Jaguars Win One

We all know the pre-season record doesn't matter. Regardless, it still feels good when your team wins a game. It has been a long offseason and I imagine for all NFL fans out there, we are glad it is over. Even though the Jags won their match up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there are some problems that arose from the win.

We all know the pre-season record doesn't matter. Regardless, it still feels good when your team wins a game. It has been a long offseason and I imagine for all NFL fans out there, we are glad it is over. Even though the Jags won their match up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there are some problems that arose from the win.

The biggest concern I see is the injuries that occurred during the game. The pre-season is mainly for the evaluation of the players on your squad. The other main goal is to get through without any injuries.

The Jags sustained three injuries in this game. Reggie Nelson hurt his ankle and needed to be carried off the field. Chris Naeole tweaked his knee a bit. However head coach Del Rio said had it been a regular season game he would have still been on the field. Better safe than sorry in pre-season. Standout backup defensive tackle Tony McDaniel also had to be helped off the field. These are major concerns for the team.

Another major upset was the slow start on both sides of the ball. In the first quarter Leftwich was 2-of-6 for 12 yards in three series against Tampa Bay's first-team defense. Jeff Garcia ran the first team offense well against the Jags' starting defense. It allowed Tampa Bay an early lead when he scrambled right and found David Boston in the end zone. Garcia finished 6-6 for 43 yards and a touchdown. The slow start needs to be addressed in the next game.

Another disturbance as far as I am concerned is the way the team let up and permitted the Buccaneers back into the game. It has been an ongoing problem for the Jaguars for a quite a while now. They have to develop a killer instinct. In addition to learning not to let teams hang around and work their way back into games. This will bring about the early end of the season for the Jacksonville Jaguars if it isn't dealt with decisively.

The offense picked up the pace in the second quarter and the numbers came around. The Jaguars ended up with 154 yards rushing and 231 yards passing. The main positive aspect at this point in pre-season is that none of the quarterbacks have thrown an interception. This is a very positive sign for the passing game which had to improve this year in order to carry the team to the next level.

The defense picked up their game as well. The only problem as I mentioned previously was that they laid back and eventually let the Bucs score 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. This is an unacceptable stat that must improve or it will cost the Jaguars' future games without a doubt down the road.