Big Cat Country - Jaguars vs. Packers: WEEK 1 LET'S F*CKING GOStand United, Duval Til We Diehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47383/bigcatcountry_fave.png2016-09-18T13:46:45-04:00http://www.bigcatcountry.com/rss/stream/126040672016-09-18T13:46:45-04:002016-09-18T13:46:45-04:00NFL admits to missed calls in Jaguars vs. Packers
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<p>If you thought the Jacksonville Jaguars got the short end of the stick when it came to penalties in Week 1, you weren't alone. The team thought so too and reportedly held an internal meeting with team officials believing that the referees missed at least four pass interference calls committed on receiver Allen Robinson.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17576262/nfl-acknowledged-missed-calls-jacksonville-jaguars-week-1-loss-green-bay-packers">According to ESPN's Adam Schefter</a>, there were 16 missed calls that went against the Jaguars last Sunday, but none more damning than the one on Rashad Greene over the middle on the game's final drive.</p>
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<p>"Of the 16 calls that the league recognized as going against the Jaguars, a key one was a missed defensive holding by Packers defensive back Micah Hyde against wide receiver Rashad Greene that would have given Jacksonville a first-and-goal from the Green Bay 9-yard line with under a minute left and a chance to win the game, the sources said. The Jaguars instead failed on the ensuing fourth-and-1 and lost 27-23."</p>
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<p>You can read several comments from Jaguars players after the game as well as the rest of the article <a target="_blank" href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17576262/nfl-acknowledged-missed-calls-jacksonville-jaguars-week-1-loss-green-bay-packers">here</a>.</p>
https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/18/12959944/nfl-admits-to-missed-calls-in-jaguars-vs-packers-gameRyan Day2016-09-13T09:24:00-04:002016-09-13T09:24:00-04:00Week 1 sack analysis
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<p>The offensive line did pretty good in the regular season opener, all things considered.</p> <p>All preseason long, the offensive line was <i>the </i>problem spot for the Jacksonville Jaguars. But then the regular season happened and the offensive line looked good. There were some problems in the running game, but I also fault offensive coordinator Greg Olson for drawing up runs that took too long to develop against a run-blitzing team like the Green Bay Packers.</p>
<p>But this column isn't about how the run game did. It's about protecting Blake Bortles and the offensive line did pretty well in that regard on Sunday.</p>
<h4>Sack #1: 3rd and 2 at JAX 49, 6:42 left in 1Q</h4>
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<p>On first glance, this one's easy, right? Clay Matthews gets the sack so Kelvin Beachum is responsible for the sack, right?</p>
<p>Not so fast.</p>
<p>Denard Robinson gets blown up here trying to block Joe Thomas, which prevents Blake Bortles from stepping up into the pocket. We also don't know if Brandon Linder's assignment was to chip at the blitzing linebacker or not. Jermey Parnell isn't safe from criticism either, but I don't think his failure here warrants any credit for the sack.</p>
<p><i>I'm gonna add in the following a couple of hours after publishing because I should have done a better job of explaining why Beachum is getting co-responsibility. Denard is absolutely the main culprit. He's more responsible than anyone else. But if I'm going to start spreading the blame, I don't want to start splitting up sacks between three, four, or five guys. You could make the case on this play that all by Luke Joeckel and A.J. Cann are responsible, depending on the protection scheme. For sacks where multiple guys are at fault, I want to limit it to the two I believe are <b>most</b> responsible for simplicity's sake in the math. I realize that's going to be open to interpretation on some sacks throughout the year and I'll do my best. I love you all.</i></p>
<p><b><i>Final verdict: Denard Robinson and Kelvin Beachum</i></b></p>
<h4>Sack #2: 1st and 10 at JAX 31, 11:52 left in 4Q</h4>
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<p>This one's a little more cut and dry. Kelvin Beachum gets beat pretty badly and although the Packers do a good job of stunting inside to bring Luke Joeckel away from any sort of support, this is all Beachum.</p>
<p><b><i>Final verdict: Kelvin Beachum</i></b></p>
<h4>Sack #3: 3rd and 11 at GB 30, 6:01 left in 4Q</h4>
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<p>Nick Perry gets the sack for the Packers, but he's simply spying the quarterback and containing him while being double-teamed by Brandon Linder and A.J. Cann. If not for Luke Joeckel's misstep against Datone Jones, Bortles isn't flushed out of the pocket. Who's most at fault for the sack? Joeckel.</p>
<p><b><i>Final verdict: Luke Joeckel</i></b></p>
<h4>2016 sack totals</h4>
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<td>Kelvin Beachum</td>
<td>1.5</td>
