Lack of National Attention Doesn’t Guarantee Success for Jacksonville Jaguars

As long as I’ve followed the Jacksonville Jaguars, fans and players have expressed their consternation about a lack of respect.

Because the team plays in a small market and hasn’t had great success this decade, people think that the Jags are largely ignored on a national level.

In this day and age, when so much value is placed on getting respect in the sports world, the lack of national exposure is a thorn in the Jacksonville’s collective side.

Some people would argue that this lack of perceived respect really motivated Jacksonville in 2007, when the team exceeded everyone’s expectations and won a playoff game at Pittsburgh.

That success, coupled with free agent acquisitions like Jerry Porter, Troy Williamson, and Drayton Florence, was supposed to put the Jaguars over the top.

They quickly became a trendy Super Bowl pick for 2008 and an odds-on favorite to win the AFC South.

Finally, Jacksonville got the recognition it had been waiting for.

And the Jags promptly fell flat on their face.

There were a plethora of reasons that Jacksonville didn’t live up to the hype (a rash of injuries to the offensive line, a disaster with the new defensive coordinator, a bad decision in letting Marcus Stroud go, etc.).

At the end of the day, all that matters is the Jaguars grossly underachieved last year. In response to last year’s 5-11 campaign, many of the national pundits are predicting no better than an 8-8 season.

Now I haven’t heard any of the players make this point yet, but several fans on b/r are running around saying, “Now we can fly under the radar. We’ll prove the haters wrong. This is just what we need to get back to the playoffs.”

Really?

Listen, if your team can’t deal with a little national publicity, then it isn’t going very far in the first place.

I’m much more impressed with teams like Indy and New England, teams that have the national media on their jocks year in and year out.

I bet you’d never hear Peyton Manning or Tom Brady say, “You know, I wish we could sneak up on people and fly under the radar.”

They know they’re the big dogs, and they relish that role.

In the grand scheme of things, I don’t think expectations, respect, and all this other stuff really has that much bearing on a team’s success.

But as long as Jacksonville players and fans take this “No one respects us” attitude, you’ll never get respect on a consistent basis.

What’s the solution?

The team needs to sack up and get it done on the field.

And it wouldn’t hurt if the fans could actually sell out the stadium. 

Jacksonville’s Troy Williamson Has Cause to Be Concerned About His Future

In today’s Florida Times-Union, Vito Stellino has a story about wide receiver Troy Williamson and his future with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While Stellino said that Williamson has shined in OTAs so far, he also pointed out the Jaguars went out and picked up a number of wide receivers this offseason.

Torry Holt was signed in free agency, while Mike Thomas, Jarett Dillard and Tiquan Underwood were all taken in the draft.

Right now, Jacksonville has 11 receivers on the roster. While Todd Peterson, Nate Hughes, Maurice Dupree, and Jason English probably won’t be around when the season starts, there are some proven receivers on the roster who will be fighting with Williamson for a spot on the team.

In addition to Holt, Thomas, Dillard, and Underwood, Dennis Northcutt and Mike Walker will be jockeying for position.

It’s safe to assume that Holt and Northcutt are safe. Unlike Jerry Porter and Williamson, Holt is a proven talent and a consummate professional who will probably be the No. 1 receiver.

Although Northcutt has a propensity to drop passes, he has been consistent with his production in his two years with Jacksonville (88 receptions, 1,146 yards, six touchdowns in the past two seasons).

Assuming that Holt and Northcutt aren’t going anywhere, that likely leaves three roster spots left for wide receivers. The Jaguars could very well keep six WRs on the team, but for the sake of argument (and to make this article more interesting), let’s assume that the team only keeps five.

That leaves the three rookies, Walker and Williamson battling for three remaining roster spots.

While Williamson has looked good in the early going, so have Walker and Dillard. If I had to pick three of the five to stay with the team, I think it would be Dillard, Thomas and Walker, leaving Underwood and Williamson as the odd men out.

Even though Williamson has the most NFL experience of the remaining five, he has also failed to live up to some very lofty expectations. He ran a 4.32 at the combine, and people fell in love with that number.

The Vikings took him with the No. 7 overall pick, ahead of guys like Antrel Rolle, DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman.

So far, Williamson’s NFL career has been a comedy of errors. He has never caught more than 37 passes in a season and only has four career touchdowns in four seasons.

He was supposed to be a deep threat, but he has only averaged 13.1 yards per reception during his NFL career.

As bad as his years in Minnesota were, his time in Jacksonville was even more pathetic. The team traded a sixth-round draft pick to get Williamson in 2007.

