Negative vs. Positive Part I Jack Del Rio

I think the best way to summarize this year was the culmination of first round bust after first round bust, little attention to an injury plagued defense, and injuries to the offensive line.

That being said, the way this team seemingly packed it in after the win in Denver that I thought was going to get the team back on track was troubling and falls on Del Rio’s shoulders.

In the 2007 season when the Jags went 11-5 I would have agreed with the first part(positive), about how JDR is a great head coach. Now in 2008/2009 season I agree with parts of the second part(negative). What Del Rio needs is consistency, by being able to make the playoffs two or three years in a row. Next season should be a rebuilding season, but if the Jags aren’t back in the playoffs by 2011, Del Rio may be on the hotseat.

Plus our FA acquisitions were all busts and that can directly be attributed to Shack Harris. If Porter or Florence had worked out, then I believe that we are at least 8-8, but bothe were debacles and hurt the team’s chances.

Del Rio has stated that is his expectation, and it is mine too. We have the major pieces in place…
Great QB
Great RB tandem
Strong TE’s
one of the best linebacking corps in the league
A top 5 CB
A solid head coach…
We should make the playoffs next year.

I love the Jaguars, and I want to believe that we’ll be in the playoffs next year. With a healthy O-line, maybe we’ll be back in the mix, but I think it’s important to remember that as the Jaguars improve, most likely so will the rest of the teams in our division. It’s painful to remember, but we did finish last in the AFC South this year, three games behind the Texans (8-8).

that when next season ends, realistically speaking, we’ll be in the top half of the division. It will be hard for the Titans to improve on 13-3, but I would bet on them and the Texans to be the best of the AFC South next season. Unless they make big moves in FA, the Colts may be without Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy pending their retirement, and their terrible defense will be older and, unbelievably, that much worse. I guess the Jags are kind of a wildcard in my mind, which sort of fits given our history under Del Rio.

Having said all of that, I have no idea what next season will actually be like. Fuck.

Is it so bad he was instrumental in getting Shack fired? Absolutely not.

Is it bad that he fires assistant coaches? I prefer to look at that as accountability. I hate it when a coach is too attached to his assistants. Rod Marinelli in Detroit keeping his son in law as D-Coordinator despite him sucking? Tommy Tuberville and all his assistants and position coaches that he refused to replace at Auburn, being a large contributing factor to his ouster? And I could probably think of more, but it’s way too late at night to be thinking right now.

I’ve also never really believed in a coach losing control of his team, unless it’s something just awful, like Dallas this season. It’s the NFL. It’s professional football played by professionals. Was the 2006 season because Jack got coaching amnesia for 3 games or because the still-young backup QB crumbled and played horribly? Would you say that the 2008 Jags were a talented team that was ruined by a Romeo Crennel or Herm Edwards, or were they a team with injury and/or talent problems at most positions, especially along both lines where it all starts?

Let me put it this way – Tony Dungy was a chronic underachiever that never could quite seem to get his team far in the playoffs. He was fired, went to the Colts, then finally won with Peyton Manning. Did he suddenly start doing things radically differently, or does it turn out that it’s players and not plays? To build off of Vic, if your players can’t block, can’t catch, and can’t stop the pass, Bill Walsh would have a tough time looking good on your sideline.

I think he has alot more positives than negatives. Honestly I think he could have done more by starting Garrard before coming in thinking he needed a rookie QB to take the helm. I am by no means saying that Garrard is an elite QB, but Tom Coughlin had him on the hook for a reason and JDR didnt realize what he had. The QB controversy over the years has been a big problem.

I love, and this you forgot to put on the positives, his aggresiveness to go for it in manageable fourth downs.

What coaches that are available are better than him? None to me. He is a great players coach and he can’t coach the injured players to get back out on the field. Stop hating on the guy. He’s here to stay and with a healthier season next year we’re in th playoffs.

And as for the rest of the AFC sOUTH, This is it for the titans. Collins is old and washed up. Young just flat out is not a good NFL QB and their Defense is aged in some spots. Plus, they rode luck this whole season. They wont get it again. Indy is on decline and really the only team with a promising future besides us is the Texans.