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<td>Luke Joeckel</td>
<td>1.0</td>
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<td>Denard Robinson</td>
<td>0.5</td>
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<p>Next up: San Diego.</p>
https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/13/12895780/jaguars-vs-packers-who-was-at-fault-for-each-sack-in-week-1Ryan Day2016-09-13T08:30:02-04:002016-09-13T08:30:02-04:00Joeckel played well
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<p><a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Jacksonville Jaguars</a> offensive lineman played one preseason game at left guard and it didn't exactly go well and a lot of fans felt it was worse than it actually was because of the optics of some of his bad plays, which led to a lot of concern heading into Week 1 of the regular season. A full day after the Week 1 loss against the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Green Bay Packers</a>, you haven't heard much about <span>Joeckel</span> specifically.</p>
<p>That's because he actually played well.</p>
<p>For all the grief Joeckel has gotten so far in his NFL career, it's worth giving him credit when he actually plays well and on Sunday against the Packers, he did just that. He wasn't without fault of course, as he was driven back on a passing play that forced quarterback <span>Blake Bortles</span> to leave the pocket and take a sack, but he wasn't giving up big hits on the quarterback and getting bowled over by defensive lineman.</p>
<p>He still has things he needs to improve on, naturally, but Joeckel wasn't the absolute disaster at guard that a lot of people (including me) expected him to be. If Joeckel can improve on what he did Sunday and play with some consistency, he might find himself at home on the inside.</p>
https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/13/12895814/luke-joeckel-deserves-credit-for-a-solid-game-at-guardAlfie Crow2016-09-13T08:00:12-04:002016-09-13T08:00:12-04:00Jaguars Daily: Last play call right one
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<p>It was the right decision to go with the pass because the Packers were crowding the line of scrimmage and looked like they were coming with another blitz.</p> <p><a href="http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/213984/pass-play-on-fourth-down-was-correct-call-for-the-jaguars" target="_blank">Fourth down pass play call was correct for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Green Bay Packers - ESPN.com</a><br>The Jaguars had a run-pass option called on fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 14-yard line with 23 seconds remaining, and QB Blake Bortles stuck with the pass, which was a screen to WR Allen Hurns. It was the right decision to go with the pass because the Packers were crowding the line of scrimmage and looked like they were coming with another blitz.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/12/12893010/but-did-we-really-lose" target="_blank">But did we really lose? - BigCatCountry.com</a><br>As the game clock hits 00:00 and I make the dreaded losers walk back to my car, one that I know so well, it hits me. Sure we lost the game, but I feel like that loss was more impressive than any win we enjoyed last year. Were there negatives? Sure, but I'm not here to talk about that.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/Day-after-%E2%80%9COne-we-should-have-won%E2%80%9D/8976bae0-80fc-4775-9949-8b2bb7ed8beb" target="_blank">"One we should have won" - Jaguars.com</a><br>Gus Bradley disliked more than he liked. That’s to be expected after a season-opening loss, but the Jaguars’ head coach said he liked one thing a lot in the wake of Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers at EverBank Field. He liked the players’ reaction.</p>
https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/13/12900580/jacksonville-jaguars-daily-pass-play-on-fourth-down-was-correctRyan Day2016-09-12T16:47:29-04:002016-09-12T16:47:29-04:003 plays that decided Jaguars loss to Packers
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<p>Most football games are decided by two or three plays. And the Jaguars didn't win any of the most important ones against the Packers.</p> <p>Most football games are decided by two or three plays. It's a mantra we've heard repeatedly today. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/johnoehser" target="_blank">@JohnOehser</a> says (and writes) it over and over and over again the mornings after games. Whoever wins those few plays typically wins the game.</p>
<p>And on Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost what I consider to be <i>those </i>plays.</p>
<h4>Play #1: No-call on Allen Robinson pass interference</h4>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Green Bay mugged Allen Robinson over and over. These are back-to-back plays in the first quarter. Tempo set early. <a href="https://t.co/x12wcFd9pU">pic.twitter.com/x12wcFd9pU</a></p>
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) <a href="https://twitter.com/JuMosq/status/775401917144965120">September 12, 2016</a>
