Moving On: The Jacksonville Jaguars prepare for the Minnesota Vikings

by River City Rage on Nov 19, 2008 1:31 PM EST in News Comment 18 comments

Minnesota Vikings (5-5)	GAME #11	JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-6)
	VS.

Date:	November 23, 2008	Location:	Jacksonville, FL
Time:	1:05 p.m. ET	Stadium:	The Jack
TV:	CBS	Favorite:	Vikings +2
Radio:	Click Here	Over/Under:	40.5
Weather:	High 65, Clear	Injury Report:	Click Here
SBN Coverage:	Daily Norseman	Coverage Map	Click Here
Final Score:	Minnesota Vikings - ?? :: Jacksonville Jaguars - ??

There's still a game to play:

I realize that it's awfully hard to look at the next game against the Vikings. I'm having a hard time with it myself, looking at Adrian Peterson and the Williams Duo just fails to get me worked up about the game. The wind, as they say, is out of my sails. Or, as my dad would say: "And then...depression set in". The 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars will begin their offseasion a little earlier than we expected. Nearly two months earlier, in fact. But what we have to remember is that every second of tape the Jaguars have to examine their roster, the better they'll do at righting the ship.

Frankly, the players who give up and let it show on the field can assure themselves that they've played their last downs with the Jaguars. The looming free-agents, Khalif Barnes, Reggie Williams, Mike Peterson, et al, will all need to show their suitors that they played right through the echo of the whistle of the last snap of the last game. If anything, the Jaguars now have a wide open sandbox for testing and developing talent for next season. There's a degree of pressure that is no longer with the team that just might prove useful in ending with a winning record.

And it all starts against the Vikings. Our friends at the Daily Norseman have a lot to worry about internally about this week. They've got several players under varying degrees of scrutiny by the league, whether it's Jared Allen and his love of late hits, or Pat and Kevin Williams looking at an imminent, albeit questionalble suspension for a prohibited substance in a weight-loss pill.

So there's that, it might be another game where the Jaguars have a chance to prove that they can beat teams that have significant absences on their defense.

What are we looking for?

A win, plain and simple. The Jaguars put up an win here and start the slow march toward a winning season. We are at a point where nothing can be taken for granted. There are no "easy wins" no "weak teams", as the Jaguars are completely unpredictable. Nothing's more dangerous than unpredictablity.

Just win baby, win.

We've still got a lot to talk about:

There will be a debate held here at Big Cat Country that will pit writer against writer, commenter against commenter. It will divide us, it will frustrate us, and ultimately, it will be completey out of our hands. We have to debate who will take the fall for this season, as someone at the highest level of this team, whether it be James Harris, Gene Smith, or Jack Del Rio will face some sort of consequence for the disappointment of this season. It is my opinion, and I will flesh this out in more concrete terms later, that James Harris is finished as General Manager.

What's on your mind on this slow Wednesday?

Poll

Who's to blame: Players or Coaches?

It's the Players

52 votes

It's the Coaches

27 votes

It's complicated

85 votes

164 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 18 comments |

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Comments

In class... Learning about paraphilias.....SLOW.... SLOW.... SLOW WEEK....

by silencecs on Nov 19, 2008 2:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

What's the stance in terms of ticket sales?

Blackout or no?

"I smoke. If this bothers anyone, I suggest you look around at the world in which we live and shut your f***in' mouth."-Bill Hicks

by FSBlueApocalypse on Nov 19, 2008 2:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The coaching is fine!

Why, in every sport on every level, do fans jump so quickly to the ‘fire the coaches’ mentality. No one was saying we should fire any coaches or Shack last year, and it’s not like they overhauled their approach to the game for this year. Greg Williams is in his first year here, and he’s had great success elsewhere, but we already want him gone. This is Harvey’s first year but no one is saying we should trade him, even though he hasn’t been what we wanted. Money issues aside, why does the guy who’s in his first year here, but has had success in the NFL (williams) have to go before a guy who’s proven nothing in the NFL (harvey). I’m not saying harvey should go. I’m saying we need to be patient. The difference this year is simply injuries. If the O-line is healthy, we’re scoring a lot more points to make up for an aging, but still above average defense. Also, we’re keeping that same defense off the field and rested. I also think if Harvey had been in training camp our pass rush would look quite a bit better.

In summary, it’s the players not the coaches. Someone should make a poll here (I don’t know how) voting simply on whether it’s the players or the coaches. Not anyone in particular, just ‘Players vs. Coaches’. I’m really curious about the results.

by Nebraska Jag on Nov 19, 2008 3:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ask and you shall recieve

Big Cat Country!:: The Official Home of the Unofficial Blog of the Jacksonville Jaguars!

by River City Rage on Nov 19, 2008 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you

I think ’it’s complicated’ is probably the correct, albeit most general, answer. I would like to know which side (players or coaches) people are leaning toward.

by Nebraska Jag on Nov 19, 2008 4:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is excellent

This basically sums up my feelings about the situation. If Shack Harris has been so disastrous for the last few years then why were the Jaguars such a strong team last year.

by SoCalStites on Nov 19, 2008 4:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

response

You make an interesting point. My response has multiple components. #1 – David Gerrard. He took over the reins and had a great year last year. He also instilled sorely needed leadership and the team was able to develop chemistry as a result. I know that chemistry is a completely subjective thing, but I believe it’s important. This year’s team certainly doesn’t have it. You can see it and multiple players have even commented on it. One player in particular commented on it so much – that he’s pretty much done as a Jag.

