2008 NFL Preview > Jacksonville Jaguars Preview

2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Football Preview

Head Coach: Jack Del Rio

2007 Record: 11-5

Key Additions: CB Drayton Florence, DE Quentin Groves, DE Derrick Harvey, QB Cleo Lemon, G Chris Liwienski, WR Jerry Porter, WR Troy Williamson,

Key Losses: CB Terry Cousin, S Sammy Knight, DT Marcus Stroud, WR Earnest Wilford

The Jaguars season began in controversy last year when head coach Jack Del Rio cut quarterback Byron Leftwich and put his faith and perhaps even his job as head coach, in then untested and unheard of, David Garrard. Looking back, 2007 may very well mark the beginning of what could be known as the Garrard era in Jacksonville. The first year starter led Jacksonville to 11 wins and compiled a 102.2 quarterback rating, throwing for 18 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. The team lost to New England in the playoffs and the Jaguars brass seems to have taken the defeat to heart, spending their first two picks (and numerous others in trades to move up in the draft) on pass rushers Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, perhaps in a move designed to emulate the success the Giants front four experienced against New England in the Super Bowl.

2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Offense:

The Jaguars revamped their receiving core, arguably the weakest part of last year’s squad. The team allowed Earnest Wilford to depart in free agency and reeled in receivers Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson. While both players have potential, each wideout has been empty on results the past couple years. Therefore, it’s unlikely the Jaguars’ problems at receiver have been remedied. What is clear is that David Garrard will return to provide the team a reliable option at quarterback. The young veteran is reminiscent of Steve McNair. He’s athletic, mobile and can dish out a hit nearly as well as he can take one. Garrard may even be more accurate than McNair. Moreover, both Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor will continue to churn out yards behind a massive offensive line that is best suited for the type of physical, ball control offense Del Rio takes pride in.

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2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Defense:

The addition of Harvey and Groves should significantly help the Jags pass rush. Both rookies are being counted on to pressure quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, the ladder of who the Jaguars will face twice in the regular season. The defensive line still features veteran standouts Reggie Hayward and John Henderson. Middle linebacker Mike Peterson leads the linebacking corps, although he has had difficulty staying healthy the past two seasons. The secondary is highlighted by top notch corner Rashean Mathis and last year’s first round pick, safety Reggie Nelson. The defense could miss Marcus Stroud’s ability to clog up rushing lanes. While the Jacksonville defense features a stable of talent, it allowed 19 points a game last year, good for 10 th in the league. The pressure will be on the coaching staff to employ better schemes and blitz packages instead of nearly exclusively fielding a vanilla look on defense.

2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Special Teams:

Maurice Jones-Drew rates as a quality return man on kickoffs. Fortunately for Jacksonville, Dennis Northcutt is better at fielding punts than he is at catching would-be touchdown passes in the playoffs. The kicking game is comprised of Josh Scobee and punter Adam Podlesh.

2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Expectations:

While Jacksonville has made some key improvements, most notably to their pass rush, they still must overtake the Colts in order to win the division. To accomplish this goal, the rookies will need to perform admirably and former Raider receiver Jerry Porter must stay healthy and fulfill his once considerable potential. Also, Garrard and Jones-Drew will need to continue to improve.

2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Prediction: 2nd place in the AFC South

By Glenn Katzman
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer

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