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Cool under pressure

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Today, 11:21 AM

 

Cool under pressure

_HFS5816The Jaguars have been involved in an NFL-high four games (3-1 record) decided by three points or less. Four of the Jaguars' five wins have been decided by seven points or less including the last three by three points or less.

Kicker Josh Scobee, who has six career game-winning field goals, leads the NFL with two this season. He hit a 36-yarder in overtime in week six to beat St. Louis and connected from 21 yards last Sunday at the Jets as time expired.

 

Holt knows Buffalo quarterback well

Jaguars wide receiver Torry Holt and Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick spent two seasons together in St. Louis where Fitzpatrick was a seventh-round pick of the Rams in 2005.

After being inactive his first 10 games as a rookie, the former Harvard quarterback was pressed into duty on November 27 at Houston when starter Jamie Martin went down with an injury. Holt quickly became a favorite target for Fitzpatrick. Holt finished with 10 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Texans and followed with 19 catches for 186 yards over the next three weeks with Fitzpatrick under center.

 

Jaguars featured on ESPN

Maurice Jones-Drew was joined by the members of his offensive line and fullback Greg Jones on Thursday for a feature that will run on ESPN's NFL Sunday Countdown. ESPN personality Kenny Mayne sat down with Jones-Drew to discuss his kneel-down last Sunday at the Jets in the entertaining piece.

 

Enjoying the home confines

Quarterback David Garrard is averaging 301 passing yards in the club's four home games this season with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He has recorded a 100-plus passer rating in two of the four games and both of his 300-yard games were at home.

Wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker is averaging 116 receiving yards in four home games this season with four touchdowns. All three of Sims-Walker's 100-yard receiving games were at home.

 

Did you know?

The Jaguars have put together 32 scoring drives in nine games with an average of 63.3 yards on those drives, the fourth-highest average in the NFL.

 

Jones-Drew continues hot streak

_HFS4063Maurice Jones-Drew averaged 132.5 rushing yards the last four games with seven touchdowns including three 100-yard games. He was three yards shy of having four consecutive 100-yard rushing games, finishing with 97 yards on November 8 vs. Kansas City.

Jones-Drew is proving he can be a full-time back in the NFL. With seven games remaining, he is 82 rushing yards shy of surpassing his career-high of 941 in 2006. He leads the NFL with 12 touchdowns including one in four straight games. He is two rushing touchdowns shy of tying Fred Taylor's franchise single-season mark of 14 in 1998.

"I said it two games ago when we were playing the Chiefs, he just smells the end zone," Quarterback David Garrard said. "When he gets down there, he doesn't even have to be down there. With that speed, his leverage, he bounces off tackles and his speed allows him to just outrun guys. He has great vision and balance. Those are two key things, just like Barry Sanders did. If you got the speed, you can usually outrun a few guys and get down there."

Jones-Drew can record his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season on Sunday and mark the second time this season with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. He needs one rushing touchdown to extend his streak to five consecutive games, the second-longest streak in team history. He holds the franchise record with eight consecutive games with a rushing score from 11/12/06 to 12/31/06.

"Credit should be given to the offensive line and the guys around me that are making plays," Jones-Drew said. "Obviously if Mike (Sims-Walker) and Torry (Holt) aren't catching the ball they're catching, it will be a little bit tougher. If David's not throwing the ball to everybody and spreading it around for guys to make plays it would be a little harder to run the ball. A lot of the credit goes to the offense and the defense for getting us the ball and giving us opportunities to score. It's a team game and the guys are really excited."

 

Second in Pro Bowl voting among running backs

Maurice Jones-Drew, with 191,293 votes, ranks second among AFC running backs in balloting for the 2010 Pro Bowl. Cincinnati's Cedric Benson leads with 321,552 votes. Three AFC running backs will be selected to the Pro Bowl. Voting will continue on NFL.com/probowl through Monday, December 21. The teams will be announced on December 29 with the game played on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at Dolphin Stadium in South Florida Fans can buy tickets to the 2010 Pro Bowl at www.NFL.com/probowl and www.TICKETMASTER.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

The AFC and NFC All-Star squads are based on the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counts one-third towards determining the 43-man rosters that represent the American Football Conference and National Football Conference in the Pro Bowl. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on December 22 - 23.

