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Game Preview: Week 2: Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars


Arizona Cardinals (0-1)
Week #2
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

Th_cardinals_icon_medium

VS.

Jaguars_icon_medium

Date: September 20th, 2009
Location: Jacksonville,FL
Time: 1:00 pm EST
Stadium: "The Jack"
TV: FOX
Favorite: Jaguars -3.5
Radio: Click Here Over/Under: 43
Weather:
87 w/moderate chance of thunderstorms
Injury Report:
Click Here
SBN Coverage: Revenge of the Birds Coverage Map
Click Here

 

Week Two and the home opener are upon us. The Jaguars look to get the bitter taste of their loss in Indy out of their mouths and get a win over the defending NFC Champions. For the second week in a row, the Jaguars will have their hands full with a talent corp of wide receivers. Cardinal's wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald may be the best wide out in football, and Anquan Boldin will have something to prove after spending the entire off season mouthing off about his contract.

The Cardinals are coming off a tough loss to division rival San Francisco where the looked nothing like the team that made a surprising run to the Super Bowl a year ago. Kurt Warner completed less than 60% of his passes, threw two interceptions, and was sacked three times in a 20-16 loss. In addition, the team rushed a grand total of 40 yards. Defensively, the team did pick it up registering four sacks and forcing two fumbles.

Star-divide

Thing to Watch for: Jacksonville Jaguars

1. Defensive Line: The loss of Reggie Hayward and the revised expectations of the eight overall pick in the 2008 draft Derrick Harvey mean that the line is once again in bad shape on the outside. John Henderson and Terrance Knighton played well enough on the interior against Indy, and they may be counted on to get pressure against the Cardinals. Also, Henderson played surprisingly well as a DE when the Jaguars switched to a 3-4 against the Colts. Keep an eye out for that again.

2. Passing Game: Garrard started off well against the Colts and then proceeded to sink faster than the Titanic. Preseason standouts Nate Hughes and Troy Williamson combined for 2 receptions for 17 yards. Torry Holt looked the part against the Colts, though he only had 3 receptions. I'll put it bluntly, if Jones-Drew accounts for almost half the team's receptions for a second straight week, things could go downhill quickly.

3.Derek Cox: The rookie out of William and Mary played about as expected last week against Indy. He struggled at times only to flash the talent that made Emperor Gene trade the 2010 2nd round pick to get him. His baptism by fire continues this week going against the Cardinals wide receivers. The good news for him is that Kurt Warner isn't Peyton Manning.

4.Offensive Tackles: Eugene Monroe was handed his rear on a silver platter by Dwight Freeney last Sunday. This is the only week in the first four that he won't go against a premier pass rushing DE and he needs a good game this week. Eben Britton played well enough against Robert Mathis and will look to keep playing well this week.

5. Maurice Jones-Drew: Jones Drew accounted for 26 of the Jaguars 55 total offensive plays against the Colts. Expect him to get another heavy load against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Thing to Watch for: Arizona Cardinals

1. Kurt Warner: Warner is infamous for turning in lacklusteter seasons following taking a team to the Super Bowl. Warner didn't have a great game last week against the 49ers and he may be reverting back to his mediocre form he had prior to last year.

2. Defense: Despite their Week 1 loss, the Cardinals defense looked impressive, only surrendering 206 yards of offense. They will have to continue to play that way if the offense can't find a way to kick it into gear this week. They sacked Shaun Hill four times and forced two fumbles, a far cry from most of their efforts in 2008.

3. Turnovers: Kurt Warner threw two costly interceptions while the Cardinals defense did not force a turnover last week. Not many teams win games while being -2 in the turnover department, and the Cardinals know that. Look for them to take extra care of protecting the ball this week.

4.Running Game: The Cardinals accounted for a grand total of 40 yards rushing on on 17 attempts. To be fair, it was really 44 yards on 15 attempts not counting Warner's sacks. However, that is still an abysmal amount of rushing yards. If the Cards can't afford to be this one dimensional week in and week out.

Player On The Hot Seat

Derrick Harvey, DE, Jacksonville

Harvey has to show why he was a Top 10 pick, and for a defensive end, that means getting to the quarterback. He's been hounded all week by the media and  fans, and it will only get worse if he doesn't perform up to expectations.

Prediction

Jaguars 24

Cardinals 20

PS, I currently know Terry, TheTealDeal, and myself will be at the game Sunday. Who else is going and anyone want to meet up prior/during the game?

-Jonathan Loesche

Poll
The __________ will win by _____ points on Sunday
Jaguars 10+
44 votes
Jaguars 4-9
100 votes
Jaguars 1-3
52 votes
Cardinals 1-3
28 votes
Cardinals 4-9
83 votes
Cardinals 10+
74 votes

381 votes | Poll has closed

1 recs  |  Comment 21 comments |

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Comments

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Go Jaguars!

Who will be at the game? Our team needs us. Stand up, show up. It’s crunch time.

