Jacksonville @ Tennessee Live Blog

Jaguars at Titans Preview

You gotta love starting off your season by battling it out with your number one rival. The Titans are the only team that defeated Jaguars the year they made their true Superbowl run. The Jaguars lost to them twice in the regular season and then lost again in the AFC Championship game. The Titans went on to lose the Super Bowl by one yard. This season gave cause for Jeff Fisher to boil the blood of many when he said “playing at Jacksonville is like playing at home.” Screw you, buddy. 

Last year we started off the season with a  game against them. The weather was nasty humid in Jacksonville and the Jaguars just hadn’t got into the swing of the game yet. How could they? They just booted Byron Leftwich in favor of David Garrard. The defence didn’t look ready, either. The Titans ran down our throats and defeated the Jaguars 13-10. It gave cause for the media to talk about the Jaguars’ conditioning. Well, Jack Del Rio hopes that won’t be a problem this year. He kept his starters in games much longer this time around. 

The Jaguars took vengeance against the Titans when they went to play them at home last year. Not only did the Jaguars defeat them, Fred Taylor got his 10,000th yard that game. Can they defeat them at home this year to start the season off on the right foot?

The Jaguars are playing with raised expectations after last year success but in order to meet those expectations they are going to have to battle it out with divisional foes. We face all three of them within the first four weeks. The Jaguars must start off strong in order to contend with the rest of the AFC South since it is an extremely competitive division. The Titans are the first ones. They must win this game. 

Vic’s Ten Things

I love me some Vic Ketchum. You can read the rest of this article here. Hey, Danny boy. He’s got the Cowboys beating the Chargers in the Super Bowl. 

Here are 10 things the Jaguars have to do to beat the Titans in Sunday’s season-opener.

1. Stop the run—The Titans want to run the ball; must run the ball. Stop the Titans’ running game and you stop the Titans.

2. Achieve balance—The Jaguars have the quarterback now to keep the eighth man out of the box, and that should allow the Jaguars’ running game to be even more effective.

3. Make him be a passer—No scramble yards; Vince Young must be kept in the pocket and forced to make plays with his arm.

4. Win special teams—Jeff Fisher likes to spring a special teams surprise and he’s had an entire summer to prepare one. The Jaguars had a whole summer, too.

5. Focus—Distractions must be eliminated. This is the regular season. This is a division game in a season in which the expectation is for the Jaguars to win a division title. Embrace the importance of this game.

6. Be firm on the left side—Left tackle Khalif Barnes and left guard Vince Manuwai must hold their own against Kyle Vanden Bosch and Albert Haynesworth.

7. Show your worth—A lot of money has been invested in the Jaguars’ receiving corps. It’s time for it to pay dividends.

8. Quiet the crowd—A whole offseason of energy will be released across the country this weekend, which will make it very difficult for visiting teams. What do you do to defeat it? Control the ball and win time of possession. Long, sustained drives by the opposition are demoralizing for the home folks.

9. Make the heat your ally—That’s what the Titans did in Jacksonville last year and it was embarrassing for the Jaguars.

10. Win the turnover battle—Ok, let’s get this out of the way right now. Winning the turnover battle is always number one, but I don’t want to write that week after week after week, so let’s acknowledge right now the importance of winning the turnover battle and I won’t bore you with that coachspeak any more this season.

Injury Report

Jaguars: C Brad Meester (left, biceps), WR Jerry Porter (hamstring), and DT Derek Landri (quadriceps) are out. CB Scott Starks (pectoral) is questionable. TE Greg Estandia (knee), G Maurice Williams (knee) and WR Reggie Williams (hamstring) are probable.

Titans: DT Jason Jones (elbow) and RB Quinton Ganther (hamstring) are questionable. QB Vince Young (hamstring) is probable

Not on the injury report is Richard Collier who, after being shot in a Jacksonville neighborhood, is still recovering in a local hospital. He is still in intensive care but is recovering slowly. 

Fun Facts

The Jaguars have the best record on opening day in the NFL at 9-4. Obviously the data is skewed because of how long the Jaguars have been the league but hey, I’ll take it.

The Prediction

I am hoping for a defensive bloodbath. Vince Young is just not very good at that whole “throwing touchdowns and not interceptions” thing. Also, our run defense looked good in every game this preseason except the Dolphins game (the game where EVERYONE looked bad). Reggie Nelson is going to at least get one pick. However, the offensive might take a while to warm up, leading people to ask if David Garrard has faded back into mediocrity. The Jaguars are going to pull of a win after banding together like a team in support of Collier. 