The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-star teams. It was the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting in 1995.

 

Fifth-yard TDs becoming the norm

There have been 95 touchdowns of 50-plus yards through the first 10 weeks of the NFL season, the second-most in a season since 1970 (98, 1998). Maurice Jones-Drew has three with touchdown runs of 80, 79 and 61 yards. Philadelphia wide receiver DeSean Jackson leads the NFL with six touchdowns of at least 50 yards (four receiving, one punt return, one rushing).

 

Jaguars in NFL rankings

OFFENSE AFC NFL
Offense (358.9) 5th 10th
Rushing (140.1) 4th 6th
Passing (218.8) 7th 16th
Yards per play (5.7) T-4th T-8th
Plays of 20-plus yards (37) T-2nd T-8th
Rush plays of 10-plus yards (31) T-3rd T-9th
Rush plays of 20-plus yards (10) 3rd 5th
Rush plays of 50-plus yards (3) 2nd T-2nd

DEFENSE AFC NFL
Defense (357.6) 11th 23rd
Rushing Defense (118.7) 11th 22nd
Passing Defense (238.9) 14th 26th
Takeaways (13) T-9th T-21st
Fumble recoveries (6) T-8th T-15th

 

_HFS0284Parity in the AFC

The Jaguars are one of nine AFC teams with a winning record after 10 weeks. The Jaguars' four losses have come against opponents with a combined record of 23-13 (.639 pct.) including one of the NFL's two undefeated teams in Indianapolis (9-0) and two division leaders (Indianapolis, Arizona).

 

Offense shines under Koetter

The Jaguars rank fifth in the NFL in offense the last three seasons under coordinator Dirk Koetter and are among the NFL leaders in several offensive categories during that time. The Jaguars have 20 completions of 25-plus yards in nine games, equaling their total from the 2008 season.

 

Offensive rankings under Dirk Koetter from 2007-09

Category AFC NFL
Total Yards 342.8 5th 11th
Rushing Yards 132.3 2nd 5th
Rushes of 10-plus yards 145 1st 1st
Average per rush 4.5 2nd 5th
Fewest Giveaways 59 5th 6th
Fewest Interceptions 26 T-2nd T-2nd
Third down conversions 43.6 3rd 4th
Points per game 21.8 6th 14th

 

Stroud returns to where it started

Bills defensive tackle Marcus Stroud spent seven seasons (2001-07) with the Jaguars after being selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2001 draft. Stroud played in 100 games for the Jaguars with 84 starts.

Stroud played his first game in Jacksonville as a member of the Bills last season. He knows it's a little different this time around as only 21 players remain on the Jaguars roster from 2007.

"It's very strange, watching the film," Stroud said. "I don't even know who a bunch of these guys are and I was just down there two years ago. It's very different. They still kept a couple of main guys there together and those guys know how to play, they know how to win and you can see that."

Bills cornerback Drayton Florence played in 15 games with eight starts for the Jaguars in 2008 after signing as an unrestricted free agent.

Additional connections include:

  • Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio roamed the sidelines with Bills assistant head coach/special teams Bobby April in New Orleans from 1997-98.
  • Jaguars tackle Tra Thomas, safety Sean Considine and Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens were teammates at Philadelphia.
  • Jaguars punter Adam Podlesh grew up in Pittsford, New York, just east of Buffalo. He was a standout punter, fullback and linebacker at Pittsford Sutherland High.
  • Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker was on the staff at Ohio State from 2003-04 while Bills safety Donte Whitner and Bills cornerback Ashton Youboty played there.

 

Jaguars ready for game without Mathis

_HFS0244 With starting cornerback Rashean Mathis out with a groin injury, it's no secret Buffalo will try to attack the Jaguars secondary on Sunday. The Bills' top two receivers Terrell Owens and Lee Evans have been a focal point this week for the defense.

"We're going to line up and play our defense as best we can," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. "We have to be ready --- everyone's going to be at the point of attack against these guys --- with our line, our linebackers, everyone's going to have to be on top of their game. Whatever matchups that we get on any given play, we're going to have to be ready for them."

Owens has 26 receptions for 366 yards and one touchdown through the first nine games. The six-time Pro Bowl selection ranks sixth in NFL history for receptions (977) and fifth in receiving yards (14,488) in 14 seasons.

