Jags Outlook For 2009: Patience

It's safe to assume that following a 5-11 season in 2008, expectations have been lowered considerably for a Jacksonville Jaguars team that many had pegged as a "chic" Super Bowl contender just a season ago. 

A year ago, cautious optimism was replaced by blatant arrogance, as the Jaguars, their fans, and many who cover the team were pretty much convinced that this was an ascending franchise, with an elite young quarterback, stars on defense, and a running game that was unstoppable. Then reality hit.

The harsh reality was that the team swung for the fences with expensive free agents which their former teams didn’t even try to retain. The quarterback that everyone though was elite needed a great running game to succeed, stared down his receivers, and never mastered the art of throwing the deep ball. The perceived depth on the offensive line was tested just one quarter of one game into the season, and the depth proved itself to be more shallow than deep. The Jaguars tried to get one more productive season out of their defensive veterans, but many of them were long past their primes and were rendered ineffective.

Many spoke about the playoff victory over Pittsburgh at the end of the 2007 season being a sign of things to come, but it was far from that. The signs of what was to come in 2008 were all there in that game, as David Garrard threw three terrible interceptions, the defense gave away a large lead, and it took a near kickoff return touchdown, an interception return touchdown, and a missed holding penalty on 4th and two to win the game over a Steelers team that had been crippled by injuries.

Getting back to the present, the Jaguars appear to have a more cohesive unit in 2009, although it's difficult to believe that they’re more talented, despite what many in the front office are saying.

“I really feel like Coach and Gene Smith have done a great job of bringing in talent here to help us get back to the playoffs,” quarterback David Garrard said.

The quarterback has lost significant weight, but that speaks more to me about a lack of commitment a year ago after being granted a big money deal and having his competition taken away. We still don’t know what to expect out of Garrard, as he has all the tools to be a Pro Bowl passer, but routinely makes mental mistakes and comes up small in big situations.

There’s no guarantee that the wide receivers will be much better, as the team is depending on a 32-year old who many feel is past his prime, in Torry Holt and a 31-year-old journeyman with questionable hands in Dennis Northcutt.   They have a guy who is talented, but has never stayed healthy in Mike Walker, and fourth and fifth-round picks in Mike Thomas and Jarett Dillard respectively.

The team granted running back Maurice Jones-Drew a new deal which was well deserved, but now he will handle the bulk of carries as Jacksonville jettisoned former face of the franchise, running back Fred Taylor.  There are certain questions about whether Jones-Drew's 5'7" frame can handle the pounding of being a featured back.

Defensively, the team needs a defensive tackle and who knows if a player that many draftniks never heard of from Temple (Terrance Knighton) can be that guy? The starting secondary could include Sean Considine, who was jettisoned from Philadelphia in the offseason, and Reggie Nelson, who was routinely out of position a year ago.

Still, there are plenty of things to like about this Jaguars team, as they have a young, talented offensive line and the potential for a very good backfield. The team could win a few more games as their schedule appears to be a little softer, but make no mistake that this is a rebuilding process. If things go well, this team could take a step in the right direction. But don’t start saving up for playoff tickets just yet.