The return on Jacksonville’s investment: five catches, 30 yards, one touchdown. Not exactly what they were hoping for.

With an exciting crop of young receivers, coupled with some wily veterans, there’s just no room for an underachieving speedster on the roster. Expect the Jaguars to cut their losses and turn Williamson loose.

49ers’ Quarterbacks: Let Alex Smith Prove His Worth in the Preseason

While watching SportsCenter this morning, I heard an audio clip from Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, saying that although Shaun Hill was slated to be the starting quarterback coming into this season, Alex Smith looks better than he has ever looked before.

In fact, Maiocco said Smith’s performance has been so impressive thus far that he might work his way back into the starting role.

When I heard his comments, I only had one thought.

If the 49ers give Smith the starting job based on how he looked throwing against air, I’m going to be more than a little upset.

It’s easy for a quarterback to look good when he isn’t facing a pass rush. Smith’s job is infinitely simpler when he has ample time to read the defense.

But nothing Smith does in OTAs or mini-camp should earn him the starting quarterback job.

I don’t care if he completes all his passes in 7-on-7 drills. It doesn’t matter if he consistently throws the ball 80 yards. Singletary and Co. cannot award Smith a starting position until they see how the young man performs under pressure.

Now don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying Hill should be the starting QB regardless of performance. Quite the contrary, actually.

There is a time to truly evaluate who should be a starter and who should be holding the clipboard.

That time is the preseason.

If Hill struggles as the starter in the first few preseason games, while Smith shines against the backups, I have no problem seeing what Smith can do against first-team defenses in the third and fourth preseason games.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Competition breeds success. Hill should not be allowed to rest on his laurels.

At the same time, Hill has earned the right to be the 49ers’ starting quarterback, based on the job he did last year and at the end of 2007.

If Smith can prove he’s the best man for the job, then by all means give him the job. But Smith won’t prove anything to me until he can thrive in an actual game.

Early-Season Stretch Will Doom Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2009 Campaign

In college football, the major programs usually schedule a few tune-up games before getting into the meat of their conference schedule.

The logic behind scheduling the cream puffs is that it allows a team to work out the kinks and gives them some confidence before heading into the more challenging part of the season.

Unfortunately for the Jaguars, NFL teams don’t have that luxury.

Jacksonville was already going to have a challenging schedule because the team plays in the AFC South. In addition to Indianapolis, a perennial playoff contender, the division includes Tennessee and Houston.

Although the Titans lost Albert Haynesworth, they made some significant upgrades to its offense, particularly in the passing game. And Houston is one of the up-and-coming teams in the NFL.

Six of the team’s 16 games come against those three teams, so Jacksonville was already behind the eight-ball in terms of its schedule.

A fourth-place finish in the AFC South assured that there would be a few easy games on the schedule, and the Jags do get to play Cleveland and Kansas City this year.

Also, teams from the AFC South and the NFC West play each other this year, and three of the NFC West teams are very beatable.

But the Jaguars weren’t fortunate enough to play any of those lesser teams in the early going. In fact, their first four games might be the most difficult stretch any team in the league has to face in the early going.

Jacksonville opens the season at Indy, and then returns home to host Arizona, the NFC champion. In week three, the team travels to Houston to face a Texan squad that has given Jacksonville fits over the years.

The four-game stretch ends with a home game against Tennessee. Talk about a gauntlet.

Three of the four teams reached the playoffs last year, with the Cardinals coming a few plays away from winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history. The combined regular season record of the four teams is 42-22.

Although it’s difficult to predict how a team will do based on how it did last year, those numbers do not bode well for the Jaguars.

If Jacksonville was a team brimming with confidence after coming off a playoff season, this opening stretch wouldn’t be a big deal.

But the Jaguars are a wounded team, a team searching for an identity. At this point, with the loss of numerous veterans, with the coach calling out one of the team’s best players, with a new general manager, the team’s psyche is extremely fragile.

If the Jaguars can make it out of the four-game stretch with a record of 2-2, things start to look up. Three of the next four games come against Seattle, St. Louis and Kansas City, all of which should be very winnable games for Jacksonville.

But if the team opens the season with an 0-4 record, a possibility that is highly likely, there will be no redeeming the 2009 campaign.

Will Bear Pascoe Allow Vernon Davis to Realize His Potential?

To this point, Vernon Davis’ tenure in San Francisco has been a major disappointment.

