Jaguars 2010 Film Review: Week 2 at San Diego (Second Half)

If you read the first half review of this game, you already know how bizarre and irritating this game was for Jaguar fans everywhere. With the team down 21-6, it'd take a huge comeback in all areas for the team to win this game. Needless to say, the trends from the first half would continue and this game would fall out of reach quickly in the second half.

3rd Quarter

• The Jaguars receive to start the second half and a drive starts to unfold little-by-little. A slant to Sims-Walker for 9 yards followed by a pass to Marcedes Lewis for 5 on 3rd and 2 made this drive work. But, the next play, Garrard gets sacked as he pumps on the reliable slant route then has no idea where any other receiver was on the play and just gets sacked immediately by Jacques Cesaire. Of course, another slant to Sims-Walker nets 7 yards the next play, followed by a diving catch made by him for 20 yards on 3rd and 9. 
• A few players later, the trend of the day continues: turnovers. On a seemingly routine 3rd and 1, Jones-Drew coughs up the football (a rarity) right to a San Diego defender and the hope for a comeback is dwindling. 
• The defense bends as usual, but doesn't break. Rivers immediately hits Gates for 26 yards on a crossing route where Daryl Smith was too slow and Considine provided no help over the top as he was supposed to. A third down conversion to Buster Davis left the defense a bit demoralized. The following 3rd down Kampman drops into coverage on Gates and beats him up at the line, giving him no shot. Kaeding hits from 41 yards making the score 24-6 San Diego.
• A series of blunders occurs by the Jaguar offense as a reverse to Mike Thomas goes for negative yards, followed by a false start on 3rd and 11. But, Jones-Drew takes a screen for the first down despite being 3rd and 16. The roller coaster of this team's offense is not enough to score points. Garrard gets sacked by Larry English for a loss of 8, but again, Sims-Walker makes a catch for 17 yards on a 3rd and 15.
• And again, another turnover for the Jaguar offense. Garrard gets his as he throws, getting picked off immediately by Kevin Burnett, his 4th interception of the day.

4th Quarter

• Tolbert bulldozes through the defense for runs of 6 yards and 29 yards, showing how tired this defense is from coming on and off the field all day. Tolbert then finishes the drive with a 1 yard touchdown to put the Chargers up 31-6.
• David Garrard gets benched in favor of Luke McCown, a seemingly no-brainer just to get this game out of Garrard's head and not risk injury when this game is out of reach. The Chargers defense looks pretty relaxed with the game out reach, as a couple passes for 15 and 25 yards to Marcedes Lewis and Rashad Jennings, respectively, moves the ball quickly. On a 4th and 7 from the red zone, McCown's pass falls incomplete and the Jaguar offense puts up no points again.
• The Chargers offense puts the nail in the coffin, as they say. On a 3rd and 12, Rivers throws over-the-top to a wide open Malcom Floyd, beating Mathis, who was clearly playing the run, for a 54 yard touchdown. This clearly was a statement that this game was theirs and told the fans to lose their frustration from their embarassing loss to the Chiefs the week before.
• The Chargers defense basically lays down for Luke Mccown and Billy Volek and Jacob Hester come in as relief for Philip Rivers and Mike Tolbert. Mccown gets hurt as he runs into Cason at the Charger five with seconds left in the game.
• David Garrard comes into the game with one play left, and throws a touchdown to Sims-Walker with a few seconds left on 4th and goal. Unfortunately, this is a case of too little, way too late. The final score: San Diego 38 Jacksonville 13.

Reaction: This game took a lot of wind out of the Jaguars' sail. It was tough to come off of such a great win at home and head on the road and not really show up. But, the positive note was that this was early in the season and being 1-1 after two weeks isn't all that bad. Also, having not played a division game yet, I didn't worry too much. To me, division games is where your team has to step up and those games are worth twice as much as the others. After this game I swore Garrard would come out of this game with a hunger to work his butt off in practice and come back better the rest of the season after such an embarrassing game. The bend-but-not-break nature of the defense worried me as well, as your defense can only bend for so long before bursting wide open, and some of the flaws of the defense had already been revealed.