Jaguars take ‘step in right direction’

By Hugo Guzman  |   Thursday, January 20, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Jacksonville Jaguars
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The Jacksonville Jaguars barely missed the playoffs, a fitting end to a season filled with close calls.

The Jaguars went 9-7, and 13 of their games were decided in the final two minutes. They won eight, lost five -- and finished one victory shy of returning to the postseason for the first time since 1999.

It was a four-victory improvement from coach Jack Del Rio's first season, and it gave the players plenty of confidence heading into the offseason.

"Even though we didn't quite make it to where we wanted to go, it's a start," running back Fred Taylor said. "You've got to start somewhere. You've got to find something positive in a winning season. You don't want to settle for being mediocre, but because of what I've been through the last four years as far as losing, I'll take 9-7.

"It's a step in the right direction."

The Jaguars expect to be even better next season. Safety Donovin Darius is the team's main free agent, and Jacksonville will have plenty of room under the salary cap to upgrade at defensive end, offensive line and cornerback.

But the most significant changes might have already happened.

Del Rio fired offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave on Jan. 4 after the Jaguars finished last in the AFC and 29th in the league in scoring. He also fired linebackers coach Mike Haluchak and announced he would not renew the contract of assistant head coach Steve Shafer.

Musgrave was heavily criticized for not getting the most out of an offense that featured Taylor, receiver Jimmy Smith and emerging quarterback Byron Leftwich.

"It's too hard to be successful in this league scoring as little points as we did," Leftwich said.

The Jaguars struggled all season in the red zone, on third down and in short-yardage situations. Del Rio never publicly ripped Musgrave, but he never gave him a vote of confidence either.

Musgrave might have had cause for the problems.

Left tackle Mike Pearson started the first four games before injuring his knee and missing the rest of the season. Taylor nursed a broken foot bone early in the year and missed the last two games with a strained knee ligament.

Leftwich also was injured. He hurt his knee against Houston on Oct. 31, missed two games and wasn't the same after his return.

He passed for 270 yards per game and completed 64.8 percent of his passes in the first seven games before the injury. Those numbers dropped to 175 yards a game and 53.6 percent after returning for the final six games.

"I really believe that coming back from his injury that his footwork was never quite as crisp, quite as sharp," Del Rio said. "The mechanics were just not quite as tight as they were early in the year."

Nonetheless, the Jaguars had a shot at making the playoffs in the final week and opening the postseason at Indianapolis. They needed to beat Oakland and see Buffalo and Denver lose to get in.

The Bills lost to Pittsburgh and the Jags held on to defeat the Raiders. But the Broncos beat the Colts, who rested their starters.

"No team wanted to see us in the playoffs, especially not the Colts," said linebacker Mike Peterson, whose team was the only one to win at Indy this season. "They didn't want to see us again. They remember what happened the last time we played up there, and that was in the back of their minds."

The Jags will remember the season for all the close calls.

It started with consecutive victories against Buffalo, Denver and Tennessee in the waning seconds, earning Jacksonville the nickname "Cardiac Cats."

They lived up to it, too.

Buoyed by a stingy defense that finished seventh in points allowed, the Jags gave themselves a chance to win nearly every game. And they won the majority of them.

"From last year to where we are now, it's a big jump," Peterson said. "And everybody in this locker room is looking for another big jump next year."

Del Rio got credit for the turnaround, and LSU took notice after coach Nick Saban agreed to take the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins. Del Rio agreed to meet with LSU officials Dec. 31, but reportedly canceled the interview when he realized his agent, Gary O'Hagan, had not spoken to team owner Wayne Weaver before setting up the interview.

Del Rio said he wanted Weaver in the loop as a courtesy.

LSU officials, apparently upset with Del Rio's cancellation, hired Oklahoma State's Les Miles.

"It was flattering to hear some of the things regarding an opportunity with LSU. But in the end, I am firm in my commitment to help Wayne build a championship team here in Jacksonville," Del Rio said. "I believe that we are well on our way in that effort. I believe that we've established some things, a foundation that we can build around."
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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