"T.O. is very explosive," Tucker said. "He's got a lot of ability, he can still run, he can still get deep. He's shown that this year. He's a guy they're going to try to get the ball to. He's still very, very dangerous."

 

Preparing for trash talk

Maurice Jones-Drew works out with former Jaguars defensive tackle Marcus Stroud in Miami during the offseason so he knows what to expect Sunday on the field: Plenty of talking from both of them.

"It's funny because he always talks to me," Jones-Drew said. "It's going to be fun. He talks because he knows us. He knows everybody here. He's going to be talking to everybody. It's going to be like a homecoming for him so it will be fun."

 

Series history

The Bills lead the regular season series with the Jaguars, 5-3. The teams are meeting for the fourth consecutive season with the Bills winning two of the last three.

 

Bills roster has ties to Sunshine State

The Bills have five players with ties to Florida: cornerback Drayton Florence (Ocala, Vanguard High), defensive back Todd Johnson (Sarasota, Riverview High, Florida), fullback Corey McIntyre (Indiantown, South Fork High), wide receiver Roscoe Parrish (Miami, Miami Senior High, Univ. of Miami) and long snapper Garrison Sanborn (Tampa, Prattville, Florida State).

Interim head coach Perry Fewell served as secondary coach for the Jaguars from 1998-2002. Wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert (2002) coached at the University of Florida in 2002, and defensive line coach Bob Sanders (1990-2000) spent time on the Florida coaching staff.

 

What to look for

  • A Jaguars win would improve their record to 6-4, the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Jack Del Rio the club would be above .500 after 10 games. The Jaguars would have wins in four of their first five home games for the third time under Del Rio (2005, 2006).
  • Wide receiver Torry Holt needs 54 yards to surpass Andre Reed (13,198) for 10th place in NFL history for most receiving yards. Holt needs one reception to extend his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 163, the second-longest streak among active players.
  • Wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker needs 80 receiving yards to have the second-most by a Jaguars WR since 2005 (Matt Jones, 761, 2008).
  • Tight end Marcedes Lewis needs one reception of 25-plus yards to tie Kyle Brady (12) for the most by a Jaguars tight end.
  • David Garrard can record his third consecutive game with a 100-plus passer rating, the second-longest streak of his career (4, 2007).

 

Considine returns

Safety Sean Considine returned to the starting lineup last Sunday against the Jets after missing four games and playing 38 snaps against Kansas City. Considine did not miss a snap against the Jets, finishing with eight tackles including one for a loss.

"I thought he did some nice things in the game," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. "He was physical, he flew around, he made some plays in the run game, in the open field which was really nice to see. He did some things in the pass game down field, played pass, and that's what you're looking for out of that position - a guy who can do a nice job in the run game and then in the pass game."

 

Television

The game will be broadcast regionally on CBS and is blacked out locally. Bill Macatee will handle play-by-play duties with former Jaguars quarterback Steve Beuerlein providing analysis.

 

Radio

Sunday's game will be broadcast on the Jaguars Radio Network which extends to 11 affiliates in Florida and Georgia. The Jaguars' flagship stations are WOKV AM & FM (690, 106.5). Brian Sexton (play-by-play) and former Jaguars defensive end Jeff Lageman (analyst) are in their seventh season together calling Jaguars games.

 

The last word

"Pot Roast is doing a great job. That nickname has taken off for him. Again, like most young guys that come in and are able to play well, he doesn't say a lot, he goes about his business. I think for us in the OTAs we were excited about what we saw and for me one of the defining moments for him was the Oklahoma drill on that first night. You could see that he had fire. You could see that he had competitive spirit. We could all see big, athletic, and stays on his feet and can run, but when you saw that big guy with that fire, now you know you've got something, so he's been a real pleasant addition to our football team."

Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio on rookie defensive tackle Terrance Knighton


Coaching tree

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Nov 13 2009, 11:18 AM

 

Coaching tree

The opposing head coaches in Sunday's game are very familiar with each other. Jack Del Rio and Rex Ryan spent three seasons (1999-2001) on the same staff and in the same meeting rooms at Baltimore. Del Rio served as linebackers coach while Ryan worked with the defensive line.

