Weekly Review of Jacksonville Jaguars

I am thinking of starting a project next year reviewing every NFL game, in-depth, for a single, random NFL team. This is something Packers, Patriots, and even Vikings fans have now grown accustomed to, from our respective beat reporters (i.e. McGinn, Bedard, and Pelissero, respectively). However, most teams - and their fans - do not have such luxury. Most do not have someone who painstakingly breaks down film, conducts interviews, and grills scouts on an individual play-by-play basis. So, my idea would be do it for a team for which I have no real affinity and for whom does not have an existing option. So, I think I am settling on the Jaguars.

The idea would be to review each play up to 10-15 times in order to determine who on the Jaguars won their individual battles on the play, who did not, and why, ultimately, each play succeeded or failed. I have the all-22 access on NFL.com, so I should be able to get a pretty good sense what happened on each play. I would award points from -3 to +3 for each player. I would also take into account outstanding or horrible effort by the opposition, and adjust my points and critique as appropriate. My goal would be to post a complete breakdown of my findings by the Friday following the game.

The goal in doing this would to see if I have what it takes to review game film, scout teams, scout players, and learn why a particular team wins and why another loses. Granted, I won't have the access to players, coaches, and scouts like the aforementioned writers do (and have rightfully earned), but at least I can try to give a shot.

Thoughts? Other than a waste of time.

Potential Packers Free Agent Targets

Here is a list of NFL free agents that the Packers could, should, but won't investigate in free agency. Not because these players aren't good or a good fit, but just because the Packers never spend any money on other teams's draft picks. However, if the Packers are truly adamant about re-shaping their team to be a more physical and tough team, they will need more than the draft to accomplish it in 1 year.

All of these players are 28 or younger. All are coming off so-so years.

So, with further ado, here are some potential (but always long-shot) targets for the Packers:

Offense
1. Mike Goodson, HB (Oakland) - tough; sparingly used (college, pros); success in zone-blocking
2. Dustin Keller, TE/FB (NY Jets) - ideal size for H-back; assignment sure, good hands; better leak option than Kuhn (see what Rams did with Kendricks?)
3. David Nelson, WR (Buffalo) - giant (6'5"); can box out; fascinating pairing with Finley
4. LaRod Stephens-Howling, HB/KR (Arizona) - mighty-mouse, but a completely different runner than DuJuan Harris; KR
5. Chris Ivory, HB (New Orleans) - buried on depth chart; has looked like dynamite when given opportunities
6. Mike Pollack, C/G (Carolina) - size, agility, flexibility for interior line
7. Ramses Barden, WR (NY Giants) - genuine monster, at 6'7"; would diversify the receiving corp.
8. Brandyn Dombrowski, G/T (San Diego) - great size, youth; tatted-up means nasty, right?
9. Branden Albert, G/T (Kansas City) - tall, long tackle, agility to even play guard; might be out of price range.
10. Brady Quinn, QB (Kansas City) - whaaa? Sure, why not? How about a young, beaten pup of a QB for McCarthy to mold?

Defense
1. Matt Shaughnessy, DE (Oakland) - tall, long arms; strong against run, setting edge
2. Sean Smith, DB (Miami) - Safety size with CB speed
3. LaRon Landry, S (NY Jets) - feared across middle and in run support; attitude
4. Shawne Merriman, OLB (Buffalo) - can lightning strike twice? Might help to be exposed to winning culture.
5. Terrance Knighton, DT (Jacksonville) - nickname is "Pot Roast"; another big, run-down body
6. Victor Butler, OLB (Dallas) - replacement for Walden, faster than Moses
7. Jason Jones, DE (Seattle) - again, tall, long arms; can set edge.
8. Bradley Fletcher, DB (St. Louis) - good size/speed guy; buried on depth chart
9. Louis Delmas, S (Detroit) - addition-by-subtraction, more so than anything; feared across the middle
10. Keith Rivers, LB (NY Giants) - don't you just need to take a flyer on this guy?
11. Kenny Phillips, DB (NY Giants) - perfect size/speed for Safety in Capers's scheme. Why not?
12. Antwan Barnes, LB (San Diego) - pass rushing specialist out of 3-4
13. Antoine Cason, DB (San Diego) - perfect size/speed; experience in 3-4

Congratulations to Jerry Jones

Who got exactly what he always wanted for Super Bowl XLV in his new stadium - the Green Bay Packers versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

George Halas Trophy Presentation - 2010 NFC Champion Green Bay Packers!

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=97a5f09d-b8fa-478e-8e61-1129844385bc" target="_new" title="">NFC Trophy Presentation</a>

Why Didn't Favre Go to His Primary Receiver?

Here is the video of Brett Favre's last throw in the 2009 NFC Championship game:



After the game, Favre was asked about the play. Here is what he says:

After the penalty we were out of field goal range. I am not even sure what the exact yardage was that we needed, but the play was designed actually to go to Bernard (Berrian) in the flat – man coverage – they checked out of it and we went in motion.

