Jacksonville Jags...A closer look at the record

[FloridaPatsFan]

The Jags are working the "No Respect" angle for the playoffs this year. I know that it worked for us in the past and therefore, could work for another team again. But looking a little closer at the Jags record and aside from having some surprising wins against good teams....I honestly don't think they had it nearly as tough as some would say they have. Here is a game-by-game quick review of thier season:

Game 1: Beat Seattle in Jax 26-14. I am chalking this one up on the "your never as good or bad as the 1st game of the season".

Game 2: Lost to Indy 10-3 in Indy. A tough divisional game. Indy's D was at its best for the 1st half of the season. Edge had good yardage.

Game 3: Beat Jets in NY in OT 26-20. Jets settled for 2 4Q field goals to tie game up. Smith 36 yard TD catch ends game.

Game 4: Lost to Denver 20-7 in Jax. Denver had almost 200 yards rushing.

Game 5: Beat Bengals in Jax 23-20. Cincy's 1st loss of the year.

Game 6: Beat Pitt in Pitt 23-17 in OT. No Rothlesburger. Maddox terrible. Jags interception from bonehead Maddox play hands Jax victory.

Game 7: Lost to Rams in St Louis 24-21. Coming off by week. Rams rush for 200 yards.

Game 8: Beat Houston in Jax 21-14. A trend is starting. They do enough to win, but by no means impressively. Needed to 4Q TD's to win game against bad team.

Game 9: Beat Baltimore in Jax 30-3. Best all around game by O and D. Baltimore playing badly in midseason.

Game 10: Beat Titans in Tenn 31-28. Jags take control of game in 4Q. Titans another team playing poorly during midseason.

Game 11: Beat Arizona 24-17 in Arizona. Kurt Warner throws for 315 yards and Cardinals score 14 points in 4Q to make it interesting. Leftwich injured.

Game 12: Beat Browns in CLeveland 20-14. Browns blow lead, game. Gerrard 11-20 116 yards passing 2 TD's. Typical Gerrard game. Not spectacular but enough to win.

Game 13: Lost to Indy in Jax 26-18. Game not close as score would suggest. Indy dominated in a game many people thought they could be the team to break Indy's winning streak. Jax not so great under national exposure?

Game 14: Beat 49'ers 10-9 in Jax. Maybe a letdown after Indy but Jags play poorly, lucky to win against pitiful team. Defense keep team in game. Again.

Game 15: Beat Houston 38-20 in Houston. Game much closer than score result. Jags score 21 in 4Q for come from behind win.

Game 16: Beat Titans in Jax 40-13. Starter rest and game meaningless to both teams.

Analysis: Jags did well but there is not much inspiration from barely beating so many poor teams. D was definately the reason for a 12-4 record. Offense is not going to light up a good Defense, but a good offense is not going to light up Jags D either. Teams can sometimes run and sometimes pass on them for big yardage. I can see the Jags holding us down to less than 24 points but I cannot see that offense scoring more than 10 on us.

 

[teamplay]

Thanks, FPF. Very helpful!

 

[TruthSeeker]

I am definately worried about this game, oddly enough, I feel better knowing Leftwich will play instead of Garrard. Jacksonville has a tough physical defense, and Garrard had the offense humming, scoring over 35+ points the last 2 weeks, albeit against Houston & Tennessee. If the Jags were in the NFC, they probably would be the NFC's best team. They also have 3 different runningbacks who have run for 100+ yards in a game this year, all of them big. I really don't know how to look at this game, but I know if I see ol' #54 out there for the Pats, I'll feel way more confident.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

I am definately worried about this game, oddly enough, I feel better knowing Leftwich will play instead of Garrard. Jacksonville has a tough physical defense, and Garrard had the offense humming, scoring over 35+ points the last 2 weeks, albeit against Houston & Tennessee. If the Jags were in the NFC, they probably would be the NFC's best team. They also have 3 different runningbacks who have run for 100+ yards in a game this year, all of them big. I really don't know how to look at this game, but I know if I see ol' #54 out there for the Pats, I'll feel way more confident.

Down here in Orlando, CBS picks up Jags games over Dolphins because of NFL televising coverage rules. Pisses off the locals because there are way more Fin fans around this part of the state. But I can't blame them because the Jags are just, how can you put it, rarely exciting? Anyway, my point is, your worries are not justified as much as you think they should be. I watch all the Pats game with a bunch of great people down here (who also have to watch all the Jags games) and I assure you, not one of them would put a buck on the Jags. The only people telling me the Jags can beat the Pats are the ones who are tired of me celebrating another SB.

 

[fgssand]

Jags good - Patriots much better

Pats will dominate this game from the first drive, right on through. It wont even be close. Jags are a good team, Patriots are playing at a very hhigh level right now.

This game will mirror the Tampa game.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

Pats will dominate this game from the first drive, right on through. It wont even be close. Jags are a good team, Patriots are playing at a very hhigh level right now.

This game will mirror the Tampa game.