Bills Jets Football "He's a good ball coach, a good friend," Del Rio said. "I'm real pleased for him to get this opportunity. I was talked to by several of the people in the organization during the offseason prior to them making their decision and I was very supportive of Rex. I think he's a deserving coach and I think he'll do a good job there. I'm not rooting for him this week."

"Sometimes there's guys that you'll automatically bond with," Ryan said this week. "Our offices were right next to each other and we hit it off. There's no question about it, we're really the same kind of people and I know he's done well. He's a great coach and a great player, but again, we're going to try and kill each other. It's a good thing. We respect each other and we'll see. We'd rather it be this way, that both teams are treating this game as important as it is. We both want to get to the playoffs. We both think we have good enough teams to get there and we're going to find out."

Two other current NFL head coaches were also on that defensive staff, in Marvin Lewis and Mike Smith. The team set an NFL 16-game record by allowing only 165 points en route to the team's first NFL championship in 2000. Here's a look at the four active head coaches from that Ravens staff:

NAME POS. WITH RAVENS CURRENT POSITION
Jack Del Rio Linebackers Head coach, Jacksonville
Rex Ryan Defensive line Head coach, N.Y. Jets
Mike Smith Def. asst./Def. line Head coach, Atlanta
Marvin Lewis Defensive coordinator Head coach, Cincinnati

Note: Jaguars special teams coordinator Russ Purnell was on that staff as well, serving in the same capacity for the Ravens from 1999-2001.


Holt enjoying the ride

Rams Jaguars Football Jaguars wide receiver Torry Holt lives by several mottos, but one of his favorites is, "Enjoy the journey." It seems like Holt has made history each week as a member of the Jaguars as he moves his way up the list of the NFL's all-time leading receivers.

In 2009 Holt has reached 13,000 receiving yards and 900 career receptions while moving into 10th place for most career receptions with 902, and into 11th for most receiving yards at 13,121.

Holt was brought in as a free agent to provide veteran leadership in the locker room, especially with the Jaguars young receiving corps. Mike Sims-Walker leads the team with 36 receptions for 554 yards and rookies Mike Thomas and Jarett Dillard have seen expanded roles the last six games. Holt is happy with the success.

"When you bring in a veteran presence and you want them to lead a certain way in terms of how it's supposed to be done, and then guys start to see it and catch on and their play will start to elevate, it's a credit to them," Holt said. "It's a credit to the organization in terms of recognizing what they brought in and what they're going to get out of what they brought in.

"I'm excited to see Mike Sims-Walker develop. He's healthier this year which is helping him out. Mike Thomas and J.D. (Dillard) in terms of their development, it's getting better. They're practicing at a great clip which I think is outstanding. It allows them to play fast and it allows them to play that way come game time."

Holt, the only Jaguar to have multiple receptions in all eight games, needs 78 receiving yards to surpass Andre Reed (13,198) for 10th place in NFL history. He would become only the seventh player to rank in the top 10 for most receiving yards and receptions.

 

Stiff test for Jaguars offense

The Jaguars will face the NFL's second-ranked defense on Sunday as the Jets allowed only 273.4 yards per game and 16.7 points their first eight games. The Jets have allowed only two teams to compile more than 300 yards of total offense through eight games.

"I think we've got to protect our quarterback, got to run it," Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio said. "We've just got to play good offense. I think regardless of how they approach it, the bottom line is for you offensively to be able to do the things you need to do to execute.

"I think part of that is recognizing what they want to do and making sure that we're on the same page in terms of how we're identifying things, how we're communicating, know your hots, know your sights, know how you're going to adjust to certain patterns you're going to see. And you know you're going to see them. It'll be good. Our guys have seen a lot of these looks before but these guys do a pretty good job of executing."

 

Playing his role

Second-year pro Tyron Brackenridge will be facing the team that waived him earlier this year. Brackenridge was originally signed as a rookie free agent by Kansas City in 2007 and played in 13 games with the Chiefs the last two seasons. He was signed by the Jets in February and the Jaguars claimed him off waivers in May.

The former Washington State standout earned a roster spot in Jacksonville after a productive preseason, and he has played a vital role on special teams through eight games. He ranks second on the team with 10 special teams tackles including three in each of the last two games.

