Jacksonville Jaguars (Black and Teal)

Team MVP: Part of me is still expecting to wake up at the Jaguars' 2007 opening game as I hear the name "Byyyyyyyron Leftwich!" over the speakers. It wouldn't be a bad season, but it would be a season of seeing Josh Scobee trot out to win us our games through field goals. David Garrard turned around our team. I don't see this year being any different and with new weapons in the backfield we may finally have a good chance at that Super Bowl run we've been craving. Pinch me, please. I feel like I am dreaming. Break-Out Player: Troy Williamson. Don't worry, I have already prepared myself for the rush of Vikings fans who will both laugh at me and feel immense pity at the same time. That kid has worked so hard in the offseason and I can't possibly imagine how that won't pay off. He has been great at the camps and he seems genuinely happy to be in Jacksonville. Biggest Disappointment: It could be any wide receiver, honestly. With all the big moves made in the off season, the wide receivers are expected to step up. Our wide receivers coach Todd Monken did an amazing job last year and is expected to do the same again. However, I can see them faltering and leading us to pursue the run game once again. Fantasy Stud: Is their really anyone else but Maurice Jones-Drew who is a break-out fantasy player? The Jaguars truly play as a team with no one person racking up the fantasy points. Though, between Maurice and Fred, Fred is the one who gets the yards, and Maurice is the one who gets the touchdowns. Offensive Outlook: The offense has changed a lot in the off season but there are some constants. We still have David Garrard. We still have Fred Taylor. We still have Maurice Jones-Drew. We still have Reggie Williams. We still have Greg Jones. We did pretty well last year with those guys without all the weapons we added. Who knows what could happen now? Unfortunately, the ability of the weapons is largely unknown. Troy Williamson, until proven otherwise, is the Vikings' first round bust. Jerry Porter has the ability, but he tore his hamstring in the spring and will be out preseason at least. Reggie Williams will also miss preseason after undergoing surgery. On a different note, I would like to give some love to our long snapper Joe Zelenka who has been with the team forever and who is absolutely awesome at what he does. No one mentions the long snapper, but I remember watching him at training camp last year and seeing him own the drills he was doing. Go Joe. Defensive Diagnosis: Mmmmm yeeeeeeeeeees. The Jaguars and defense go together like football and fall. We lost Stroud but that isn't really as big of a deal as lot of sports commentators made it out to be. Stroud is a big guy with an ankle injury that won't heal. He got suspended last year for taking supplements when he was trying to get over that injury. The Jaguars played just fine without him. Rashean Mathis got a lot of flak last year for not being quite as good as he was previous years. I will admit it, I like Rashean a lot. My heartstrings get tugged at when there is a hometown player. Keep that bias in mind when you read the next part. Part of the reason he wasn't doing as well is that he got injured and was recovering. The other reason he didn't have a standout year is because a lot of defenses didn't test him. In fact, they didn't throw anywhere near him and instead threw toward then rookie Reggie Nelson. With Nelson coming into his own in his second year, and with Mathis playing at his usual level, they will be a real threat. That will be especially true if you consider the two additions to the team: Quentin Groves and Derrick Harvey. They were drafted to help the Jaguars' pass rush. In theory they will rush the pass right into Mathis' or Nelson's hands. Groves has been outstanding in the camps so far, so there is no reason to believe that he wasn't a critical addition to the team. With the new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the Jaguars should have a shaking-in-your-boots scary defense. Also, John Henderson gets smacked in the face before he goes out to play a game. Be afraid opposing offenses, be afraid. "Red Letter" Game: The Thursday night game where the Colts take on the Jaguars at Jacksonville. It is later in the season and it could truly be the deciding spot of the AFC South champion. Projected Record/Outlook: We're all optimistic before the season actually starts up so take this with a grain of salt. Assuming we play better than we did last year and everyone else plays about the same (because isn't that how we as fans blindly predict our records?) I am guessing about 11 - 5 with loses against the Colts (once), Denver, Houston (once), Baltimore and another random one thrown in for its humbling ability. The Jaguars have the advantage of having a lot of their harder games at home instead of on the road. They just have to make sure to put their division rivals in place. Parting Smack: Tennessee Titans: The Jaguars are looking to change the tides and get their first AFC South title. The Titans, however, are just looking for a way to change out the oil in Jeff Fisher's hair. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are moving stadiums this year. Hopefully, they won't be moving the fake crowd noise with them. Oh, wait, no. That's right. You want me to believe that is actually the fans because god knows the people of Indianapolis have a lot of spunk. Houston Texans: The Texans are hoping for their first winning season this year. Unfortunately, the only team they can beat is the Jaguars. - Jeanne Alexis