Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars (Page 16 of 23)

      Titans prove they can also come from behind

      November 16, 2008 /

      Kerry CollinsMany football pundits were calling for a Jaguars’ upset over the Titans on Sunday and when Jacksonville took a 14-3 lead at halftime, it appeared that they were going to be right.

      But Tennessee proved that it could come from behind and beat an opponent despite being dominated in the first half. The Titans scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Jags 24-14 to improve to 10-0 on the season.

      Stop waiting for this team to crash – it’s not going to happen. Will they remain unbeaten all season? Probably not, but it doesn’t appear that any team is good enough to beat them right now either, outside of the New York Giants.

      Some say that Kerry Collins can’t beat opponents with his arm – that he’s only a “game manager.” But he proved against the Colts and Jaguars over the past couple weeks that he can lead Tennessee to victories using his arm. He can still make all the necessary throws and while Jeff Fisher doesn’t necessarily want Collins to attempt 30-plus passes a game, he can do it (and win) if opponents take away the run.

      As for the Jaguars – they’re toast. The Titans are obviously running away with the division and Indy has resurrected its season after winning its third straight game on Sunday. What a disastrous season for Jack Del Rio.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL Week 11 Primer

      November 16, 2008 /

      John HarbaughSunday’s Best: Ravens (6-3) at Giants (8-1), 1:00 PM ET
      Who would have thought this game would be the best matchup of the week with the Chargers playing the Steelers and Cowboys taking on the Redskins in the same weekend. The job first-year head coach John Harbaugh and his staff has done with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco has been amazing and the rest of the Baltimore players have really bought into the new regime’s system. They’ll get their biggest challenge this season on Sunday, however, as no team outside of the Titans is playing better than the Giants right now. There are a couple of great matchups within this game, but none bigger than New York’s power running game vs. the stingy Baltimore run defense. One advantage the Giants have is that this will be the Ravens’ fifth road game in six weeks and they might start to wear down. Flacco will face a ton of pressure from a quick Giants’ front seven, but getting Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain going will help neutralize what New York does best defensively. This will be the most physical matchup of the weekend.

      Upset Watch: Rams (2-7) at 49ers (2-7), 4:05 PM ET
      Everyone is scrambling to be the first to predict the Jaguars to upset the Titans this weekend, but people have been waiting for Tennessee to fall for weeks and still they remain unbeaten. It’s hardly a huge upset to predict one 2-7 team will beat another, but after their strong showing on Monday night, football pundits might assume this game will be an easy victory for the Niners. While there’s nothing to like about the Rams following their abysmal performance last week against the Jets, this is a better team than what they’ve shown and San Fran is a bit dysfunctional right now after their debacle on Monday Night Football. Jim Haslett is still fighting for a head coaching job (as is Mike Singletary) and there’s no doubt he’ll have his team more prepared than they were last week in New York. Of course, a win for the Rams would mean that Marc Bulger has to get his head out of his ass and someone has to find Torry Holt. But as usual with my “Upset Watch”, I won’t predict an outright win for St. Louis, but I say they at least cover the 5.5-point spread.

      Tony RomIntriguing Matchup: Cowboys (5-4) at Redskins (6-3), 8:15 PM ET
      Tony Romo will be back in action this week, but will he need a game or two to shake off the rust? Unfortunately for him, Dallas can’t afford to lose any more ground in a stacked NFC East. The Redskins are also fighting to keep pace in the division and will look to avenge their ugly loss to the Steelers on Monday Night Football two weeks ago. They’ll have to do it without Clinton Portis, however, as he currently is sidelined with a MCL injury. Jason Campbell has been solid this season, but he’ll need to make plays without Portis in the backfield. If the Cowboys are going to walk away with a win, they’ll do so because of a strong defensive effort – not the play of Romo.

      Other Notable Games:
      Titans (9-0) at Jaguars (4-5), 4:15 PM ET
      As previously noted, everyone is waiting for the Titans to slip and this very well could be the weekend they do. But they don’t seem like the team that gets ahead of themselves and every one of their wins has been a dogfight. The Jaguars rebounded with an impressive win over the Lions last week, but let’s not forget that they lost to the Bengals and Browns in two games prior to that.

      Bears (5-4) at Packers (4-5), 1:00 PM ET
      This is a must win for both teams because the Vikings are right back in the division hunt again. If the Packers lose, they might be able to kiss the playoffs goodbye. Kyle Orton is expected to play for the Bears.

      Vikings (5-4) at Bucs (6-3), 1:00 PM ET
      We’ll find out a lot about Minnesota this Sunday and whether or not they’ve returned from the grave. A win over a solid Tampa team would go a long way in proving they’ve rebounded from earlier seasons struggles.

      Broncos (5-4) at Falcons (6-3), 1:00 PM ET
      The legend of Matt Ryan continues this week in the Georgia Dome. Ryan is 4-0 at home this year and will have plenty of opportunities to make big plays against a horrible Denver defense. But Jay Cutler as lit opposing defenses up this year and there could be a wild finish to this game in the making.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Should Jaguars have kept Coughlin?

      November 13, 2008 /

      Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.com writes that the Jaguars should have kept head coach Tom Coughlin.

      Tom CoughlinCoughlin, fired by the Jags in 2003, coached the New York Giants to the Super Bowl title last season and is the prohibitive favorite to win yet another championship this season. If Coughlin wins his second Super Bowl, he is almost a shoo-in to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

      The reason we bring this up is because — with the struggling Jaguars (4-5) hosting Fisher’s unbeaten Tennessee Titans (9-0) Sunday — it’s hard not to play the what-if card. What if Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver had stuck by Coughlin like Titans owner Bud Adams stuck by Fisher? Isn’t it possible the Jags would be Super Bowl contenders today instead of one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL?