 

Marcellus Wiley Shines Light On Collier Shooting After Talking To Kenny Pettway

Marcus Wiley, former member of the Jaguars, shined some light on Richard Collier’s shooting after talking to Kenny Pettway. Wiley was so kind as to put it into words in this blog entry. 

After talking to KP,  who in his own words said, “We didn’t do anything, weren’t trying to do anything, just sitting in the car…they ran up on us and just start shooting…they didn’t try to rob us or anything.”  

Lucky to be alive, living in a state of shock and thankful for his next breath of life, I hung up the phone after assuring him that I would give him a call when his emotions stabilized and he was rested.  Understandably so, he had not been to sleep since the incident occurred. 

Don’t just read my excerpt. It is a great read.

Key facts:

There was no attempt robbery. 
It was a “they”.

I feel for Pettway. I can’t imagine how he must feel. It was just fortunate that he was there because if he hadn’t been there would be no telling what would have happened. 

The last update I heard was the Collier was still in critical but stable condition. 

Jaguars Richard Collier Shot, Faces Life Threatening Injuries

From here:

Jefferson said Collier and former Jaguar Kenneth Pettway had been out clubbing in the San Marco area when they met two women. The two men followed the women to Riverside near St. Vincent’s Medical Center, police said, with the plan to drop the females’ vehicle off and continue socializing in one vehicle.

While waiting outside the Riverside apartment, Jefferson said, someone walked up to the Cadillac Escalade and fired off a number of shots striking Collier, who was behind the wheel. Pettway was not injured in the attack.

The local TV news is talking about it right now. They apparently ran a story last night about how Collier was always the biggest guy on his team: “He made a joke that even when he was on his peewee team he was 5′10”.”

I am leaving for school til nine tonight so check Jacksonville.com for updates.

Here are hopes for a speedy recovery.

A Look Back on Jaguars.com Layouts — Boring… But… Interesting

As a blogger, I appreciate a well designed website. Even though it is 2008, a lot of site owners just don’t get good website design. That is why it is so refreshing to see a professional, well thought out design. Especially when it is done by your local sport team!

Here is a look at Jaguar layouts throughout the years, thanks in part to The Wayback Machine.

November 7, 1996

This is the first record of the Jaguars.com website. Honestly, I was nine when this thing came about. I am not entirely convinced my parents even had the internet at this point. The site obviously doesn’t even take up the screen and the layout leaves something to be desired. However, it was still better than 99.9% websites out there.

March 9, 2000

Well, they are taking up more of the page now with the classic salute to frames on the right side of the screen. Unfortunately, the Wayback Machine didn’t archive the images however it does bring a nostalgic tear to my eye seeing some old school names on the Jaguar website.

January 19, 2001

Oh yes, yes yes! Pictures! Mark Brunnel saying he wants to stay in Jacksonville (as a side note, he was seen playing quarterback for the Saints this preseason)! You can see the evolution of the website. Or, for you Jacksonvillians, the intelligent design of the website.

They keep with that design for a while before spicing it up with some new names!

February 3, 2003

Take note of the {brackets around the name} at the top of the window. If I remember correctly, that was the trend then. However, my memory is not one to be trusted because in 2003 I was more concerned with that cutie theater boy in my bio class than web trends. Also note that is announcing Quinn Gray getting signed. I’m still rooting for you, Gray.

January 2, 2005

Again, the site isn’t taking up the whole screen. I think this points more toward the 800×600 resolution of the past than anything. As you can tell, more and more features are developing as the website comes into its own. In case you were wondering, the “No bikinis in Jacksonville” story was not archived. However, this is what Vic Ketchum said about David Carr:

Joe from Waterloo, NE: Do the Texans just match-up against us better, or does David Carr see something we don’t because he is 4-1 against the Jaguars in his career?
Vic: Let’s examine that 4-1. David Carr’s first win against the Jaguars was in 2002 and it was the result of a special teams trick play by the Texans. His next win came last season in Houston and it was the result of a fumble by Byron Leftwich, who was making his first-ever start, as the Jaguars were trying to kill the clock and protect a lead. Carr’s two wins this season, however, were clearly the result of his performance. I was very impressed by Carr this season. Texans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer has Carr on the move in and out of the pocket and I think that has clearly helped him overcome a low release point that I thought could jeopardize his career. Carr has developed this season into one of the game’s bright-young quarterbacks and he will be a tough foe for the Jaguars in the seasons ahead. I don’t know about matching-up well. He’s just good.

