Saturday, August 25, 2007

NFL Preview: Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars:

Cheers: If you believe in a strong running game and defense winning you championships, then the Jaguars are contenders to you. Maurice Drew and Fred Taylor provide one of the best running duos in the league, and they have a pretty good line to open holes for them. They have a great defense with Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams being one of the better corner pairs in the league. In addition to them, they can get a good pass rush from the outside and their tackles are huge run stuffers.

Jeers: They have to stay healthy and they have to get something out of their passing game. Between taking sacks and getting hurt, Byron Leftwich hasn’t developed into the player everyone thought he could be. His receivers haven’t helped much, but with Dennis Northcutt in the fold, the passing game has no excuse to not get better. It’s time for them to make the leap and become a good playoff team. They’ve been a fringe playoff team for a few years now, and they need to get over the hump.

On second thought… I sit here looking at the numbers from last year, and I can’t figure out why they weren’t a playoff team. They had one of the best defenses in the league and a pretty strong running game. I find it hard to believe that David Garrard was that detrimental, but I guess he had to have been. Although Dennis Northcutt obviously isn’t an upper echelon player, his speed compliments Leftwich’s ability more than the other, maybe more talented receivers do, and he’ll help out a lot.

New guy who won’t meet expectations: Tony Pashos. I am absolutely baffled that this guy is getting a starting job after he was nothing but mediocre in Baltimore. Baltimore thought so little of him that they got rid of him, and they don’t have a world beating line themselves. I don’t see them getting much of an upgrade at tackle here.

New guy who will meet expectations: Dennis Northcutt. I’ve already talked about him twice, and it’s getting to the point where I’m giving him too much credit. He’s a speedy receiver who will do well with the starting job and Leftwich’s strong arm. He could be the guy that helps the slumbering pass offense wake up.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

FYI: Pashos WAS the starting RT for Baltimore last year, so why is that a surprise that he would be also be the starter for Jacksonville?