battle Red day: Big game, against the just come off impressive win against Tennessee (we thought it was impressive then). Jaguars come out and have their best game of the season, hands down.

Week Four: Tennessee: Big Game, considering people thought the Titans were actually still good, and people respected them. The Jaguars may actually have had there best performance here, but then again, it was the "old" Titans.

Week Five: Seattle: Many people think that the Jaguars are ready to go 3-2, as the Seahawks are injury depleted and the Jaguars are playing their best football. Yikes, Jaguars, uh, lose.

Week Six: Rams: They just aren't very good. But the Jaguars still had to have a comeback performance. Didn't play especially well, because not a big game.

Week Eight: Tennessee: Apparently MJD was the only one who thought it was a big game. Well, the Jaguars well you know what happens.

Week Nine: Once again Kansas City just flat out is bad. But the Jaguars came to play for the first 58 minutes, because they knew it was for Jack Del Rio's job.

See the pattern?

In games that the Jaguars were not favored to win, they played very well and in most cases won. In games were they were not, they either squeaked by a terrible team, or were just embarrarssed.

So this week against the Jets, do the Jaguars usher a A+ performance?

Lets breakdown the matchups:

TOP MATCHUP OF THE GAME:

1. MJD Vs Jets Defense:

I still believe that the Jaguars need to maintain a semi balanced attack, but lets be real, MJD is the best player hands down. MSW is catching up, but for now, MJD is far above the rest. And without a running game, we know the Jaguars will just play bad. Because this Jets defense is very good against the pass.

TOP THING TO LOOK FOR:

1. Who starts faster:

Neither team is designed to come from behind in games. So if one team jumps out to a 10-0 or 14-0 lead, the game is going to shift in their direction big time. The Jaguars also need to stay with the run, and if they fall behind, David Garrard will have to try and be a hero, which he can be, but there's not a good chance he will be.

TOP SLEEPER OF THE GAME:

1. Torry Holt and Mike Thomas:

I had to go with both of these guys because of one reason, the two are set to have a much better day the Mike Sims-Walker, who will probably be faced off against Derrelle Revis, one of the top-five corners in the game. Torry Holt will be matched up against a coming back player in Lito Sheppard, who hasn't played in a while and might be a bit rusty. Torry is a HOF receiver, and especially on third downs, could get a lot of reps.

Mike Thomas is also going to be big in the game as well. He has big play capability, and I just got a feeling that he could break one this week, because hes been close before. A return in this game could be HUGE, and the end around sweeps could be another thing that really works, considering that the Jets struggled against the Wildcat.

INTERESTING THOUGHT OF THE WEEK:

What if the Jaguars were to finish 8-8 and continued win-loss-win-loss pattern? It's actually rather funny because of the possibility is so real. Let's look.

JETS: Definitely could be a loss

BILLS: The Jaguars would be facing a rather porous run defense, so win.

49ers: Jaguars have yet to beat an NFC West Team. Loss

Texans: It would be fun to ruin their season, like they ruined ours a couple seasons ago.

Dolphins: Once again, this could be a loss if the Jaguars don't show up, or if Garrard gets hit like a rag doll. Loss

Colts: The Jaguars just have a thing for being able to beat them. And I think it will be the first non-blackout of the season, because the city of Jacksonville will come out because its a primetime game. Win

Pats: How much I hate them I don't know. But the Patriots have a thing for the Jaguars. Loss

Browns: Wow, they are just bad. Win

So a win loss win loss format is very possible. However, I expect a 9-7 record as the Jaguars finish 5-3 in the second half, and watch the playoffs hungry for next year.

Final Verdict:

I'd love to see the Jaguars win, but I really don't see it happening. Unless the defense can really step up, and MJD has a huge game, or Garrard has the performance of a lifetime, I just don't see the Jets losing again.

FINAL SCORE: A respectable 24-20 game. Jaguars earn a semi moral victory, but a defeat none the less knocks them out of playoff hype. That is unless they can win out besides one game ( weirder things have happened).

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