      This is no knock on current Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio. He was a decent hire and has taken the Jaguars to a couple of playoff appearances in his six years as head coach. But he’s certainly no Coughlin. In the NFL coaching hierarchy, Coughlin is Casablanca; Del Rio is the ABC Movie of the Week.

      In this day and age, we all want to change coaches like we’re changing rolls of toilet paper. Use ’em, flush ’em and move on to the next one.

      It’s a little easy to suggest that the Jags should have kept Coughlin when he’s currently sporting a Super Bowl ring and Jacksonville has vastly underachieved under Jack Del Rio this season. Just because Coughlin won a title in New York, doesn’t mean that he would have won one in Jacksonville. Sometimes it’s time for a team or coach to move on.

      NFL

      Week 10 NFL Primer

      November 9, 2008 /

      Donovan McNabbSunday’s Best: Giants (7-1) at Eagles (5-3)
      If you don’t like a good ‘ol fashion NFC East battle than you don’t like America. The Giants need a win to stay two games up on the Redskins in the division while the Eagles need a victory just to keep pace. Neither team has huge injury concerns so we’re about to see the best each squad has to offer. The G-Men swept the series between these two teams last year and sacked Donovan McNabb 12 times, which tied an NFL record. But the Eagles have won three straight and have averaged 31 points per game in those victories. Keeping McNabb healthy and upright has been the key, which will again be a main concern for the Eagles against a stout Giants’ pass rush. Perhaps no team in the league plays better on the road than Tom Coughlin’s bunch, but Philadelphia is always a tough environment to play in and the Giants will look to neutralize Jim Johnson’s blitz-happy defense by running the back effectively with Brandon Jacobs. Neither team turns the ball over very much, so this game will likely come down to which squad forces their opponent out of their game plan first.

      Upset Watch: Seahawks at Dolphins, 1:00 PM ET
      An easier upset to call might be Detroit over Jacksonville with how bad the Jaguars have looked the past two weeks. But I’m willing to bet the Jags can handle Daunte Culpepper much better than they did Ryan Fitzpatrick last Sunday. There’s everything to love about the Dolphins and nothing about the Seahawks, but that’s exactly why I like Mike Holmgren’s bunch this week. Typically teams that travel from the West to East don’t fare well, but the Hawks were just in Florida to play the Bucs so they’re used to the travel preparations. Miami has been the talk of the NFL the past two weeks, which means they’re in uncharted territory. They’re due for a letdown and while the Seahawks are missing six starters and have zero offense, the underdog has covered the last six games involving the Dolphins. Okay, so Miami might win. But the Hawks cover the 9-point spread after falling behind early.

      Rex GrossmanIntriguing matchup: Titans at Bears, 1:00 PM ET
      Even though pundits have been impressed with the Titans’ start, you get the feeling that everyone is waiting for them to stumble eventually. They aren’t blowing teams out by any means and narrowly escaped defeat last week at home against Green Bay. Chicago starts a pissed off Rex Grossman this weekend and while that normally spells trouble, he did rally the Bears last week against Detroit. Word is that it’s supposed to snow in Chicago this Sunday, which only plays into the Bears’ hands. They’re so banged up on defense that the Titans still have the advantage, but don’t be surprised if this is the week Tennessee is finally tripped.

      Other notable games:
      Saints (4-4) at Falcons (5-3), 1:00 PM ET
      This game is going to reach the mid-50’s or 60’s by its conclusion. Even without Reggie Bush, the Saints’ offense is a juggernaut, but they’ve struggled defensively and will be without DE Charles Grant for the rest of the year due to injury. Rookie Matt Ryan has been nothing short of phenomenal this year and has the Falcons thinking playoffs. Teams have forced him to beat them through the air, which he has. This is one of the more underrated rivalries in the league and a sure bet for a shootout this weekend.

      Bills (5-3) at Patriots (5-3), 1:00 PM ET
      Bill Belichick should be ashamed of the way he game planned for the Colts last week and will no doubt be looking to smoke division rival Buffalo to get back on track. The Bills, meanwhile, have lost two games in a row because Trent Edwards can’t keep the turnovers low. The Jets are right in the mix too, but a win in this game is huge for the division.

      Colts (4-4) at Steelers (6-2), 4:15 PM ET
      Indy got back on track last week with a win over the Patriots, now they have to show that they can be consistent. The Steelers thumped the Skins on the road last Monday, but are coming off a short week and could be without Ben Roethlisberger. Can Byron Leftwich lead Pittsburgh to another victory? Or has the return of Bob Sanders lifted the Colts?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Daunte Culpepper might start for Lions on Sunday

      November 4, 2008 /

      From near retirement to starting NFL quarterback again, Daunte Culpepper is back ladies and gentlemen. With Dan Orlovsky expected to miss some time with a hand injury, Culepper could start for the Detroit Lions this Sunday when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars.

      Daunte Culpepper“It was a terrific workout — you could see the explosion in the arm, the movement of the feet, all those things were good,” coach Rod Marinelli said. “You look at it and you say it’s a great opportunity to add a really good veteran player to your football team.”

      Culpepper, 31, announced his unofficial retirement from the NFL in early September, unable to find a suitable opportunity after abbreviated stints in Miami and Oakland the past two seasons. But two weeks ago, he changed his mind after talking to the Lions, among other teams.

      I don’t care how much “explosion” he had in his arm or “movement” in his feet – if the Jaguars lose to one-knee Culpepper on Sunday a week after losing to Ryan Fitzpatrick and the previously winless Cincinnati Bengals, than head coach Jack Del Rio deserves his walking papers. Culpepper was a disaster in Miami and Oakland and should be nothing short of horrible behind what could only be deemed as the offensive line in football.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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