 

Hampton Cup at stake

With a win on Sunday the Jaguars can get above .500, but it will also make one employee very happy. Sunday's game means a little more to Jaguars equipment manager Drew Hampton considering his brother, Clay, is the senior director of operations for the Jets.

The brothers grew up in Long Island and both got their NFL start with the Jets, working for their father, Bill, the Jets' equipment manager for 39 years until retiring in 2001. Bill now resides in Jacksonville and assists Drew at the Jaguars home games.

The family had a large trophy made - the Hampton Cup - that is similar to the Stanley Cup, and it is updated each year that the Jaguars and Jets meet with the score of the past games. The winner retains the cup, and it is currently displayed proudly in the equipment room at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The trophy is packed and ready for the trip to the Meadowland. The Jaguars own a 4-1 regular season record against the Jets since Drew started with the club in 1997.

 

Series history

The Jaguars and Jets have played seven times in the regular season with Jacksonville holding a 5-2 advantage including wins in five of the last six regular season games. The Jets won the teams' only postseason meeting, 34-24, in an AFC Divisional playoff game on January 10, 1999 at the Meadowlands. The Jaguars claimed a 26-20 win in overtime in the last meeting at the Meadowlands in 2005.

 

Connections to New York/New Jersey

The Jaguars have eight players with ties to New York/New Jersey: quarterback David Garrard (East Orange), punter Adam Podlesh (Pittsford, Pittsford Sutherland High), practice squad guard Cameron Stephenson (Rutgers), offensive tackle Eugene Monroe (Plainfield, Plainfield High), offensive tackle Eben Britton (Brooklyn), defensive tackle Terrance Knighton (Milford Academy), wide receiver Tiquan Underwood (New Brunswick, Notre Dame High, Rutgers) and safety Courtney Greene (New Rochelle, New Rochelle High, Rutgers).

Additional connections include:

  • Jaguars assistant head coach/tight ends Mike Tice was born in Bayshore, N.Y., and attended Central Islip High School.
  • Jaguars defensive tackle John Henderson and Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis were teammates at Tennessee.
  • Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards was at Cleveland from 2005-08 while Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker and Jaguars defensive assistant Cory Undlin were on the staff.
  • Jaguars assistant strength and conditioning coach Jason George spent 11 seasons (1998-2008) as the head strength and conditioning coach at Fordham.
  • Jaguars offensive lineman Maurice Williams and Jets kicker Jay Feely played together at Michigan.
  • Jaguars offensive tackle Eugene Monroe and Jets tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson were teammates at Virginia.
  • Jets wide receivers coach Henry Ellard served in the same capacity with the St. Louis Rams from 2001-08 while Jaguars WR Torry Holt played there.

 

What the Jets are saying about Jones-Drew

Jaguars Titans Football Head coach Rex Ryan (press conference) - "You've got to get him at the line of scrimmage and you've got to wrap him. This has got to be a huge week in tackling. Every week it's important to tackle, but this one is critical. We've got to swarm the pile and we've got to get him down. Sometimes you'll think you have him and then he'll squirt out of there and bounce out of there. He just has great lower body leg drive and he spins. He's got great vision, great balance. Don't assume one guy's going to get him down because that hardly ever happens to this kid."

Linebacker Bart Scott (The Star-Ledger) - "He's short in stature but he's thick. He has really powerful legs and you have to make sure you wrap him up when you hit him because he has a low center of gravity and you'll only knock him backwards as opposed to knocking him down. That's why you see him squirt out of a lot of piles."

Linebacker Calvin Pace (www.nyjets.com) - "I know people know of Maurice Jones-Drew, but I don't think that people know exactly the challenge that it is to stop him. For one, you can hardly see him. Two, against Kansas City he dragged the whole defense into the end zone. To be powerful, have good vision, and have breakaway speed, it doesn't get any better than that."

 

Three former Jaguars

The Jets have three former Jaguars on their roster and two former members of the football staff. Punter Steve Weatherford played in five games for the Jaguars in 2008 and spent the 2009 preseason with the club. Defensive back Ahmad Carroll saw action in one game for the Jaguars in 2006. Offensive lineman Wayne Hunter was claimed off waivers by the Jaguars on May 22, 2006 and spent the majority of the season on the practice squad.

Running backs coach Anthony Lynn served in the same capacity for the Jaguars from 2003-04. Assistant general manager Scott Cohen spent two seasons (1999-2000) with the Jaguars as assistant director of pro scouting.

