Jacksonville Jaguars Have Become a Super Bowl Caliber Team

Playing in the small city of Jacksonville, the Jaguars flew largely under the radar last season and continue to do so right now, despite having one of the top teams in the NFL.

Despite their impressive record while playing in one of the toughest divisions in the league, most predicted a "Boston Massacre" when the Jaguars went into Foxboro to face the Patriots in last year’s Divisional Playoff game.

At halftime of the Divisional Playoff game against the Patriots, the score was all-square at 14. Still, the Jaguars were far from earning anyone’s respect.

The big story at the half wasn’t the Jaguars’ smothering defense or the stellar play of quarterback David Garrard.  It was about how the Patriots were allowing Jacksonville to stay in the football game.

The Patriots wound up winning the game 31-20, and the Jaguars were all but forgotten.

There was a lot of talk about Brady’s near perfect game. Brady went 26-28 for 262 yards. But there was little discussion on how the Patriots needed a near perfect game from Brady to barely squeak past the Jaguars.

The Jaguars are a very good football team.  This past weekend they might have gotten themselves over the hump to becoming a Super Bowl caliber team.

Quarterback David Garrard had a breakout season last year in every sense of the word. He threw for 2,509 yards with 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

Garrard had a quarterback rating of 102.2, which ranked third in the league behind only Brady and Rothlisberger.

The Jaguars’ defense was smothering last season, particularly up front. If they had one flaw last year, it was the play of their defensive ends and linebackers in terms of rushing the quarterback and defending against the run.

Entering the 2008 NFL Draft, the Jaguars had only one goal in mind to make their team a Super Bowl caliber football team. They needed to get stronger on defense.

The Jaguars immediately addressed this need by trading with Baltimore for the eighth pick and selecting defensive end Derrick Harvey out of the University of Florida. The 6'5", 271 pound Harvey is strong, quick, and will without question be a factor on the Jaguars’ defense next season.

The Jaguars drafted another defensive end in the second round when they selected Quentin Groves out of Auburn. Groves is smaller than the typical NFL defensive end.  He could either be moved to an outside linebacker, or be a situational player put into the game in third and long situations to get after the quarterback.

With their fifth round picks, the Jaguars selected outside linebacker Thomas Williams out of USC and cornerback Trae Williams out of South Florida.

The Jaguars’ intention in the 2008 draft was clear—improve the defense. By selecting several defensive players that could make an immediate impact, the Jaguars addressed their one and only need for the 2008 season.

They will have an explosive offense and a beast of a defense heading into next season. It is the exact formula needed to knock off division rival Indianapolis and the New England Patriots.

This past weekend the Jaguars might have finally gotten over that hump.

Playing in Jacksonville, the Jaguars will likely remain under the radar for most of the 2008 season. But, there is a very real possibility that we will see the Jaguars in Tampa next year playing for the Super Bowl.