Poor David Carr.

January 1, 2006

Look at the resolutions on those photos! Makes me cringe. Even my high school newspaper had better quality photos. I am glad I cannot read Vic’s in-game blog from that day. I am pretty certain it is the day of the playoff game we did not deserve to be in. The Patriots trounced us. Again. Again, take note of the added features. The website has become very loud.

February 6, 2007

And then, as it starts to get loud, it becomes suddenly simplistic. Unfortunately, what ever feature they had going did not translate into the Wayback Machine. It flipped between the major stories every few seconds or so. It looked pretty sleak.

There was another design after this that was changed today. Again, the Wayback Machine didn’t archive it well. In fact, all the images are broken and the layout is completely gone. How sad.

As you can see, the website has changed drastically over the years. It has grown up with the team. It only makes sense that a team that grew up with the internet would have one of the better NFL sites. The team started with a web design team. They have always been there and have developed well over time.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at these other NFL team sites. I mean. Seriously. Can we say barf?

Fred Taylor’s Brush With The Law Is Bull

Jaguar fans across Jacksonville got up in arms yesterday after finding out about Fred Taylor’s disorderly conduct charge. Since yesterday, more information has been released. The daughter of a public defender’s gut instinct proved correct: the charge stinks of bull.

From the Florida Times Union:

Adam B. Swickle, Taylor’s Fort Lauderdale-based attorney, explained the incident as a “catch-all” situation involving officers responding to reports from inside the club about patrons outside fighting, some of which were possibly carrying firearms. The potential for danger in this situation necessitated officers detaining nearly everyone standing outside the club.

Taylor was apparently getting into his car as police arrived at the scene, and authorities ordered the running back to put his hands on the hood of the car while patting him down and searching the vehicle for firearms and drugs with a police K-9 unit. According to Swickle, Miami Beach police searched at least two other patrons standing outside the club.

“Apparently, what Fred was cited for had nothing to do with why they came there,” Swickle said. “They put Fred and other people out there up against cars, they searched Fred for guns and drugs, and Fred and the officer had choice words with each other. The police apparently decided that’s disorderly conduct.”

So Fred Taylor was at a club where some people got into a scuffle, some of whom “were possibly carrying firearms”. Taylor was leaving when the police got there and they decided not to interview him but ordered him to put his hands on his car and they then searched his car for drugs (note: nothing to do with fighting). Taylor, a well dressed large black man in a nice car, got searched for drugs and probably mouthed off to the police officers because SERIOUSLY WHAT WAS HE DOING TO DESERVE BEING SEARCHED?

I work in the misdemeanor courts here in Jacksonville and I don’t think I can remember any cases where some one came in for disorderly conduct and disorderly conduct alone. It is a charge they tack on to something like a DUI or battery when the defendant resists arrest.

Taylor’s attorney seems to have the same line of thinking:

“I expect this to completely go away,” Swickle said. “He didn’t do anything wrong. Assuming he even had choice words with an officer - let’s assume that happened at a worst-case scenario - that’s not obstructing [justice], that’s not resisting arrest, that’s not disorderly conduct. It’s nothing. I haven’t read what police say happened, but I imagine as quickly as it happened is as quickly as it will go away. At least that’s our intent and that’s based on the knowledge I have of the facts.”

Yeah. While Fred is at practice, his lawyer is going to appear and the charge is going to get dropped because it is all sorts of silly.

Jaguars Down To 53 With Roster Cuts That Pack No Surprises

The following players were cut:

QB Todd Bouman
RB Ciatrick Fason
LB Tony Gilbert
DT Jesse Mahelona
DE Kenny Pettway
DE Bo Schobel
DB Trae Williams
TE Chris Brown
DE Mkristo Bruce
OT Andrew Carnahan
TE Charles Davis
CB Isaiah Gardner
CB Michael Grant
WR Ryan Hoag
G/OT Pete McMahon
C/G Drew Miller
CB Rashod Moulton
LB Lamar Myles
WR D’Juan Woods

There were grumbles over if the Jaguars would keep Todd Bouman as the third string quarterback after his strong performance in the preseason. Obviously, Jack and company thought Cleo Lemon performed well enough behind the first string offensive line.

Both D’Juan Woods and Ryan Hoag were competing with Troy Williamson for that final wide receiver spot. Willaimson didn’t really get much of a chance to play in preseason due to nagging, unknown injury but he performed amazingly well in the final game against the Redskins. Williamson’s touchdown pass sealed his spot on the roster. Too bad. I was hoping for Hoag to get the spot so I could get the rest of the Jaguar world to call him “Bachelorette” (coined after ther reality tv show he was in).