The 49ers drafted the Maryland alumnus with the No. 6 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, hoping that he would open up the offense. He was supposed to be like Brent Jones, only bigger, stronger, and faster.

So far, Davis has not lived up to the billing. After posting career highs in receptions (52), yards (509), and touchdowns (four) in 2007, his production slipped in 2008. He only caught 31 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns last year.

In a blog by Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, the primary reason for Davis’ dip in production was the way he was used in Mike Martz’s system.

Instead of making a concerted effort to get the ball in Davis’ hands—something Martz said he was intent on doing—Davis was used for pass protection. Maiocco wrote that Davis was only targeted 49 times last year.

The offense struggled to keep the quarterback upright, whether it was J.T. O’Sullivan or Shaun Hill. The 49ers allowed 55 sacks last year, and keeping Davis in to block proved to be a necessity.

One of the reasons Davis had to fill that role is because San Francisco didn’t have a true blocking tight end on the roster.

But that has changed with the recent draft of Fresno State tight end Bear Pascoe.

At first, I didn’t really understand the pick. The 49ers already had Davis and Delanie Walker, so adding another tight end to the mix seemed a little silly.

Then I read the scouting reports on Pascoe and realized that he is exactly what San Francisco needs, especially if the team wants to recommit itself to running the football.

With a true blocking tight end on the roster, it should free up Davis to utilize his athletic ability in the passing game.

In Matt Maiocco’s blog, new offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said that he plans on using Davis much more in passing routes this season. As Maiocco points out, the last three offensive coordinators made that claim.

But with Pascoe in the fold, 2009 will finally be Davis’ time to shine.

How a Rejuvenated Marcedes Lewis Will Add a New Dimension to the Jaguars Offense

When the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Marcedes Lewis with the No. 28 pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, they thought they were getting a receiving tight end who would play a huge role in the passing game.

After all, the 6’6, 256-pound tight end caught 58 passes for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns during his senior year at UCLA. That was the kind of production he was supposed to bring to the River City.

Up to now, Lewis’ three-year tenure in Jacksonville has been nothing short of a disappointment. Lewis hasn’t taken the Jaguar offense to the next level and is actually known more for his blocking ability.

To make matters worse, Lewis has shown a propensity toward dropping passes. He dropped eight balls last year, including four in a game against Houston that saw him catch zero passes.

With the offense taking on a decidedly new look in 2009, Lewis is hopeful that he will play a more prominent role in Jacksonville’s attack.

According to an article written by Michael C. Wright of the Florida Times-Union, Lewis is showing a great deal of dedication to his craft this off-season.

Lewis has a stack of Post-it notes detailing tips on making him a better tight end. One of them dealt with eliminating a false step in order to get into his route quicker.

He’s also taken the step of staying in Jacksonville for the entire off-season, instead of shuttling back and forth from Florida to California.

Assistant head coach Mike Tice was quick to note that Lewis’ presence in Jacksonville was critical to his maturation process.

“One, he’s been here through the off-season workouts. He’s been here on the weekends,” Tice said in Wright’s article. “So he’s able to get that timing down with David (Garrard) in the passing game, and he’s been able to critique and refine some little things that, if you’re back and forth, in and out of town, you can’t do.

“Every time you go back and forth, in and out of town, you take a step back, then you go forward again.”

It seems that Lewis’ hard work is paying off. Wright reports that Lewis hasn’t dropped one pass during the Organized Team Activities.

According to Wright, Lewis has figured out that just because he’s talented doesn’t mean he’ll necessarily be an effective tight end in the NFL.

He realizes the amount of work that needs to be put in to reach that upper echelon, and he’s willing to sell out to make that happen.

“This is just one of those years that where I’m going to be able to relax and play football because the game is slowing down a little bit,” Lewis said. “I feel it now.”

If Lewis can carry over his early success over into the regular season, Jacksonville will have a much more potent attack in 2009.

Nate Washington, Kenny Britt Solve Tennessee Titans’ Receiver Dilemma

For as long as I can remember, the Tennessee Titans have always had a sub-par corps of wide receivers.

Even when the Titans went to the Super Bowl, Kevin Dyson and Derrick Mason weren’t exactly setting the world on fire. That offense was all about Steve McNair, Frank Wycheck and Eddie George.

The offensive philosophy was pretty simple: Control the clock and keep the opposing offense on the sideline.

About a decade later, the faces were different, but the philosophy was the same.

Tennessee relied heavily on Chris Johnson and LenDale White, the best running back duo in the NFL. Kerry Collins made plays when he had to, but most importantly, he kept the Titans in games by avoiding mistakes. He was the consummate game manager.