Now, re-watch the play. Bernard Berrian is #87, going in motion. He is to Favre's immediate right at the snap. He does a delayed release out to the right flat. The defender on him is in horrible position. Then Berrian adjusts his route up the sideline. Again, his defender adjusts horribly and is STILL in horrible position.

If Favre actually goes with his primary receiver - Berrian - he has at least a 10 yard completion, if not longer, and the ball out of bounds. It looks like Berrian gets to roughly the 28 yard line without much resistence. That makes it a 45 yard FG, which was well within Longwell's range.

P.S. Here is a pretty prescient interview question asked of Favre last week Thursday before the 2009 NFC Championship game:

Having lost the championship game two years ago, kind of with the ball in your hands, how does that affect your thoughts going into this game and having another chance at it?

Well, I've got another chance. That's all you can ask for really. For me, I'm honored by just having this chance and being able to redeem myself. Unfortunately, the game didn't go in our favor. There were a lot of good plays in that game. That obviously was not one of them. So, that's a good example of limit the mistakes, limit the turnovers. It's easier said than done but you've got to go out. I'm going to prepare as hard as I can. I'm well aware of this opportunity. I have no idea how the game will unfold, how it will end, but I'm just thankful for this opportunity. This is, I've said, a once in a lifetime deal. Now that's not true but at least in my case, I hope to make the most of it.

Green Bay Packers are Finally Vindicated

Giving the mainstream media (RE: ESPN, NFL Network, FOX) their comeuppance on their fawning Favre coverage in 2008-2010 is very satisfying.

Of course, there will be apologists. But the reality is what we the entire nation saw today. Brett Favre threw 2 costly INTs and partly to blame for 1 lost fumble when in scoring range 3 times in a game that was won in OT. He lost. And he failed in his stated goal (to win another Super Bowl). That is what happened. Anything else being said (oh, but did you see how he got up even after being hit; look how well he played this season with the Vikes; he is 40 years old but plays like a kid; etc.) is just a sideshow. Why they will continue to do so (e.g. to protect themselves so that they still get "special access" when he decides to announce his retirement/unretirement; so they can hire him to be an in-game or in-studio commentator for their channel, etc.) is beyond me.

The story that should be written is how prescient the Green Bay Packers organization was to cut ties with Favre when they did. Whether the "we have left the station" moment with Favre in late June 2008 was form over substance is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the Packer organization was confident that Favre did not have the capacity to lead their team (at the time, a youthful, deeply flawed team, with holes in the Oline, Dline, and LB corp) to the Super Bowl and that Aaron Rodgers was the real deal who could fit within their rebuilding plan. They were also prescient to know that 2008 was the year they had to give him the reins.

Flash-forward to 2009. Favre lands with the Vikings - his preferred location. It is a team, that entering 2009 without Favre, was probably a better overall team than the one Favre played with the Packers in 2007. It came equipped with the solid Oline, elite running attack, highly effective Defense, and an offense he famously claimed, "to know better than the coaching staff". He has a highly successful season. We get to the playoffs, he clicks and has a great divisional round playoff game. He then gets to a highly winnable NFC Championship game in his hometown stadium (a dome, for that matter). And yet even when the highly proficient Saints offense was shutdown, he could not do enough to win the game for the Vikings.

(From JSOnline)

So, where do we find ourselves now, Packers fan? Our warm memories of Favre still in tact and untarnished. And a very promising future with Rodgers on the near horizon. I consider that vindication.

"Ram It" - 1985 Los Angeles Rams Music Video

Packers Playoff Possibilities

The Packers are currently the #5 seed in the NFC behind New Orleans (#1 seed: 13-2), Minnesota (#2 seed: 11-3), Philadelphia (#3 seed: 11-4) and Arizona (#4 seed: 10-5).

The Packers have a the tiebreaker advantage over the Dallas Cowboys (currently #6 seed: 10-5) based on their head-to-head victory.

If everything stays the same after Week 17 of the NFL season, the Packers (#5 seed) would play back-to-back weeks at the Arizona Cardinals (#4 seed).

But, there are some remote possibilities heading into Week 17 of the NFL season. One thing we definitely know for sure... the Packers CAN NOT play New Orleans, Philadelphia or Dallas.

• Scenario #1 -- Philadelphia plays Dallas next week for the NFC East division title. If they win, the Eagles would be the #2 or #3 seed and the Cowboys would be #6 (the previously mentioned Packers tiebreaker assures them the #5 seed in this scenario). If the Eagles lose, they are a wild card, and two wild cards can't play each other in the first round.

