Jacksonville Jaguars 2005 Preview

By John Onan  |   Saturday, August 27, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Jacksonville Jaguars
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High expectations greeted Jack Del Rio's squad to open the 2004 campaign. But after losing their top two offensive performers late in the season, QB Byron Leftwich and RB Fred Taylor, the backups were unable to muster enough offensive punch to help out the Jags' strong defense. They did finish with a winning record (9-7) and look for more with the return of their leaders.

Strengths: On the defensive side of the football for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the strength of this unit resides up the middle, with Pro Bowl defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson as well as tackling machine Mike Peterson at middle linebacker. Jacksonville feels they've also improved on the outside of the line by signing pass rushers Reggie Hayward (FA Denver) and Marcellus Wiley (FA Dallas) at the defensive end spots. Hayward had 10 ˝ sacks last season, which was twice as many as anyone else on the roster.

Fred Taylor received a bad rap early in his career as being a guy who isn't durable enough to be a feature back, but until the 2004 season he has proven the critics wrong. Now, the new knock on him is that he can't find the end zone. Taylor has been one of the most consistent backs in the league the last five years, and will once again be the a key component in the team's success this season.

You would be hard pressed to name anyone on the Jaguars offensive line. Heck, I could only name two without having to peek, but this unit yielded only 32 sacks and was among the most durable lines in football in 2004. Makes me scratch my head as to how Leftwich kept getting hurt. Taylor also averaged 4.7 yards per carry running behind this line

Weaknesses: The Achilles heel, other than injuries to Leftwich and Taylor, was the lack of scoring offense and downfield threats. Former USC quarterbacks coach Carl Smith takes the helm at offensive coordinator, and he favors the downfield passing attack more than west-coast offense disciple Bill Musgrave did. Everyone knows about how great the "original Jaguar" Jimmy Smith is, but they also have some talented young receivers. The Jags have used their last two 1st round picks on WRs Reggie Williams and Matt Jones.

Williams struggled getting open and holding onto the ball once he did get open in 2004. Jones has impressed coaches early on in camp. One or both of these guys will have to step up opposite Smith to generate more chances downfield for Leftwich. Tight end Kyle Brady looks to come back from an injury plagued 2004 to reclaim his starting role.

On special teams, kicker Josh Scobee was accurate from close-in, but struggled on field-goal attempts from 40+ yards. Everyone else on special teams faces competition, in an attempt to find some playmakers at those positions. Rookie David Allen was a great return man in college, and may add some excitement to the mix.

Also…There is a question at cornerback to see who will start beside ever improving 3rd year man Rashean Mathis. Depth at backup is also a question. But the Jags are set up nicely at both safety positions with Donovan Darius and Deon Grant.

At outside linebackers, athletic Akin Ayodele (92 tackles, 2 sacks) returns with second-year pro Daryl Smith to form at hard-hitting trio with Peterson.

Overall: Perhaps the new offensive scheme will help in the growth of Leftwich and the young receivers, but it remains to be seen. This team will be in trouble if either Leftwich or Taylor is forced to the sidelines once again. The defense will be strong once again, so give the Jags a shot. Hopefully the special teams will improve the field position battle.

This is a big year for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the defense can only do so much. The offense only averaged a hair over 16 points per game in 2004, they will need to improve that by a touchdown to win 10 or 11 games; I don't see it. 8-8 and no playoff birth in my opinion.
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