That was all well and good until the Titans ran up against Baltimore in the playoffs. The Ravens, always known for having outstanding defenses, made sure that they shut down the run and forced Tennessee to beat them with the pass.

While Collins didn’t have a horrible game (26-of-42, 281 yards, one interception), Baltimore held the Titans to 10 points and won 13-10, ending Tennessee’s season much sooner than anyone anticipated.

There were a number of factors that conspired against Tennessee winning that game. First, the team committed three turnovers. Second, Johnson left in the first half with an ankle injury. Finally, the team committed 12 penalties.

But you can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Tennessee had some bonafide receivers on the roster last year. Justin Gage had 10 catches for 135 yards.

What would a premier WR been able to accomplish?

With the sting of that loss still fresh, the Titans’ front office sought to shore up the passing game by upgrading the wide receiver position.

First, the team went out and got Pittsburgh WR Nate Washington in free agency. While Washington’s numbers weren’t exactly stellar (40 catches, 631 yards, three touchdowns), he instantly gives Tennessee’s receiver corps a boost.

In his previous four years in the league, Washington has averaged 16.4 yards a catch, showing that he’s a legitimate deep threat. The Titans’ offense will center around the running game, but the receiver out of Tiffin University will be a nightmare for defenses to handle, particularly on play-action passes.

It’s important to note that Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward were the primary pass catchers, making Washington the third option (and maybe even the fourth behind Heath Miller). He should have a much more prominent role with the Titans.

Then the team went and drafted Kenny Britt out of Rutgers. Scouts bill Britt as a stout receiver who can take punishment and isn’t afraid to go across the middle to catch a pass. His hands are a little shaky, but scouts expect him to come in and contribute immediately.

With an upgraded passing attack to go with the 1-2 punch at running back, Tennessee is one of my early favorites to reach the Super Bowl out of the AFC.

Did the 49ers Make the Right Move Extending Joe Staley’s Contract?

San Francisco continued an uncharacteristically busy offseason Thursday, when the team gave Joe Staley a six-year contract extension.

According to ESPN.com’s John Clayton, Staley will have $18 million guaranteed with an opportunity to make as much as $45 million if he pays well.

Clayton commented that the deal was unusual because Staley hasn’t played out his rookie contract yet. But General Manager Scot McCloughan made it clear that the team had full confidence in Staley.

“Joe Staley is the type of player we want to continue to add to this football team,” McCloughan said. “He’s a tough, versatile, no-nonsense type of guy who wants to do whatever it takes to help his team win football games.”

But is Staley really as good as McCloughan thinks he is?

Give the guy credit. He’s started the first 32 games of his NFL career, showing the ability to play both left and right tackle.

However, his success on the offensive line has been mixed. Numerous Web sites have reported that Staley surrendered 8.5 sacks last year, which is among the highest at his position.

Some of that might have to do with the fact that Staley moved from right tackle to left tackle last season, replacing the injury-prone Jonas Jennings.

Obviously, going from right tackle to left tackle is a huge difference, not only in terms of footwork, but also in terms of the defensive ends a lineman has to face.

But if a guy gave up 8.5 sacks and was still under contract, would you extend his deal by six years?

He was under contract until 2011. Why not let him play out the contract and see how he does?

What if he gives up double-digit sacks next year? Now you just sank several more millions of dollars into a guy who you had wrapped up for three more seasons.

Personally, I think that Staley will do an excellent job and live up to the contract. But I’m always a little wary of front offices who throw around big money when they don’t have to.

A few weeks back, I wrote that the Dre’ Bly signing was a sign that the 49ers’ front office was moving in the right direction.

Hopefully, the Staley signing isn’t an indication that it will be business as usual for the SF brass.

Could a 3-4 Scheme Be in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Immediate Future?

The John Henderson-Jack Del Rio-Derek Landri saga has certainly created a great deal of buzz around the Jacksonville Jaguars in recent days. As has been widely reported, Del Rio criticized Henderson during a press conference for bowing out of team activities with a minor shoulder injury.

As I was driving home from work, I tuned into a local sports radio station. The two hosts, Rick Ballou and David Lamm (filling in for Frank Frangie), speculated on what the events of the last week could mean for the 2009 Jaguars.

For Lamm’s part, he believed that Del Rio would ultimately release Henderson. That move, he speculated, could lead Jacksonville to employ a 3-4 defense this season.

The more I thought about the scenario, the less feasible it seemed for a number of reasons.