I couldn't agree with you more. I'm glad someone else is stepping up and saying it.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Pats will dominate this game from the first drive, right on through. It wont even be close. Jags are a good team, Patriots are playing at a very hhigh level right now.

This game will mirror the Tampa game.

4 straight games like the Tampa game, and we are guaranteed another big parade. Any play resembling the last quarter of the Jets game, and we are in trouble. I'm always amazed how the Pats seem to flip a switch, and just dominate once the playoffs start. I hope they can still flip that switch.

 

[fgssand]

I said we will stomp the Jags....the unanswered question is will our secondary hold on versus high powered passing temas like, Denver, Cinnci and Colts.

I am quite hopeful that the defense can play well enough and allow our offense to outscore the opposition. I think we will, but the rest of the games will be squeekers, until we reach the Superbowl where we will dominate all comers from the NFC.

 

[Na_polian]

The Jags are working the "No Respect" angle for the playoffs this year. I know that it worked for us in the past and therefore, could work for another team again. But looking a little closer at the Jags record and aside from having some surprising wins against good teams....I honestly don't think they had it nearly as tough as some would say they have. Here is a game-by-game quick review of thier season:

Game 1: Beat Seattle in Jax 26-14. I am chalking this one up on the "your never as good or bad as the 1st game of the season".

Game 2: Lost to Indy 10-3 in Indy. A tough divisional game. Indy's D was at its best for the 1st half of the season. Edge had good yardage.

Game 3: Beat Jets in NY in OT 26-20. Jets settled for 2 4Q field goals to tie game up. Smith 36 yard TD catch ends game.

Game 4: Lost to Denver 20-7 in Jax. Denver had almost 200 yards rushing.

Game 5: Beat Bengals in Jax 23-20. Cincy's 1st loss of the year.

Game 6: Beat Pitt in Pitt 23-17 in OT. No Rothlesburger. Maddox terrible. Jags interception from bonehead Maddox play hands Jax victory.

Game 7: Lost to Rams in St Louis 24-21. Coming off by week. Rams rush for 200 yards.

Game 8: Beat Houston in Jax 21-14. A trend is starting. They do enough to win, but by no means impressively. Needed to 4Q TD's to win game against bad team.

Game 9: Beat Baltimore in Jax 30-3. Best all around game by O and D. Baltimore playing badly in midseason.

Game 10: Beat Titans in Tenn 31-28. Jags take control of game in 4Q. Titans another team playing poorly during midseason.

Game 11: Beat Arizona 24-17 in Arizona. Kurt Warner throws for 315 yards and Cardinals score 14 points in 4Q to make it interesting. Leftwich injured.

Game 12: Beat Browns in CLeveland 20-14. Browns blow lead, game. Gerrard 11-20 116 yards passing 2 TD's. Typical Gerrard game. Not spectacular but enough to win.

Game 13: Lost to Indy in Jax 26-18. Game not close as score would suggest. Indy dominated in a game many people thought they could be the team to break Indy's winning streak. Jax not so great under national exposure?

Game 14: Beat 49'ers 10-9 in Jax. Maybe a letdown after Indy but Jags play poorly, lucky to win against pitiful team. Defense keep team in game. Again.

Game 15: Beat Houston 38-20 in Houston. Game much closer than score result. Jags score 21 in 4Q for come from behind win.

Game 16: Beat Titans in Jax 40-13. Starter rest and game meaningless to both teams.

Analysis: Jags did well but there is not much inspiration from barely beating so many poor teams. D was definately the reason for a 12-4 record. Offense is not going to light up a good Defense, but a good offense is not going to light up Jags D either. Teams can sometimes run and sometimes pass on them for big yardage. I can see the Jags holding us down to less than 24 points but I cannot see that offense scoring more than 10 on us.

Actually, the number one reason for a 12-4 record is a strength of schedule of under .500.

But maybe I'm just looking at it all wrong

 

[mgcolby]

I am not comparing them to the Pats but if you look back at our games over the past 4 years we rarely ever blew out teams, the same premise you are using is why people gave the Pats such little chance to win their Super Bowls. Hell we beat Arizona last year something like 24 - 12. I don't hold a lot of stock in the final scores of games with a few exceptions. The Pats Domination of the Bucs is impressive and the Jags barely beating SF, but to be fair the 49ers played alot of people tough this year. The 49ers remind me a lot of the 2003 Texans.

 

[FloridaPatsFan]

I am not comparing them to the Pats but if you look back at our games over the past 4 years we rarely ever blew out teams, the same premise you are using is why people gave the Pats such little chance to win their Super Bowls. Hell we beat Arizona last year something like 24 - 12. I don't hold a lot of stock in the final scores of games with a few exceptions. The Pats Domination of the Bucs is impressive and the Jags barely beating SF, but to be fair the 49ers played alot of people tough this year. The 49ers remind me a lot of the 2003 Texans.

When I started looking at the Jags season, I found myself thinking the same thing. Jags D keeps game close and team finds a way to win. Sometimes its the defense that comes up with a big play, sometimes the offense.