 

Jets roster has three players with Florida connection

The Jets have three players with ties to Florida in wide receiver David Clowney (Delray Beach, Atlantic High), kicker Jay Feely (Tampa, Jesuit High) and cornerback Lito Sheppard (Jacksonville, Raines High, Florida). Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was a three-year letterman at Florida from 1993-96.

 

Last meeting between the teams

The Jaguars snapped a two-game losing streak and headed into the bye week on a positive note with an impressive 41-0 win against the Jets at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on October 8, 2006. The Jets did bounce back, however, claiming a playoff berth at the end of the season. There are 15 players on the Jaguars current roster who played in the game.

The Jaguars scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions and forced the Jets into five turnovers which resulted in 28 points. The Jaguars finished with a plus-four turnover differential and did not allow a drive past their 45-yard line until the fourth quarter. The Jets managed only 45 net passing yards, the second-fewest by a Jaguars opponent in team history. Maurice Jones-Drew had 13 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns in his only career game against the Jets.

 

Three questions with Torry Holt

Have you talked to the younger players about what the atmosphere should be like on Sunday?

"Well, I mentioned to them (Wednesday), for some of them - all of them - who haven't been in a playoff atmosphere, this will be about as close as you can get to a playoff atmosphere in terms of the regular season. (The Jets) are going to play with a great deal of intensity. We can be almost certain they'll have some wrinkles. They're going to try to be as efficient as they can be, defensively. And we have to match their energy in all phases of the game - offensively, defensively, as well as special teams. If you're wondering what the dial looks like when it's turned up, we'll get a pretty good indication of what it's like on Sunday."

Do you feel like the passing game is coming along?

"I think it's developing. Obviously it can be better. Everything can be better. But I think where we are right now offensively in terms of passing the ball, I think we're in good shape. Mike [Sims-Walker] is leading the group. Mike Thomas is making some plays for us on the perimeter. Jarett Dillard has come on the past couple weeks and made some big catches down the middle so we're starting to see what he can do on the football field. And then getting Maurice [Jones-Drew] out in the passing game is good for us, and Marcedes [Lewis] and the other guys. I think it's coming around. We still have a ways to go but the intentions are good and as long as that's in place, passing the football for us will only get better."

You are still looking for that first touchdown.

"I'm thirsty for one. It's been a while. I'm just trying to stay within the scheme of the offense and when my number's called in the red zone, hopefully I have an opportunity to stick it in. But in the meantime, I'll keep practicing hard and just keep trying to chip away at it. And again, when my number's called in the red zone, hopefully it'll be this week, I'll get an opportunity to get in."

 

Inside the stat sheet

  • The Jaguars have converted 43.8 percent on third down (49 of 112), the eighth-highest percentage in the NFL. In addition, the club ranks fourth in the NFL with a 31.3 conversion rate on third-and-10+ plays (10 of 32).
  • Opponents have converted only 5 of 12 (41.7 pct.) third-and-one plays, the second-best percentage in the NFL.
  • The Jaguars are tied for second in the NFL with only 39 penalties accepted (43 called) on them through eight games.
  • The Jaguars have allowed only one opposing 100-yard rusher.
  • The Jaguars have a time of possession of 30 minutes or more in four of eight games and won all four games.

 

NFL leaders are small in stature

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times wrote an interesting piece on Wednesday, examining the "little big men of the NFL." Farmer points out the NFL leaders in touchdowns (Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars), rushing yards (Chris Johnson, Titans), receptions (Steve Smith, Giants) and sacks (Elvis Dumervil, Denver) all stand below six feet tall.

 

Spreading the ball around

The Jaguars are one of eight teams to have three or more players with 30 or more receptions. Mike Sims-Walker leads the team with 36, followed by Torry Holt (33) and Maurice Jones-Drew (30). Jones-Drew is the NFL's fourth-most targeted running back (44) behind Baltimore's Ray Rice (56), Arizona's Tim Hightower (52) and Chicago's Matt Forte (47) who played last night.

Other teams with three or more players include Arizona (4 players), Indianapolis (4), Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh and Seattle (3 each).

 

Did you know?

Mike Sims-Walker has the highest average per reception (14.8 yards) in team history among receivers with 50 or more receptions.

 

The last word

"We've got to do better in the red zone; you've got to score more touchdowns. Our goal is to always score touchdowns in the red zone. Even though we have an excellent kicker in Josh Scobee, in a perfect world you'd never see him out there except extra points and kickoffs. There have been games, especially earlier in the year, where we didn't take advantage (of opportunities). Last week we had a time when we got down in the red zone and we had a penalty and a sack that knocked us (back) and we made that long field goal into the wind. We've got to score every time we get down there or it's going to be tough."

Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter on the offense scoring touchdowns


Reviewing the first half

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Nov 11 2009, 03:50 PM

The Jaguars are 4-4 at the midpoint of the season and the club put up some of the franchise's best offensive numbers in history through the first eight games. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 737 yards and 11 touchdowns, the most in team history through the first eight games. Here's a look at where the Jaguars rank in team history through eight games:

  • David Garrard has thrown for 1,867 yards and is on pace to surpass his career-high of 3,620 yards in 2008 and become the team's first quarterback to pass for over 3,500 yards in consecutive seasons.
  • The team averaged 361.0 yards per game, the second-highest average (372.8, 1996).
  • Rushed for 140.3 yards per game, the second-highest average (141.9, 1999).
  • Most rushing touchdowns with 13, tied for the second-most in the NFL this season.
  • Most completions of 25-plus yards (17).
  • Converted 43.8 percent on third downs (49 of 112), the second-highest percentage (45.3, 1996).
  • Jones-Drew recorded the second-most yards from scrimmage (935).
  • Mike Sims-Walker recorded a team-high 554 receiving yards in the first eight games, the most by a Jaguars receiver since 2004 (Jimmy Smith, 703). Sims-Walker's four touchdowns are tied for the second-most (Jimmy Smith, 6, 2000).


In the postseason hunt

The Jaguars are one of 10 AFC teams with a record of .500 or better after nine weeks. There are five AFC teams with two or fewer losses including one of the two NFL's undefeated teams in Indianapolis (8-0).

"Anytime you go into a season with a team your goal is to win the division, win a championship, and right now with this football team where we are after eight games is 4-4," Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio said. "That's what we earned. We've got a chance to continue to improve and with that we're going to have a stronger challenge in the second half. The schedule's tougher and the games get tougher as you go on, and we're going to need to be better."

Del Rio has a valid point. The combined record of the club's first eight opponents was 27-38 (.415) while the final eight opponents have a record of 33-32 (.508). Four of the final eight games are against teams with a record of .500 or above including games against division leaders New England (6-2) and the Colts.

The Jaguars' four losses have come against opponents with a combined record of 20-13 (.606 pct.). Three of the four losses have been against teams with winning records.

"I'm sure there are quite a few teams that would like to be in the hunt right now that maybe are not," Jaguars quarterback David Garrard said. "For us to be sitting where we are right now we're happy about it but we've still got to take the next step and win in this third quarter of games. That starts right now."


Did you know?

Sunday's game will be the third consecutive against a team that observed its bye week prior to playing the Jaguars.


Racking up the yards

The Jaguars registered 426 yards of offense last Sunday against Kansas City, the third time in the last five games the offense eclipsed 400 total yards. The Jaguars have produced 400-plus yards of offense in 22 games since 2003 with 13 coming the last three seasons under offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.

The Jaguars are one of only six teams to register 398-plus yards of offense in four or more games this season, joining New Orleans (6 games), New England (5 games), Green Bay (5 games), Dallas (4 games) and Houston (4 games).

The Jaguars have shown the ability to strike quickly the last two games as they are tied for seventh in the NFL with five scoring drives of four plays or less. Four of the Jaguars' last five drives resulting in a touchdown have come in five plays or less. Maurice Jones-Drew had touchdown runs of 80 and 79 yards on the first play of the respective drives on Nov. 1 at Tennessee.


AFC South leads the way

The AFC South has the best winning percentage in the NFL among the four teams at .576. The four AFC South teams have a combined record of 19-14 with seven of the losses in division play. The only other divisions to have three teams with a record of .500 or above are the AFC North, NFC East and NFC North.


History of success to start the second half

Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio likes to break the regular season down into four quarters. Del Rio's previous six teams have been successful to start the third quarter with a 5-1 mark in the ninth game of the season under Del Rio the last six years.