I am glad Thomas Williams made the team. I have been following him closely because he has a blog on yardbarker:

When I got drafted by Jacksonville I went in as realistic as possible. I knew that you aren’t guaranteed anything and that you never know when it’s going to be over. That’s why I focused on enjoying every moment: the games, the practices, taking plane trips, walking through airports, getting the veterans food, everything. I was going to prepare and play as hard as I could and just see what happens. I prayed before our last preseason game at Washington. I went out there and for 60 minutes I was going to leave everything out there. After the game I had no regrets. We had the day off yesterday, and then a team meeting, and Coach told us that if you’re not a starter to keep your phones on and stay in Jacksonville. A few guys had already been released but they had more cuts to make to get to the limit. I called one of the guys in the front office today, right before the USC game started to find out what time the cuts were going to be made. He told me congratulations Thomas, you’ve made it. The cuts have already been made. I immediately called my mom and told her. I knew she was waiting. She called this morning to say hi. She was really happy and that lifted a weight off of her shoulders. I called my dad and he was excited. I got text messages from a bunch of my friends because they had been following it too. I must say, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. It was a goal and I’m thrilled, but it hasn’t fully hit me. I’m sure after watching the Trojans today with my friends it will start to hit me. I am officially a Jacksonville Jaguar!

Brian Witherspoon, an undrafted free agent, also made the team. He is going to be our return man because he is crazy fast. It is always good to see an undrafted guy make the team. It is those stories that make preseason worth it.

Jaguars Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith Arrested In The Same Day

Today is not a good day to be a Jaguar.

Former Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith was arrested early this morning at a DUI checkpoint. He had an open beer and some pot so not only was he charged with the DUI but with open container and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. All three are misdemeanors. Jacksonville lawyer Hank Coxe, who represented Brian Williams in his acquitted DUI trial, is representing Smith.

“I’m dealing with a very difficult, very personal issue and I know this is not the solution,” Smith told the Times-Union during a phone interview Saturday. “Everybody has issues. My issues are just magnified.”

To make matters worse, Fred Taylor was charged with disorderly conduct. Honestly, I am very skeptial about Taylor’s case. Details haven’t surfaced yet but he wasn’t taken into jail. I am obviously bias but it just seems like the case of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Jaguars Finish On A High Note With Redskins Defeat

Jaguar fans knew that Derrick Harvey was going to play after his long absence. The first round draft pick missed not only training camp but every other preseason game. This was going to be his first time on the big stage. That story completely overtook the struggles that the bubble guys were facing in the fan’s eyes.

Many Jaguars didn’t even play. That is not really a shock considering it was the last preseason game and they already proved themselves against Tampa. Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, Paul Spicer, John Henderson and Reggie Hayward were among the men who had not dressed out. However, David Garrard trotted out onto the field for the first series.

The Jaguars’ first attempt to bring the ball down the field fell short. After a nice Adam Podlesh kick, the Redskins found themselves on their own 18 yard line. They were coming out to try to recover after their crushing defeat against Carolina. Unfortunately for them, Mike Peterson found himself running back toward the Jaguar end zone after Rashean Mathis tipped the ball. After a few failed run attempts by Greg Jones and a nice catch by Matt Jones, Reggie Williams caught a touchdown pass. Of course, Scobee’s extra point was good and the Jaguars were up 7 - 0. 

The Redskins tried to regain their footing after a Scobee kick off. The Jaguars’ first string defense was in and they had no chance. After losing a time out due to a failed challenge, the Redskins punted the ball away. Garrard threw a nice pass to Matt Jones (who kept on going). Jones looked fantastic all day and you could see that Garrard really trusted him. In fact, Garrard trusted him so much that they went for a long ball and Garrard got intercepted. The safety for the Redskins saw the ball lopped high and long in the air and got to it quickly. It was a good play on his part but it wasn’t necessarily a pass Garrard had any right throwing. He did get hit after he threw it so maybe he was a bit rushed. Thanks, offensive line.