Vae Victis!

by viator on Sep 17, 2009 1:32 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I will… Thanks to someone very genourous!

by floridafalcons#63 on Sep 17, 2009 2:07 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I'm there!

Can’t wait! Let’s eat some bird!

In the face of adversity, what you do from then on dictates who you really are...

by JagsNguyen on Sep 17, 2009 2:12 PM EDT via mobile reply actions   0 recs

Both of these teams lost bitterly last week...

This game rests on the shoulders of both O tackles…AGAIN. It will be a close game AGAIN… but this time will be different. Jags by a late touchdown. 17-10

by mattarne on Sep 17, 2009 3:45 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

10 points?

I’m a Cardinals fan. I don’t think they win this game because it’s on the east coast. For some reason they never win on the east coast. However, I do think they score more than 10 points. As bad as they played last week, they still managed 16 points. I say Jags win 28-24. Jags will score early and force the Cards to scrap the run game and throw.

The only way I see the Cards winning is if they are leading or the score is tied at the end of the first quarter. In every game on the east coast last year, the Cards were blown out by the first quarter. If they can strike first and maintain momentum going into the second quarter then i think the jags will have to earn their win. Cards could win 24-21

Badgers! Badgers! We don't need no stinkin badgers!

by haas on Sep 18, 2009 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

In all likelihood

you’ll probably lead heading into the half then we’ll have some freak Mjd plays which result somewhere around that score. I hope the Jaguars win and will be there personally. Do you think Jet Lag affects them?

"HULU: An evil plot to destroy the world. Enjoy"
The Flavour of the Day is Turf. - Courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars
"As for me, Life goes on."-TheTealDeal

by TheTealDeal on Sep 18, 2009 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Jags will need the support of the fans.

Too bad 90% of J-ville doesn’t care.

by Slvrgun on Sep 17, 2009 5:12 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Those that care will be there.

It’s up to us and the team to influence the rest to stand up, and embrace what we have. It can be done. It will be done. Help us to unearth those that have become bogged in the mire. Rise up! Wise up, if you can’t be there physically, be there in spirit. Not venomous and spiteful, but understanding and supportive. The negative vibe will not help. It’s insidious and contagious. It could work in tandem with other poor turns of events to create a synergy. If you have no faith, only doubt, no belief, only bitter discontentment you’re only compounding the problem. That is not helping to solve this issue. Insight not incite. Initiate don’t instigate. You dig?

Vae Victis!

by viator on Sep 17, 2009 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

I believe the Jags will win by eight.

24 to 16, and the game will not be that close.

by NorthLeft12 on Sep 17, 2009 5:18 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I like you!

May your Lions rise from the ashes of defeat, and soar to the top of your division. I hope you see a rebirth in your franchise! Good luck this year!

Vae Victis!

by viator on Sep 17, 2009 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Thanks, It looks to be a long tough road.

But I will stick with them. Makes victory all that much sweeter when you have to struggle for it.

by NorthLeft12 on Sep 18, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

You're right about Garrard and the offense... they've GOT to be better...

GOT to do it…

What’s it going to take John?

More WR bubble screens to get it in the WR’s hands more (to mike walker for ex.), or short slants, or just trying to establish the run and use the play action?

MJD can’t be our leading WR two weeks in a row…

The End Is Nigh... www.infowars.com

by silencecs on Sep 17, 2009 6:13 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

two straight drives of no QB pressure

then Garrard outperforms Warner

bank on the if

LateRoundPick.com

by Surteal on Sep 18, 2009 1:40 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

according to the map

we don’t watch football in ms and la

thats nice

LateRoundPick.com

by Surteal on Sep 18, 2009 1:42 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

The coverage map depresses me

I need to stop looking at it.

"HULU: An evil plot to destroy the world. Enjoy"
The Flavour of the Day is Turf. - Courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars
"As for me, Life goes on."-TheTealDeal

by TheTealDeal on Sep 18, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I Have a Feeling

This is going to be a shootout. 48-42 Jags

If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik

by Bestjagfan on Sep 19, 2009 12:43 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I don't think so

I think in both teams the defense are hot now, not the offense…

Life without knowledge is death in disguise

by Zoltan from Budapest on Sep 19, 2009 5:29 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah i think it'll be around

Jaguars 20-Cardinals 17, but not with a late field goal

"HULU: An evil plot to destroy the world. Enjoy"
The Flavour of the Day is Turf. - Courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars
"As for me, Life goes on."-TheTealDeal

by TheTealDeal on Sep 19, 2009 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I have a real bad gut feeling about this game

that if Reggie Wayne went off for what, 150+? what will Fitzgerald do? That scares the living crap out of me … Larry Effing Fitzgerald.
The secondary better wake up, a repeat performance of Week One and this gets ugly in a hurry.

by Lancers46 on Sep 20, 2009 4:00 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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