I know that Henderson has underachieved during the past two seasons, posting career lows in tackles and sacks. But I truly believe the guy still has some gas left in the tank, and letting him go would be a mistake that Del Rio can’t afford to make.

But let’s entertain the notion for a second. If Henderson left the team, would the Jaguars make the switch to a 3-4?

Without Big John, Jacksonville would be left with a bunch of journeymen and rookie defensive tackles.

No one on the roster right now, including Henderson, is capable of being a DT in a 3-4 scheme. That defensive tackle has to be an absolute monster, and no one fits the bill.

A quick perusal of the free agent market reveals that there is not a two-gap type defensive tackle available, and that’s the biggest obstacle keeping the team from making the change.

Also, I think the team is filled with defensive ends perfectly suited for a 4-3. Quentin Groves could very well be a hybrid DE/LB who could rush off the edge in a 3-4, but other than that, no one has shown such a capability.

The closest guy to Groves in speed and size is Derrick Harvey, but I don’t think he has the speed and versatility to be that rush linebacker.

The one factor that works in favor of a switch from the 4-3 to a 3-4 is Mel Tucker’s background. The new defensive coordinator ran a 3-4 in Cleveland, but the Browns had Shaun Rogers, who is the prototypical 3-4 DT.

Also, then-Cleveland head coach Romeo Crennel ran a 3-4 in New England, so I think his influence had a lot to do with the alignment. Del Rio is supposed to have his imprint all over the defense this year, so I don’t think Mel Tucker will have a great deal of influence on whether the team runs a 4-3 or a 3-4.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some time in the future, Jacksonville makes the move to a 3-4. But that time is not 2009.

Hey Derek Landri: No One Asked for Your Opinion on John Henderson

So I’m perusing the Florida Times-Union Web site when I see the headline of Gene Frenette’s blog.

“Jaguars’ Derek Landri on Henderson: Del Rio did ‘right’ thing”

Needless to say, I about fell out of my chair.

Landri is a third-year defensive tackle who spent some time playing alongside Henderson in the trenches. He’s a Notre Dame alumnus who saw action in 15 games last year and recorded two sacks.

Three paragraphs into the blog, Landri got off this epic blast:

“I’ll put my name on it. Jack (Del Rio) did what was right,” he told Frenette.

I don’t even know where to start.

First of all, we have to address Henderson’s injury. He told the media that it was a minor shoulder dislocation, and he had ironed things out with his head coach.

Just days earlier, Del Rio essentially called out Henderson’s manhood for missing some workouts with the shoulder injury that he downplayed as nothing of real significance.

I understand where Del Rio was coming from, although I think he could have handled the situation differently.

One thing you never want to do is publicly call out a player for either faking or milking an injury. Especially when that player is supposed to be the cornerstone of your defense.

His comments would have been best given to Henderson one-on-one, man-to-man. But I’m sure Del Rio was asked about Henderson’s status and gave his honest opinion, which is rare these days.

But Landri NEVER should have gone public about what Del Rio said with regards to Henderson for a few reasons.

First, he looks like a teacher’s pet to the rest of the guys in the locker room. Even if players think that Del Rio was right for calling Big John out, the fact that Landri publicly agreed with his coach’s decision to put his teammate on blast makes it look like Landri’s kissing Del Rio’s posterior and jockeying for more playing time.

Second, he insinuated that Henderson was milking the injury.

“(Del Rio) said what had to be said. When (Henderson) wants to be, he can be a dominant player.”

So in the span of two sentences, Landri called out his teammate on two fronts.

First, Landri sided with Del Rio in that Henderson never should’ve missed a practice.

Second, he hinted that Henderson is a lazy player by saying he’s a dominant player, when he WANTS to be.

I’ve maintained this stance all along, whenever a situation like this arises. I know that my sportswriter brethren won’t appreciate this, but stuff like this should NEVER leave the locker room.

Sure, this stuff makes for good quotes and juicy stories. But it also leads to discontent and strife in the clubhouse.

You can bet that Landri’s comments will get a mixed reaction, but there will be people—Henderson most of all, I’m sure—who will be looking to give Landri what’s coming to him.

Hey Landri. This is going to be your third year in the NFL. Who in the world do you think you are?

Henderson is a Pro Bowl player. Do you think that a guy with two career sacks should be pulling his card? Even if what he said was true, you have to have more respect for your teammates.

Hopefully, Landri will keep flapping his gums. It makes for good reading material.

His comments don’t, however, make for a harmonious locker room.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010