- last year we had ‘just enough’ skill to become a winning team. Through in the aforementioned dynamics of last year – it put us over the top. But this team still had some glaring weaknesses – especially on D line – specifically a lack of QB pressure. Our big problem this year on D is what – lack of QB pressure (among others).
$3 – bad moves in offseason. Due to age and attrition via FA, this team came into this year with 2 glaring needs – improve pass rush and get a viable #1 WR threat. In my opinion, the past offseason was a major bust for this year. Some players taken my pan out in the future and become all pro – but for this year – it has been a disater.

Let’s start with D line. We lost 2 players in FA – Stroud & McCray. We spent 7 draft picks on 2 guys (Harvey & Groves). That’s a total of 9 guys for 2 and I think that’s very poor math especially considering what we got in return – 1 guy gets physicallt dominated at this level and the other had a history of taking plays off at UF and frankly would disappear in some games. Neither has really produced this season. They may in the future, but for today – not.

WR – I went nuts on this from jump and have been extremely critical here - Jerry Porter. Forget the injury. He should never have been brought in here as the #1 WR. He had a couple of really good years in Oakland playing opposite Moss and Brown. He is Not – repeat NOT – a #1WR and never has been (think Alvin Harper for 90’s Cowboys – great complimnet to Irvin send him to another team as #1WR and you never heard his name again). He can be productive as a 2 or 3. To bring him in and give him #1 $ was insane.

Williamson – I actually thought the price of a 6 round pick was a good gamble. It was worth a shot. But unfortunately, that hasn’t worked out either. He’s a former 1st ropund pick (7th overall). So far – you can only label him a bust.

When you combine a disasterous offseason with incredible bad luck of injuries – you get a very mediocre team this year. Harris can’t do a thing about injuries – but the offseason was his and it sucked.

by OGN on Nov 20, 2008 7:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

*Garrard

by harveyismyboy on Nov 22, 2008 2:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

One difference between Gregg Williams and Derrick Harvey is that Williams’s contract with the Jags is only for one year and Harvey is guaranteed to be here for longer than that. There is no time to be patient with Williams because he will most likely interview for head coaching oppurtunities in the offseason.

I agree that it is usually the players and not the plays, but Williams definetly shares the blame. Last year with Mike Smith, we ran a cover two, and that is the scheme with which JDR is most comfortable. Last year, the knock on us was that teams could pick us apart by throwing underneath (a la Tom Brady). Williams was supposed to fix that problem this year because he likes to disguise his blitzes and disrupt the QB, which means that we would be more succeptable to getting burned. The deeply thrown balls that beat us against the Titans were thrown when we only had a single saftey (Nelson) playing over the top. I am in no way calling Williams a bad coach — he beat the Jags with the Titans in ‘99 three times — but I don’t think the scheme he brought with him this year has helped an aging defense.

by tim0fee on Nov 19, 2008 7:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think Gregg Williams will be getting any head coaching interviews. Not that i’m blaming him for the defensive problems, because I’m not, but he hasn’t done anything impressive.

by SoCalStites on Nov 19, 2008 8:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I am not sure this is right

Greg Williams likes man to man, that is his formula in the secondary. He didn’t know when he came who had cover skills. He didn’t know Reggie Nelson doesn’t have quick enough instincts. He is finding out, so is Donnie Henderson and so are the players.

The three long plays down the left side the Titans drew the victory from all had one fault, Reggie Nelson. There was no defensive play call error in that. It was pure execution error. Reggie had responsibility. Everyone else played lights out, except Derrick Harvey and the aging Defensive line. No pressure and they won’t get pressure the rest of the year. They can’t do it. They being the players. If they could they would.

Rasheed Mathis is a great corner but only when he has over the top coverage. He looks to cut inside but in doing so he gets beat in the post pattern. Without effective over the top coverage, he is running for his life. Mike Smith made sure he had help.

Donnie Henderson said this early in the pre-season. He said “we are going to play man to man and see who beats who”. So now we know.

Greg Williams is a very good coach as soon as he knows what he has. He didn’t walk in here with magic pills for everyone. Now he knows what he has. The defense has actually been getting better and better. He is doing a great job.

Oh forget it… throw him out. throw everyone out. You are right.

by Tkopa on Nov 19, 2008 8:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

But on the bright side...

Josh Scobee is looking good going into next year, that’s something to build on.

Love the “Burn it to the ground attitude” Cynics are us!

by Jaghomer on Nov 20, 2008 7:35 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That was funny

by Tkopa on Nov 20, 2008 8:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

WTF

DAMN IT TALLAHASSEE, I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE BUCS!!

"I smoke. If this bothers anyone, I suggest you look around at the world in which we live and shut your f***in' mouth."-Bill Hicks

by FSBlueApocalypse on Nov 19, 2008 3:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Gregg Williams...

He may have to go… A first year coach is one thing, but going form having a top 10 Defence for the past few years, to having one of the worst pass defences in the league. Thats a pretty hard fall.

by kujo24 on Nov 19, 2008 3:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs