Jacksonville Jaguars

Here’s an underperforming team, who might be in for a rough season. They have talent and can sure win big games, but they lack any sort of consistency, and that only figures to get worse if they give significant time to their Round 1 draft pick, Blaine Gabbert, instead of starting a fit and healthy David Garrard.

Whether Garrard is available to go or not remains to be seen, but despite my faith in Gabbert to develop into a solid league QB, having someone else’s team thrust into your soft palms without a safety net – no standout receivers – and being asked to save your coaches job and, possibly, the team from falling so far out of favour with the commissioner, he might as well ship you to the USFL is not a great way to start a career. The same thing happened to Brady Quinn with the Browns and his stock plummeted because of things out of his control. Unfair? Certainly. Does anyone in this league care? Not a jot.

The Jaguars were on the cusp of becoming a great team a few seasons ago – Del Rio thought he had the winning formula at last with some field stretching play from speedy receivers and the constant threat of Pocket Hercules, Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jags were heading to the top!

But then the wheels fell off.

Jones-Drew’s production is still high, Garrard can still manage a game, but something isn’t right. And that something may well be everything.

In another system these players could shine. Has Coach Jack Del Rio lost his touch? I’m inclined to say yes, which pains me, because I love the guy. But I think his ethos has gone as far as it can go. His mindset is better suited to the position of coordinator, not Head Coach. I think we may see the team and Coach part ways come the end of the season if it turns out as disappointingly as I imagine it will.

Verdict: flashes of brilliance count for little in this league. It’s a long season and it will feel even longer for the Jags, who I see sliding to a 6-10 record at best. Sorry Coach, another losing season and it’s game over for now.


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