Why Do The Jacksonville Jaguars Have Problems?

This past Sunday, the Jaguars performed poorly against the Philadelphia Eagles, losing the game 28-3. This of course, sent fans into a outrage. The fans should be embarrassed and angry. So what is the problem? Why can't the Jags stay competive in each game? Who is responsible for the Jaguars woes? There are some answers to these questions. Let's take a look.

James "Shack" Harris
He is the former vice president of player personnel for the Jaguars. If you look at all of his roster moves and draft picks, he is largely to blame. Byron Leftwich was his first draft pick and we all know how that turned out. Now he's a backup for the Steelers. Reggie Williams was his next first round selection. This was move based on need. Williams isn't on a NFL roster today. The next year, it was Matt Jones. Jones had trouble with the law and eventually was released by the Jags. He got cut by the Bengals in the offseason.  Reggie Nelson was another of his selections in the draft. He is now with the Bengals because of a trade. Only Derrick Harvey and Mercedes Lewis are the only first round picks from the Harris era still on the Jaguars roster. Jerry Porter was signed under Harris and he wasn't productive. When Harris resigned, Gene Smith was promoted. Now he is responsible to clean up the mess Harris made.

David Garrard
At first, Garrard seemed like the solution at quarterback. He outplayed Byron Leftwich and became the starter. He led the team to its first playoff win since 1999 and gave the fans a reason to be optimistic. But after his $60 million contract, he hasn't been the same. Garrard has been very inconsistent. One game having his highest passing rating, then throwing interceptions and missing receivers in the next game. It looks like he is not the solution any more and Jacksonville will have to address the quarterback position in the upcoming draft.

Pass Defense/Secondary
Coming into the season, all the attention was fixing the pass rush. The Jags weren't getting to the quarterback. By fixing the pass rush, the secondary would improve. So far it has not helped the secondary. The Jaguars have seven sacks after three games, that is half of last year's total. But the secondary keeps getting burned by the opposing quarterback. Michael Vick threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns against Jacksonville. With Peyton Manning coming to town, it doesn't look like it will get any better.

Wayne Weaver
When you look at the troubles the franchise has, it must start at the top. He may have been too excited over the 2007 season. Weaver gave quarterback David Garrard a six-year, $60 million contract extension. Doesn't seem like he deserves that contract anymore. Head coach Jack Del Rio was given a four-year, $21 million extension. Del Rio is 59-59 in his career as head coach.  That says a lot. But Weaver has remained patient with Del Rio. Weaver should take some of the blame.

Going into the week 4 of the NFL season, you are stuck with the players you have. There is no way getting around that. The Jaguars are two good drafts away from being back where they should be. Fans need to be patient. Building a Super Bowl franchise doesn't happen overnight, it takes time. With this year's draft class having a lot of quarterbacks and defensive players to choose from, fans should be optimistic. But as of right now, the Jaguars must win or stay competitive to keep the fan base believing in the team.

Jaguars Week 1 Report

In the season opener, Jacksonville played against the Denver Broncos at newly named Everbank Field. There was a lot of anticipation for this game. The return of Tim Tebow was highly publicized. Fans packed the stadium for the hottest game in Jaguars history and the game was delayed before the fourth quarter because of lightning. But in the end the Jags defeated the Broncos 24-17. Let's look at some of the great performances that stood out.


David Garrard
Garrard had a passer rating of 138.9, which is the third best in franchise history. Yes, he completed 16 of 21 passes, but he threw 3 touchdowns in the game. He was efficient and did not turn the ball over. If Garrard keeps playing like he did in week one, you can expect good things from the Jags offense.

Aaron Kampman
The recently acquired defensive end played with passion and energy. He was brought in for one reason, to put pressure on the quarterback and he did just that. Kampman had nine tackles, 6 quarterback hurries, and 1.5 sacks for the day. Aaron could be a fan favorite in Jacksonville soon.

Daryl Smith
Smith has become one of the most reliable linebackers on the team. He had a great day producing 11 tackles and shut door for a Denver comeback with a final-minute interception.

Kassim Osgood
Osgood was brought to Jacksonville from San Diego mainly for special teams and to get a opportunity to play wide receiver. Well he did his job on Sunday. He made plays on special teams throughout the game and ended up catching the game-winning touchdown.

The Fans
You cheered the hometown team in the heat and some stayed despite the lightning delay. You have injected energy into the franchise. You should be proud of yourself and team this week.

The whole Tebow issue was overrated. As Vic Ketchman, senior editior of jaguars.com, said the game wasn't about Tebow. It was about the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville. By the way, Tebow only entered the game three times and got two rushing yards. Our first round choice, Tyson Alualu tackled him twice and played well throughout the entire game. Right now, it is looking like we made the right choice in the draft.



Next Week: San Diego Chargers
If the Jaguars don't fix their pass defense, it could get ugly with Philip Rivers having a big day. Mike Sims-Walker must get involved in the passing attack next week. The defensive line must continue to put pressure on the quarterback for this team to succeed.

The Return of Football 2010

NFL camps have started and college football is just around the corner. A lot of stuff has happened in the world of football this offseason. From conference expansion to a potential lock-out, there are plenty topics for the American football fan to talk about. Here the storylines for the upcoming football season.

Can Boise St. win a national championship?
This has been up for discussion for a while now. The Broncos have been highly regarded as a top 5 if not a top 3 team in the nation. If they can take out Virginia Tech and Oregon St, and some teams lose, this can come true. Boise St. has become a excellent program and should be given the opportunity to go the title game.

Is there a definite Super Bowl favorite?
The Saints won it all in Miami. But can we rely on them for a repeat? History shows us that the past two champs have not performed well the next year. The Giants and Steelers didn't get it done. Also the NFC South has had different division champion over and over again. The Colts can make a run but they haven't shown much improvement. What about the Vikings? That depends on the old gunslinger, Brett Favre.  What about the Packers? Can they protect Aaron Rodgers? Also, Rex Ryan and the Jets have made major offseason moves to win it all. It is safe to say this season in NFL will be a wild one.

Who will be the next stars of college football?
Bradford, Tebow, and McCoy are all gone. So who will replace them? Ryan Mallet, Christian Ponder, Terrelle Pryor, Mark Ingram, and Andrew Luck are all stars to look out for. Watch out for John Brantley from Florida. He is replacing Tim Tebow at the quarterback position.

How long will Darrelle Revis holdout?
Last year, he shut down everyone number one receiver on the field. He is probably the best cornerback in the league. But he is underpaid. Can the Jets and Revis come to an agreement to get him on the field?

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