VERSUS    

The Details:

Who: The Jacksonville Jaguars AT Tenneesse Titans

Where: LP Field, Nashville Tennessee

Weather: High of 86, no chance of rain, clear skys. 

When: 1:00 pm

Where to Watch: CBS Affiliates in the "Yellow" areas on this map. WOKV is the "Official Home of the Jacksonville Jaguars" as far as listening is concerned, though this site offers other online radio feeds.

The Matchup:

Jack Del Rio versus Jeff Fisher: If these coaches could have their way, neither one would run a passing play for 60 minutes on Sunday.  Both teams are built around running the ball and grinding away at their opponents until their will is broken.   Unforutunatly for the Titans, Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew are a step or three above LenDale White and Chris Johnson at this point, though the Titans offensive line can certianly make some holes.

Tight End Marcades Lewis versus Linebacker Keith Bulluck: With Jerry Porter officially out of the game, Matt Jones and Reggie Williams return to their roles as the starting recieviers.  This means that Marcades Lewis will have to have a big game as a primary target for the passing attack.  Lewis versus just about any linebacker is a strong mismatch given his size and speed, but Bulluck is one of the better linebackers and should make for an interesting battle.

Left Tackle Khalif Barnes versus Defensive End Kyle Vanden Bosch: With Albert Haynesworth clogging the middle, Khalif Barnes will have to stop Vanden Bosch with largely one-on-one coverage.  While Lewis, Taylor and Jones-Drew can offer a chip block, protecting David Garrard from the Titans best pass-rusher will be a largely lonely job for Barnes.  Compounding this is the danger of injury, losing Barnes to any sort of injury would be devastating considering the positional depth.

Jacksonville Jaguars versus Themselves: It's been a very hard week for the Jaguars.  Richard Collier's absence will be felt on the sideline as they focus on the game while worrying about their fallen comrade.  Richard's health is improving, thankfully, but his tragic story will hopefully inspire the Jaguars on the field

Injury Report:

Final thoughts:

Winning this game is critical for the division race.  The Jaguars cannot afford to start the race to win the AFC South with an 0-1 start.  Not with Houston and Indianapolis on the horizon.  The Jaguars will have determined if they're a division winning team or a Wild Card contender based on how they do in September, so this is about as "must-win" as you can get in week one.

It's easy though, the Jaguars have to turn on the running game, grind out the first downs, and put points on the board on every drive.  As usual, first downs mean we're winning, punting means we're losing, and the best way to stop down any Vince Young theatrics is to keep him on the sideline.  Long sustained drives are what it's all about for the Jaguars, so let's see some of that.

And let's remember to keep Richard in our hearts and minds as we watch our Jaguars on Sunday!

-GO JAGUARS!

-Chris