It looked as if the Jacksonville Jaguars were on their way to establishing themselves in the division. That was before the 2008 season, in which they went 5 – 11. What went wrong? What was the problem? After winning forty games in four seasons, including coming off of an eleven win season, the Jaguars simply crumbled. Their pass defense was the glaring problem in 2008, ranking twenty-forth in the league. The Jags landed in the middle of the pack in most other major categories, both offensively and defensively. They gave up a robust 22.9 points per game while putting up a meager 18.9 per game. The statistics would seem to show a middle of the road team, but the points per game was indicative of their 5 win season. This seems to show a lack of play-making ability. It appears to makes sense, when all I can see in the playmaking department is Maurice Jones-Drew. The formula of the Jaguars used to be stout defense and a high octane running game. Last year, the defense fell apart and the passing game didn’t allow the running game to really flourish. A poor offensive line that just wasn’t getting the job done was the root cause of the failures with the ball.

The offseason prior to the 2008 left the Jaguars defense with holes that they couldn’t refill. They lost Marcus Stroud, Sammy Knight, and Bobby McCray. In addition the 2008 season brought defensive leader, Mike Peterson’ falling out of favor with the coaching staff and saw nearly zero production out of their first round pass rusher Derrick Harvey. In the past, the Jacksonville defense was capable of stopping the run with so much efficiency that they made the game practically one-dimensional. The loss of Marcus Stroud seems to be bigger than expected. Rob Meier is a quality player, but Stroud and John Henderson made for the league’s best run stuffing tandem. The next two levels of the defense showed they are not good enough to play behind an average defensive line.  With almost no pass rush and an average run stopping front, their defensive back field was exposed.

 

Even though the Jaguars had a disappointing 2008 season, all is not lost. There is young talent on defense that needs to step up, and if they can, the Jags should see much improvement. Maurice Jones-Drew will have his chance to really lead this team as their feature running back. He will have an opportunity to run behind a new look offensive line. They have quite a few possible combinations at offensive line, but if they find a combination that works well together, we should see an offense that can bring a much needed new spark. The addition of Torry Holt should also help David Garrard in his mission of freeing up Jones-Drew, so he can show just how special he really is.

 A rundown of what the Jaguars should look like in 2009:

QB: David Garrard is really a solid QB in all facets of the game, including managing an offense and making big plays with his legs when needed.

RB: Maurice Jones-Drew seems like a special back and will get a chance to show his abilities full time, and he will have to. With only four starts in his career, coupled with the absense of  the services of Fred Taylor, he appears to be all alone back there.

WR: The addition of Torry Holt is a much need addition to a group that did not have a true number one last season. Holt will lead a less than stellar group in the average Dennis Northcutt, the under achieving Troy Williamson, and the young Mike Walker. The Jaguars are truly hoping Maurice Jones-Drew will be able to take the pressure off of, and open up the field for this mediocre at best receiving core.

TE: Marcedes Lewis is a beast of a man that has progressed with every season and is expect to continue to do so.

OL: They have an interesting situation with three new tackles being added. They signed the veteran LT Tra Thomas from the Eagles and drafted OTs in both the 1^st and 2^nd round of the draft. Eugene Monroe was the tackle taken in the first round and should be a day one starter at RT. Last year they kicked Maurice Williams inside to guard and would probably have to do the same with last year’s starting RT Tony Pashos if he is going to stay on the field. There should be plenty of competition to go around, so I expect to see a pretty good offensive line to shake out from this talented group.

DL: They feature an absolute monster in John Henderson and a quality counterpart in Rob Meier. They drafted a DE in the 1^st and 2^nd round of last year’s draft, so they are hoping to see more production out of both Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves in their second seasons. They also have Reggie Hayward whose return his pass rushing ways he could truly bolster their defense.

LB: A youth movement has started within the group. With the departure of Mike Peterson, the veteran Daryl Smith, moved into the middle. This gives 2007’s second round draft pick, Justin Durant, to play full time at outside linebacker along with 2006’s third round pick, Clint Ingram. There is obviously not a lot of experience here, but head coach and former LB, Jack Del Rio, can shape this trio into a productive line backing core.

Secondary: Rashean Mathis is a top level CB and with the addition of safety Sean Considine from Philadelphia, this Brian Williams stays home at the other CB spot. Williams is a tackling machine at CB and Reggie Nelson is their free safety, rounding out a good tandem that needs to play even better this season. A little help from their friends on the defensive line would be a welcomed commodity and could lead to a higher level of play out of this group.

After a few years of climbing into the NFL’s upper echelon, the Jaguars fell back to the cellar in 2008. This season brings new faces, a new outlook, and a hope of getting back to their winning ways. There are definite questions with this year’s Jaguars, but if Coach Del Rio can bring this group together, there appears to be sunshine in Jacksonville’s future.

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