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<p>By itself, this penalty is a matter of a few yards and a first down. But more than that, it sets the tempo and the standard for what the referees will and won't call. If the referees call this a penalty, Green Bay's secondary plays less physical and Allen Robinson is working with more space for the rest of the game.</p>
<p>But it wasn't. The referees let the first play above go and then call the second one. And then they don't call the third and fourth later in the game. And the Rashad Greene one on third down of the final drive isn't called either. These plays set a trend by which the Packers followed for the rest of the afternoon.</p>
<h4>Play #2: Aaron Rodgers turns water into wine</h4>
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<p>Not only did Jalen Ramsey have Aaron Rodgers by the jersey, but Davon House had decent coverage. This is as talented a throw as it is lucky. There's no defending this sort of play.</p>
<h4>Play #3: A bubble screen to Allen Hurns</h4>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is the play call on 4th-and-short? A bubble to Allen Hurns? Why? <a href="https://t.co/5cZTNXiWkH">https://t.co/5cZTNXiWkH</a></p>
— Big Cat Country (@BigCatCountry) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigCatCountry/status/775065321258545153">September 11, 2016</a>
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<p>Gus Bradley went for it on fourth down four times on Sunday. The first three attempts were successful... Blake Bortles over the middle to Allen Robinson. This one was unsuccessful... a bubble screen to Allen Hurns.</p>
<p>Here's why I don't like it. First, you have Green Bay calling a timeout beforehand. You have time to get your thoughts together and call something a little more strategic in terms of matchup. Why is Allen Robinson the lead blocker when two defenders are sitting on that side of the field? Why are you calling a quick screen when the clock is stopped? Why are you calling a lateral play on a team stacking the box?</p>
<p>If Chris Ivory is active, going to him is an easy call. This is the exact situation for which you signed him. Unfortunately, our running game never got going because the Packers were loading the box and run blitzing all afternoon. You're perfect going to Robinson over the middle. Do it a fourth time. Do what works until they stop you.</p>
https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/12/12891740/3-plays-that-decided-jaguars-loss-to-packersRyan Day2016-09-12T10:00:12-04:002016-09-12T10:00:12-04:00Rodgers the biggest difference
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jacksonville Jaguars</a> sacked <span>Aaron Rodgers</span> just one time in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a>, but it was more than just a lack of overall pass rush that kept Rodgers clean. The Jaguars didn't get great pressure on the Packers quarterback, but it was more a function of Rodgers ability to get outside the pocket and avoid pressure than him just sitting in the pocket and picking the secondary apart.</p>
<p>"We tried to keep him in the pocket. He got a touchdown by scrambling on us," Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley said Sunday after the loss about the pass rush. "He got outside the pocket, and he extended some plays. You know without going back, I'm playing it over in my head right now. I know there's times I thought we did a really nice job on the extended plays, on plays downfield, you know, covering. And that was the big thing. We knew he had the ability to extend it, so a lot of times those are pressures. He doesn't take many sacks. In this game he didn't."</p>
<p>It shouldn't have been realistic to have expected for rookies Dante Fowler and <span>Yannick Ngakoue</span> to get a bunch of quarterback pressures, hits and sacks in their regular season debuts, but for the most part they did about what you'd expect from rookies. The Jaguars interior defensive line also did what you would expect, collapsing the pocket and making Rodgers move outside the pocket, which he did, but Rodgers is one of those players who is exceptional on the move and outside the pocket. He's not someone you want extending plays and as Bradley said, that's exactly what happened.</p>
<p>Hell, Rodgers even threw an insane touchdown pass into tight coverage with <span>Jalen Ramsey</span> hanging off his back. I'm of the firm belief that if the Jaguars had played a team with just about anyone else at quarterback, they'd have won the game on Sunday. They, for the most part, held the Packers offense in check with only 27 points, seven of which were gifted due to field position from an early tipped pass that was intercepted.</p>
<p>While the pass rush wasn't great and will likely be the Achilles heel for most of the Jaguars season, Rodgers ability to extend plays and play outside the pocket killed them more than anything else.</p>
https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/12/12886840/jaguars-pass-rush-will-still-be-achilles-heel-but-aaron-rodgers-wasAlfie Crow2016-09-12T08:45:07-04:002016-09-12T08:45:07-04:00Jalen: "Aaron Rodgers didn't throw my way."