• Scenario #2 -- The Packers are most likely to play the Arizona Cardinals. If the Packers beat the Cardinals on Sunday, the Cardinals will remain the #4 seed and the Packers would remain the #5 seed, hence the back-to-back rematch. If the Cardinals beat the Packers and the Cowboys beat the Eagles, the Packers would fall to the #6 seed and the Cardinals would move up to the #3 seed, hence the back-to-back rematch.

• Scenario #3 -- The Packers could also play the Vikings, but it's a very, very remote possibility. Three things need to happen (or technically, four things need to happen). 1) The Vikings need to lose twice, which would drop them to the #4 seed. 2) The Cardinals need to beat the Packers which would drop Green Bay to the #6 seed and move Arizona up to the #3 seed, but... 3) The Eagles would need to beat the Cowboys, moving the Eagles into the #2 seed and the Cowboys into the #6 seed. The Eagles (12-4) would be the #2 seed because they would have the second best record in the NFC at 12-4. The Vikings (11-5) would drop to the #4 seed because they would lose a tiebreaker with Arizona (11-5) based on the Cardinals' head-to-head victory. The Packers (10-6) would be tied with the Cowboys (10-6), but hold the aforementioned tiebreaker. Since the #5 seed plays the #4 seed, the Packers would play the Vikings in Minnesota.

The Cardinals could also jump to the #2 seed in the NFC with a total collapse by all the teams in front of them, but it WILL NOT affect the teams Green Bay has a chance to play. Simply put, the Packers will be playing either the Cardinals or the Vikings in the first round of the NFC playoffs.

Happy Holidays from the Cincinnati Bengals Linebacking Corp

Crazy Justin Idea - NFL Draft Lottery Tournament

On the 2 Saturdays before the Super Bowl, the NFL should hold the "NFL Draft Lottery Tournament". All non-playoff teams would be entered into a lottery with four teams being drawn from the lottery to play in the tournament. The selected teams would play each other for the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. This would be 3 actual games, as the winner of the tournament would get the #1 pick in the NFL Draft.

Please note that the tournament would only decide the recipient of the #1 pick. Picks after the #1 pick would be based upon worst record - just like it is now. However, any team that didn't qualify for the playoffs would be equally eligible to get into the NFL Draft Lottery - it wouldn't be weighted like it is now in the NBA Draft. Rather, the team with the worst record in the NFL would have the same chance as a team that was tie-broken out of the NFL Playoffs to be selected for the tournament and, subsequently, win the #1 pick in the NFL Draft.

Also, by delaying the games until the two Saturdays before the Super Bowl, you give the selected teams the opportunity to terminate the management and the coaching staff from the prior season, and hire replacements. These replacements would then have a couple extra weeks of practice getting acquainted with their existing rosters.

Finally, more gate receipts. More gamechecks for the players. More concessions.

People would watch these games. It would also energize the fanbases of 4 of the worst teams in the league to win to pick-up the #1 pick in the draft.

Call it a Crazy Justin Idea, but it is a good one.

Vandermause - Packers need all cylinders firing

Good article by Mike Vandermause. Here is an excerpt:

Arrmed with the No. 2 defense and No. 5 offense in the National Football League, the Green Bay Packers carry an impressive resume into the home stretch of their season.

But let’s not kid ourselves into believing statistics mean much, considering the Packers have been lucky enough to have the four worst teams in the NFL on their schedule.

Pummeling the likes of the Detroit Lions (2-9) twice, in addition to the Cleveland Browns (1-9) and St. Louis Rams (1-9), is one surefire way to produce with eye-popping efficiency. Even in a loss to the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-9), the Packers fattened their numbers.

Their 7-4 record puts them on solid ground and ahead of the pack of NFC wild-card contenders, but the Packers will need more than gaudy stats to make a deep playoff run.

It will take significant contributions from several key players if the Packers want to elevate themselves from merely a good team to a bona fide Super Bowl contender that can challenge NFC heavyweights New Orleans and Minnesota.

Packers - Lions Preview

Packers - 49ers Preview

Gut Reaction - Week 4, 30-23 loss to Vikings

From Cheeshead TV:

• Going to be a long two weeks in Packerland
• Brett Favre and Brad Childress embarrassed Dom Capers tonight
• Clay Matthews – I take it all back. What a play.
• THERE’S the Jermichael Finley we’ve been waiting for
• Aaron Kampman looked awkward all night
• Where was Ryan Grant for the 2nd and 3rd quarters?
• Deshawn Wynn is not an NFL back. Period.
• Jerius Wynn had some quality snaps
• The Vikings didn’t have a penalty until the second half. Hmmmm….
• TJ Lang was much, much better than Daryn Colledge at left tackle
• Speaking of the offensive line – Epic. Fail.

Jerry Jones Opens New Cowboys Stadium...

