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Last Year
Year two of Jack Del Rio's tenure began with a roar as the Jaguars started 5-2, including a victory against the mighty Indianapolis Colts. But nicks and cuts to quarterback Byron Leftwich and running back Fred Taylor led to offensive inconsistencies and the Jaguars only won four games the rest of the way. When it comes to young, ambitious teams climbing the ranks in the NFL, it doesn't get much better than the Jaguars.
What We Learned From Last Year
If you had any sort of heart condition last season, your family physician likely advised you to avoid watching any Jacksonville Jaguars football games.
The Jaguars quickly developed the nickname "cardiac cats" early on in the season as their first five wins were decided with less than a minute of playing time remaining and their sixth win came in overtime.
In his two seasons in Jacksonville, head coach Jack Del Rio has installed a scrappy mentality for his team. If they aren't winning, they always seem to be within a possession. In 2003, the Jaguars lost six games by seven points or less, in 2004, they were within one score in the fourth quarter of six of their seven losses.
One of the main reasons for their competitiveness can be attributed to two players: Pro Bowl defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.
They combined for 10 sacks last year and were a 640-pound roadblock in every opponents running game. With their imposing presence, the Jaguars were able to dictate their physical style of play, and more importantly, keep opponents within striking distance.
Strong tackle play always frees up the linebackers, which is important for leading tackler Mike Peterson, who is somewhat undersized for a middle linebacker. Peterson and Akin Ayodele have top-notch speed and are able to run free with Stroud and Henderson consuming potential blockers. Rookie Daryl Smith flashed premier pass-coverage skills along with the characteristics of a prototypical three-down linebacker and is one of the best prospects on this defense.
While the center of the line was commanding, pressure off of the ends was irregular. Converted linebacker Greg Favors accounted for 5.5, but there was no total higher than his.
Less pressure from the line meant more pressure on the secondary. Second-year cornerback Rashean Mathis was up for the challenge and started to emerge as a shutdown defensive back. Dewayne Washington and Juran Bolden were just average, while the tandem of Donovin Darius and Deon Grant were one of the league's best at safety.
While the defense performed like a seasoned group, the offensive is where the Jaguars underwent their trials and tribulations. Byron Leftwich fully established himself as a franchise quarterback and eliminated any speculation about his skills. He led the team in fourth-quarter rallies repeatedly and carried the team in victories at Tennessee and Indianapolis.
For those who view a quarterback's immobility with some trepidation, just follow the Jaguars' formula: build a sturdy offensive line and supplement with a quality running game.
Leftwich can make every throw necessary from the pocket and with a solid offensive line in front of him, he doesn't need to be mobile.
The front five suffered a pretty serious hit when left tackle Mike Pearson torn three ligaments in his knee in October, but the other four starters remained strong, starting all 16 games.
Fred Taylor was excellent in support, compiling 1,224 rushing yards in 14 games with a 4.7 yards-per-carry average. Only one other full-time running had a superior per-carry average.
Reggie Williams struggled through the rigors of his first season and his 27 receptions looked quite meager in comparison to the outputs of Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams, Lee Evans, Michael Clayton and Keary Colbert from his rookie class. Jimmy Smith was Leftwich's main target, but the receiving corps clearly lacked a second threat.
The team is fairly complete and mirrors the characteristics of the Carolina Panthers: they are always competitive, they have a physical defense, and excel at running the ball and stopping the run.
This is no longer a sleeper team — they have arrived.
This Year
The 2005 Jacksonville Jaguars are not amongst the A-list of Super Bowl contenders, but they are one of those playoff fringe teams who could make it to the dance with a little momentum.
Heading into the offseason, the Jaguars needed to add some playmaking wide receivers, find a defensive end, enhance the depth at cornerback, and discover a safety net at left tackle. The Jags hit three out of four objectives and on paper, look a cut above last year's squad.
For starters, this is a fairly young team and it can only be expected for talents like Daryl Smith, Rashean Mathis, Byron Leftwich, and Reggie Williams to continue to their progress.
The defensive line lacked intimidation off the ends, so the Jags recruited Marcellus Wiley and Reggie Hayward as free agents, while Paul Spicer will also returns after recovering from a season-ending injury last year. Hayward led the Broncos in sacks last year and looks to be entering his prime. Also, while Wiley's best years appear to be behind him, he should still make a fine situational rusher.
The linebacking corps added Nate Wayne into the mix and although he won't be a starter, he still has much to contribute and will add depth. Look for Daryl Smith to take on a bigger role, as he is the team's best linebacker in pass coverage.
Success in the secondary will depend on the cornerback who will start opposite of Rashean Mathis. Washington and Bolden were not spectacular last season, but they look a lot better than current options, Kenny Wright, Terry Cousin, and Kiwaukee Thomas. This seems to be a pretty big hole in the defense, but a dominant defensive line may be able to buy some time until one of the young projects (second-year players Chris Thompson/David Richardson or rookie Scott Starks) steps up.
The offensive line will hope that pre-draft scouting reports were right about tackle Khalif Barnes and that he is in fact NFL ready right now. If so, the team can alleviate the anxiety in regards to Pearson's rehab and Leftwich won't have to worry about his blindside so much. The other four starters return to a cohesive group, with guard Vincent Mauwai as the best talent. This is among the league's most underrated units.
At running back, the Jags fell short of the Travis Henry sweepstakes and will hope that Fred Taylor can fully mend torn knee ligaments. He is back on the practice field going through non-contact drills, which is an encouraging sign. The backups, LaBrandon Toefield, Chris Fuamuta-Ma'afala, and rookie Alvin Pearman, have never been asked to carry a full-time load.
The wide receiver position is generating a ton of hullabaloo this offseason. Reggie Williams has shed 10 pounds during a committed summer of training and is hungry to be a special player while been sixth-round pick Chad Owens has been a real standout in practice. He is elusive and has excellent breakaway speed and although he's undersized, he could be a valuable weapon out of the slot. First-round pick, Matt Jones, is still very raw, but his speed should fit in with new offensive coordinator Carl Smith's downfield plays.
The short, West Coast passes are out and with an eclectic mix of size, speed, experience, and youth, the Jaguars should have a much more prolific set of receivers this year.
The offense will once again piggyback on the defense and with an improved line and a keen defensive-minded head coach, as Martha Stewart would say, that's a good thing.
Taylor's health is directly linked to this team's success, but if the defense obliges and the receiving corps develops, this team is going to be a serious hazard in the playoffs.
Over/Under: 8.5
If the AFC South tightens up as expected, the Jaguars will have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. They face only four teams who had a losing record in 2004, one of which is the Houston Texans, who swept Jacksonville last season. With SEA, @NYJ, DEN, CIN, @PIT, @STL, BAL, @ARZ, @CLE, and SF as their out-of-division opponents, their path to the playoffs is not a facile one, but they are capable of getting there.
Fantasy Sleeper
When you talk about top-flight fantasy quarterbacks, Byron Leftwich is not usually mentioned, but with a new offensive coordinators and a youth movement at wide receiver, Leftwich should at least develop into a viable number two on your fantasy team. He averaged 210 passing yards and one touchdown per game in 2004-05 and with improved targets and another season of experience, those numbers are expected to increase.
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