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<p>The Jacksonville Jaguars kept it a close game throughout their regular season opener against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and the biggest reason for that was probably the revamped secondary. Prince Amukamara had a standout game, Davon House let a few passes get completed on him but was overall fine...</p>
<p>And Jalen Ramsey was an absolute beast. In fact, he probably had the best performance of anyone on the defensive side of the ball... and he wasn't afraid to express more opinions about Aaron Rodgers after a week where <a target="_blank" href="http://www.espn.com/blog/jacksonville-jaguars/post/_/id/18816/jalen-ramsey-wants-aaron-rodgers-to-target-him-throw-my-way-if-you-want-to">he challenged the Green Bay quarterback to throw it his way</a>.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jalen Ramsey not happy about the loss, but did have this comment about Aaron Rodgers: "He didn't throw my way. Write that."</p>
— Eric Adelson (@eric_adelson) <a href="https://twitter.com/eric_adelson/status/775080747686330368">September 11, 2016</a>
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<p>Jalen went on to say that <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/jalenramsey/status/775096556999573504">Rodgers completed zero passes against him</a>. I remembered him having a great game, but zero completions seemed a little unrealistic.</p>
<p>I went back and watched... and Rodgers threw to Jalen's general vicinity four times, completing two passes. But those two completions came when the secondary was playing zone or letting short passes come underneath so as to limit big plays.</p>
<p>The only two times Rodgers threw it to the receiver Jalen was <i>clearly </i>covering resulted in incompletions. The first was an attempt to Randall Cobb in the end zone on the opening drive and the second was the first play of the fourth quarter on another end zone try to Cobb.</p>
<p>I'm not going to say Jalen Ramsey is Deion Sanders if Deion were better against the run, but I'm not <i>not </i>going to say it.</p>
https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/12/12883612/jalen-ramsey-aaron-rodgers-didnt-throw-my-way-write-thatRyan Day2016-09-12T08:30:03-04:002016-09-12T08:30:03-04:00Closer than expected
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<p>If I'm being completely honest, the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Jacksonville Jaguars</a> looked much better against the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Green Bay Packers</a> than I anticipated. When people asked me prior to the game what I thought the score would be, it was something like 34-20 Packers, because I didn't think the Jaguars had the pass rush to hold the Packers offense in check and would be in for a long day.</p>
<p>That ended up being kind of true, but overall the team was able to go toe-to-toe with one of the NFL's perennial playoff teams and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl" class="sbn-auto-link">Super Bowl</a> contenders. It was a game that shined a light on a lot of both positive things for the Jaguars, but it also put a spotlight directly on some of the Jaguars warts.</p>
<p>We'll talk about the pass rush in another piece, but I actually thought for the most part both Dante Fowler and <span>Yannick Ngakoue</span> had pretty good days for their rookie debuts. Their pass rush was lacking, but that was to be expected, but they held up really well against the run and were a big factor there.</p>
<p>The Jaguars offense seemed to be much more balanced with measured shots down the field with only a handful of YOLO balls, one of which nearly won the game and just happened to end up being the "30" in those 70/30 balls to <span>Allen Robinson</span>. I think the team did end up missing <span>Chris Ivory</span>, who was a shock inactive after going to the hospital the morning of the game, but they stuck with the run game and it helped keep them balanced, though not really effective.</p>
<p>The game made me more hopeful for the season, because it was right there for the taking and had the Jaguars gotten maybe one of the five horribly missed PI calls on Allen Robinson, it might have been a different ball game.</p>
<p>Oh, and it was nice to see the Jaguars kept <span>Bryan Walters</span> and <span>Chris Smith</span> on the roster to be healthy scratches.</p>
https://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/9/12/12886812/jaguars-looked-good-in-loss-to-packers-but-not-good-enoughAlfie Crow