Jaguars Quarterly Report

The Jacksonville Jaguars have reached the quarter pole of their 2009 season, and it has been a season of highs and lows thus far. The Jaguars end the first quarter with a record of 2-2 (2-1 in the AFC South), and are riding a wave of momentum coming off a game that saw them throttle the hated Tennessee Titans. Today, we are going to take a look back at the first four games, acknowledge some bright spots on the roster, and point out some things that have been disappointments up to this point. Week One. Week one saw the Jaguars take on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Although the Colts came away with a 14-12 victory, there was cause for optimism among the Jaguars fans. The Colts are one of the top teams in the NFL, and the rebuilding Jaguars were very competitive, and were in the game until the very end. While it was a loss, and there was some cause for concern, all-in-all the game left a fairly good taste in the mouths of the Jaguars faithful. Week Two. Whatever good taste that may have been in the mouths of the fans after the Colts game was long gone, replaced by bile, when the final whistle blew on the 2009 home opener against the Arizona Cardinals. A mere 38,000 people wintnessed what has become widely considered to be one of the worst performances in Jaguars history. Though the final score was 31-17, the game was not nearly as close as that score indicates. By the end of the third quarter, Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner had exited the game, as had the majority of fans in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. There was much angst in the week that followed. Sports talk radio shows and Jaguars-related message boards were being blown up with angry cries for the heads of head coach Jack Del Rio and quarterback David Garrard. Del Rio didn't do himself any favors by making two huge public relations gaffes, which I chronicled in an earlier post, during the week that followed. Week Three. Things took a turn for the better in week three, as the Jaguars headed west to take on the Houston Texans. The Texans, as is often the case when the Jaguars come to town, were decked out in their ridiculous "Battle Red" uniforms. Aided by the debut of rookie wide receiver Mike Thomas, the Jaguars finally appeared to open up offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter's playbook, and the team outlasted the Texans for a 31-24 victory. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew scored three touchdowns to lead the way, in a performance that earned him both the AFC Offensive Player of the Week and FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week awards. Week Four. The Tennessee Titans rolled into town week four, and found themselves getting rolled by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars dominated the Titans from start to finish, winning 37-17 and dropping Jeff Fisher and his team to 0-4. This was one of the best performances by the Jaguars in recent memory, led by David Garrard and wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker, and as fans were exiting the stadium there was a sense of excitement about the team that had been missing for a while. It was fun to be a Jaguars fan again. Now that we have reviewed the first four games, let's take a look at the Jaguars top perfomers of the first quarter: MVP = Maurice Jones-Drew. Entering the season, some were concered that Jones-Drew wouldn't be up to the task of replacing Fred Taylor as the Jaguars featured back. There were questions about his being able to be an every downs back due to his size. Jones-Drew has thus far proved his naysayers wrong, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and scoring 5 touchdowns, in addition to being a dangerous receiver out of the backfield. Offensive MVP = Maurice Jones-Drew. It wouldn't make much sense to name him the team MVP if he's not the the offensive MVP now, would it? Top Offensive Rookie = Mike Thomas. While both the club's top two draft picks, Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, have been starters since opening day, it's been wide receiver Mike Thomas who has had the greatest impact. After being inactive the first two games, Thomas has helped spark the Jaguars offense since being inserted into the lineup. Thomas' speed and quickness give the Jaguars the ability to stretch the field horizontally - something that has been missing for a long time. Defensive MVP = Rashean Mathis. The Jaguars cornerback is quietly having an outstanding start to the season. He has effectively taken the opposing teams top receivers out of the game, as teams are opting not to throw in his direction. Mathis is having a Pro Bowl type season, although, due to the fact that teams aren't throwing at him, he might have a hard time intercepting enough balls to earn that recognition. Top Defensive Rookie = Terrance Knighton. This was a tough call, as both the defensive tackle and cornerback Derek Cox have become major contributors on the defensive side of the ball. What gives Knighton the edge is the fact that he has been the one who has enabled the Jaguars to go mostly to a 3-4 defensive scheme, which became even more imperative after defensive end Reggie Hayward was lost early in the season with a broken leg. Knighton has been a beast in the middle, and looks to be a fixture for many years to come. Worth the Wait = Mike Sims-Walker. Jaguars fans have heard about the talent and the potential of Mike Sims-Walker for over two years. After battling injuries and other issues his first two years in the league, Sims-Walker has emerged as the number one wide receiver the Jaguars have been looking for since the retirement of Jimmy Smith. He has come on to show that he is a true star-in-the-making, and has the look of a player who can quickly become one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. Thankfully, the Jaguars did not give up on him, as he appears to have been well worth the wait. Most Underrated = Josh Scobee. Josh Scobee is the most underrated kicker in the NFL. It is not even close. He has a huge leg - touchbacks are the norm for him and he has the potential to connect on a field goal anywhere inside of 60 yards. Plus, you have to admire a kicker that isn't afraid to get fired up and draw a personal foul every now and then.