Despite the offensive line letting Garrard get knocked up, the defensive line played amazingly. The Redskins suffered another three and out and Cleo Lemon came in. Lemon got the advantage of once again playing behind the first string offensive line so the Jaguars could really see what he was made of. Two passes to Mike Walker had the Jaguars driving down the field. Troy Williamson got his first catch of the preseason (it was the first game he really played, Viking fans) and continued the assault on the Redskins. A Lemon pass to Greg Estandia insured a touchdown and the Jaguars were up 14 - 0. Unfortunately, Mo Williams suffered a sprained right knee on this drive. Uche Nwaneri replaced him.

Colt Brennan came in for the Redskins at this point and drove it down the field enough for the Redskins to get their first and only points: a field goal. The Jaguars got the ball back to eat down the final minutes of the first half. This is the point where Chauncy Washington started to shine. Scobee kicked a field goal and put the Jaguars up 17 - 3. 

At the end of the half, Lemon had a 122.9 passer rating. Washington ran for 42 yards on six carries and also had 32 yards receiving. Todd Bouman came in after another failed drive by the Redskins in the start of the second half. 

From Vic’s in-game blog:

8/28/08 at 8:42 PM

Derrick Harvey is in the game.

8/28/08 at 8:42 PM

He’s at left defensive end. I think that’s noteworthy.

8/28/08 at 8:43 PM

Now he’s at right end. I think that’s noteworthy, too.

8/28/08 at 8:45 PM

Now he’s at left end. By the way, has anyone seen Quentin Groves?

8/28/08 at 8:45 PM

Now he’s out of the game.

8/28/08 at 8:48 PM

Harvey is back in.

Richard Collier ruined the Jaguars drive with more than one flag against him. Not good considering he is fighting the starting job. The game itself actually became a flag fest at the end. Nothing too remarkable happened. Oh. Wait. No. Troy Williamson caught an awesome 51 yard pass by Bouman for another Jacksonville touchdown! Yay Williamson. Jacksonville won the game 24 - 3.

Jaguar fans should be excited about the preseason. Fans were spelling out doom and gloom when the Dolphins marched all over us. However, the defense is looking much better than they did last year and there is a lot of depth there. The passing game isn’t secure but the run game still looks great. Reggie Nelson has been fantastic. Matt Jones has really stepped up. The team looked ready to play next week against the Tennessee Titans. They better be. Besides the fact that it is a divisional game, the Titans deserve to be crushed. Screw you, Jeff Fisher.

Jags Trim Down To 75 Man Roster, Two Veterans And Three Rookies Get The Ax

The Jacksonville Jaguars cut five players on Tuesday to trim down to the required 75 man roster. Two veteran players, Isaac Smolko (TE) and John Broussard (WR) were among the five cut. The other three, Alex Boston (DE), Clyde Edwards (WR) and Jeron Harvey (WR) were rookies.

If you look at the positions these guys played, you can pretty much gather why they were cut even without seeing them play. Smolko was a career practice squad guy who got signed and cut by the Jaguars more than once. He was also one of eight tight ends that the Jaguars had collected. The same can be said about Broussard who had been tettering on the edge for quite some time. Even with Broussard, Edwards and J. Harvey getting the ax, the Jaguars have seven wide receivers on their current roster. There was talk of Matt Jones being one of the guys who was booted until his outstanding preseason performance. That is when it became obvious that Broussard was going to be the one to go.

The Jaguars have until August 30th to slim their roster down to the traditional 53 man roster we know and love. Several players will be playing for their job in the final preseason game against the Washington Redskins tomorrow night.

For example, Del Rio likes to keep only two quarterbacks around so that draws into question Todd Bouman’s performance over the preseason. Bouman played well against Miami, scoring us the only two touchdowns we got that night. He may have earned himself a bench spot at third string, especially if he plays particularly well against Washington.

Wide receiver, as mentioned above, is bloated at seven. Reggie Williams, Dennis Northcutt, Matt Jones and Mike Walker have all but guaranteed themselves a spot on the roster. Jerry Porter, with his large contract, will also make the roster despite not playing due to injury. Will Del Rio want to keep a sixth one around? Troy Williamson probably hopes so.

There are other bubble guys that are looking to fill up back up spots. Jamaal Fudge (a Jacksonville native) and Pierson Prioleau (the guy who made game saving plays in both the Tampa Bay and Atlanta games) are battling at defensive back. Uche Nwaneri and Tutan Reyes are looking to fill in Brad Meester’s spot as he recovers.

This is what preseason is about. This is what makes it interesting. Some people enjoy freaking out about the first stringer’s performance but that isn’t really the story. It is about these bubble guys who are fighting desperately to get a job doing what they love to do. It is about finding those guys who are the undrafted break out players. It is its own excitement.

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