And welcomes all visitors with an interesting gesture:

Gut Reaction - Week 2, 31-24 loss to Bengals

From Cheesehead TV:

• So let’s get this straight: They can’t block, they can’t tackle and they can’t catch. Did I miss anything?
• Dear Mike McCarthy, I am officially sick of the penalties
• Thank God they held on to Jarrett Bush, if only for his comedic value
• Aaron Rouse was surprisingly solid
• The Packers do not have a running game. Period.
• Or a running back, for that matter
• Aaron Rodgers has to speed up his clock and start checking down. The protection is shaky, but he’s not helping.
• Can everyone shut the hell up about the Super Bowl now?
• Dom Capers needs to get the edge fixed. Off tackle has been killing his defense since the first pre-season game.
• Charles Woodson is, if not a God, then a minor-deity
• Mike McCarthy’s team looked poorly coached today

Steve Smith to Jake Delhomme - "I never really liked you as a Quarterback..." WTF?

Kansas City Chiefs "The Office" parody video

Peyton Manning threw Jay Cutler's diabetes monitor in the pool

From Shutdown Corner:

And then, for extra laughs, Peyton drove around to various nursing homes in the Honolulu area, unplugging oxygen machines and slathering canes and walkers in Crisco.

I kid, I kid. Peyton doesn't have any hatred of the elderly or disease-ridden. As it turns out, he destroyed Jay Cutler's blood sugar monitor (Cutler's a type 1 diabetic) by mistake. As part of all the zany Pro Bowl hijinx, Peyton and friends were going to toss Cutler in the pool, and while they did protect his cell phone, they forgot one other thing.

Here's how it went down, courtesy of the Denver Post:

The gang of Pro Bowl football players had been gathered around the tables, swapping stories, when suddenly the Broncos' quarterback had 300-pound Nick Mangold pushing from one side, 310-pound Kris Dielman holding the other and his cell phone swindled into the hands of a coy Peyton Manning.

Cutler's radar had gone up, but he never had a chance.

Splash!

"We gave him a Pro Bowl baptism," said Dielman, the star offensive guard of the rival San Diego Chargers.

Great fun. Big laughs. There was just one problem. Cutler is a Type 1 diabetic, and in his pocket was his blood-sugar monitor. 

"That was a prank where I thought we were smart enough to get the cellphone out of his pocket," Dielman said. "But then, 'Oops.' "

Oops indeed. In their defense, though, some blood sugar monitors do look slightly cell-phone-esque.

Fortunately, Cutler took it all in stride and was able to make a few calls and get a new monitor quickly. If I was him, I would have started faking stomach cramps and pretending to lose my eyesight, while screaming that I could die without my monitor. But that's just me, and I like to teach people lessons that will stick for a lifetime.

Gracias, With Leather.

The bizarre mascots at the 1995 Pro Bowl

From Football Outsiders via Yahoo Sports Blog:

Something very strange happened at the 1995 Pro Bowl, and I'm not talking about the most lopsided Pro Bowl quarterback matchup of all time (Troy Aikman, Brett Favre, Warren Moon and Steve Young for the NFC against Jeff Blake, Steve Bono, Jim Harbaugh and Dan Marino for the AFC).

There were a bunch of rogue mascots roaming the sidelines, and I'm not sure where the hell they came from. Let's take a look.

Someone who would know has never seen nor heard of this mascot ever patrolling the Redskins sideline. I think he's cute, though. I call him "Dancing With Stereotypes." Real positive influence for the kids out there.	You know who this reminds me of? Ted from Scrubs. He's the only mascot in sports history who always looks like he's one or two steps away from suicide. He represented the Browns at the '95 Pro Bowl.
This appears to be Steely McBeam's long lost cousin, Aluminum McSoiledHisPants. Why he looks so afraid, I have no idea. The Steelers are named after local steel workers, not local people made of low-grade, easily-frightened tin.	The Rams were represented by this fellow, who had the nicest belt buckle in all of mascot land. To reproduce this look at home, simply glue horns onto your cat.
SNOWFLAKE! This one's actually my favorite. I like the little dolphin arms, I like the big round head, and I like the fact that he looks like he just smoked a turkey bag.	I believe the "Charger" is supposed to represent a horse, or, in this case, the demon byproduct of an unholy menage a trois with a horse, a bull, and a moose. Why everyone else is wearing the number '0' and this guy gets Junior Seau's jersey, I don't know. I suspect they had an affair.
This Falcons mascot appears to have cross-bred with a giraffe. He also appears to be wearing a hoodie, which is an odd choice for Hawaii, and given the dimensions of his neck, would double the amount of fabric required for the garment.	Since Eagles can fly, I don't know why this chap bothered to get his pilot's license and the goggles that came with it. That seems redundant.

What I don't know is if any of these interesting fellows ever served as real, actual mascots for their teams, or if they were just created for the 1995 Pro Bowl. Most of them, I've never seen before. Hopefully, some of you can help out with the history of these characters.