Reviewing the Tape of the Jaguars versus Eagles: Defensive Starters

The Jaguars' were eviscerated by the Eagles starters on offense. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that other individual match-ups weren't won during the course of the game. These are important for determining who the Jaguars' starters will be going into the 2010 season, and if we have a reason to worry or boast.

Was the pocket collapsed? How does the first step of the DE's look? Who's bringing pressure? Who redirected the play? Who's getting doubled?

These questions will be broken down play by play while the Jaguars' first stringers compete against Philly's starters. My first impression is one of concern, hopefully that will pass after watching the tape.

Let's take focus on the defensive starters, Derrick Harvey and Terrence Knighton especially, as they represent two players the Jaguars need to contribute at a high level.

Eagles Start with the ball.

1st and 10

Knighton is double teamed. Harvey is blocked. Quick pass to Jackson, Russell Allen is beat. Gerald Alexander misses a tackle.

1st and 10

Run play inside. Knighton bursts up the line. Jeremy Mincey dominates his blocker and is in on the tackle. He looks strong enough to play DT potentially.

2nd and 9

Hand off to McCoy. Guard goes to block the LB's. Ellison has a free shot in the back field, but whiffs on the tackle. Missed opportunity for a big defensive play.

3rd and  5

Larry Hart and Derrick Harvey both collapse the ends, Knighton and Mincey (playing DT), run a stunt and Mincey comes through the middle like a man with his hair on fire. Kolb is forced to roll out and run to the sideline. He manages to barely get a first down. Justin Durant quit on the play or he would have stopped him.

1st and 10

Oh this one is bad... Play-action, and the Kirk Morrison bites so hard that if he were a fish, he'd have swallowed the hook. Making matters worse, the entire defensive line is stonewalled, allowing enough time for a man to come free behind Morrison, who had been pulled closer to the line by the fake. Bad all around. Morrison especially.

1st and 10

Bad again. Run down our throats away from Knighton's side and towards Harvey and Justin Durant. Both are manhandled, and then Safety Anthony Smith is smashed, and I mean smashed, in a brutal pancake. Ouch...

2nd and 6

Harvey beats his man quickly and provides a rush, but Kolb delivers a short pass over the middle which is batted away.

3rd and 6

No pressure... Kolb could've held it longer. Receiver drops the ball (Celek).

Result - FG.

Eagles 1st and 10 after Jaguars' punt.

Hart and Mincey at DE. No pressure. 3 yd pass. Tackle by Mathis

2nd and 7

Run up the middle. Pot Roast forces it outside. Mincey stands his man up. Durant crashes through on the tackle.

3rd and 9

Hart and Harvey at DE. No pressure. Easy completion for a first down.

1st and 10

Harvey and Mincey at DE. Short drop and quick release. Incomplete.

2nd and 10

Harvey and Hart at DE. Mincey at DT. Harvey slow off the snap... He was last to move that play. Mincey brings pressure from inside. Kolb steps up but throws an incomplete pass.

3rd and 10

Same line. All are blocked and Mincey is even pancaked. Pass for a first down.

1st and 10

Oh man... embarrassing. Run right at Mincey and Russell Allen. Mincey is pushed aside, and Allen is knocked sideways by a vicious full back block. Could've driven a car through the hole. Considine is slow and misses the tackle. Nelson makes the stop. Allen looked bad on that play.

2nd and 2

Vick is in. Quick WR screen. first down.

1st and 10

Kolb back in. Run play. Mincey blocked out of the play, the rest of the defensive line is blown off the ball and back a solid yard and a half. Gain of 4. Holding penalty. loss of 10 yards.

1st and 20

Harvey is the last man off the ball at the snap... again. If you don't move when the ball does, what good does an extra step do you?!? No pressure. Deep pass broken up by Nelson.

2nd and 20

Inside hand off stuffed by Knighton.

3rd and 19

Hart is easily overpowered. Knighton is held by the guard. Kolb scrambles for 4 yards.

Result - FG

After watching the first team defense, overall I would say they played as badly as they looked. There wasn't much of a silver lining to this storm cloud except Alualu and Kampman weren't around. Even then you're counting on a bad knee and a rookie to come through in a big way, and I'm not sure we can expect that.

- Collin Streetman