"Just continue to improve where we can, build upon some of the success we've had in the first half, continue to grow as a football team," Del Rio said. "I think some of our younger players are growing up, which is good."


Sims-Walker part of elite group

Third-year pro Mike Sims-Walker leads the Jaguars with 36 receptions for 554 yards (15.9 avg.) and four touchdowns and three 100-yard receiving games through eight games. Sims-Walker has led the Jaguars in receptions in five of the seven games he has played after not recording a catch in the season-opener at Indianapolis.

"He probably isn't the fastest guy but he can make plays," Jaguars quarterback David Garrard said. "He's very strong when he catches the ball, he can break tackles, which is a good thing he does, and he's run great routes. I'm so happy for him and so happy for his health."

Sims-Walker has six or more receptions and 80-plus receiving yards in five games this season. He is one of only seven NFL receivers to have three 100-yard receiving games through nine weeks.

Sims-Walker is one of only six players to have 80-plus receiving yards in five or more games through nine weeks. The others are Chad Ochocinco (5 games), Andre Johnson (5 games), Wes Welker (5 games), Hines Ward (5 games), and Devin Hester (5 games)

In addition, Sims-Walker is one of only nine players to have five or more games with six-plus receptions through nine weeks. They are Welker, NE (6 games), Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (6 games), Dallas Clark, IND (6 games), Steve Smith, NYG (6 games), Ward, PIT (6 games), Reggie Wayne, IND (5 games), Nate Burleson, SEA (5 games), Johnson, HOU (5 games).

Sims-Walker is on pace to become the first Jaguars 1,000-yard receiver since 2005 (Jimmy Smith, 1,023). His 554 receiving yards are the most in the first eight games by a Jaguars receiver since 2004 (Jimmy Smith, 703). His four touchdowns are tied for the second-most in team history through eight games (Smith, 6, 2000).

"I've been through a lot of injuries and other things but nobody ever backed down from me or turned their heads away from me," Sims-Walker said. "That just helped me out mentally, confidence-wise, that these guys still believe in me so I just kept working. It's finally paying off a little bit for me."


Give me the ball!

Maurice Jones-Drew ranks fourth in the NFL with 175 offensive touches (145 rushes, 30 receptions) through eight games. Cincinnati's Cedric Benson leads the NFL with 208 touches (198 rushes, 10 receptions). Jones-Drew ranks ninth in the NFL with 145 rushes. Jones-Drew and Benson are the only players to have 30-plus touches in two different games this season. Jones-Drew had a NFL-high 38 touches against St. Louis on October 18 and finished with 32 touches last Sunday against Kansas City.

 

 

Jones-Drew among the leaders

Maurice Jones-Drew leads the NFL in touchdowns and is the only player with two three-TD games through nine weeks. Here's a look at where Jones-Drew ranks among the leaders:

STAT AFC NFL
Rushing yards (737) 3rd 6th
Yards from scrimmage (935) 3rd 6th
First downs (44) T-1st T-3rd
Points, non-kickers (66, 11 TDs) 1st 1st
100-yard rushing games (3) 4th T-5th
Rushes of 10-plus yards, TDs (4) T-1st T-1st

Rushes of 20-plus yards (6)

4th 6th
Rushes of 50-plus yards (3) 2nd T-2nd

Pounding the rock

The Jaguars rank fourth in the AFC, sixth in the NFL, with 140.3 rushing yards per game. The Jaguars have produced 160-plus rushing yards in four of eight games and rank third in the NFL the last two weeks with an average of 195 rushing yards per game.

"I think the guys that need to get the recognition are the O-linemen," running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. "They've been doing a great job all year. When we get opportunities we make plays. Those guys do a great job of opening holes. Greg Jones does a great job of blocking and so does Marcedes (Lewis) and the receivers that are down field blocking. If anybody should get it (the notoriety) they should."

Getting set on defense

The Jaguars had lineup changes with their defense through the first eight games and have started the same lineup in consecutive games only once, the second and third games of the season. The Jaguars played mainly 4-3 last Sunday against Kansas City after starting the season in a 3-4 alignment.

"Right now we feel like we can do either but I think right now our plans are not to tinker and go back and forth," Del Rio said. "Our plans are to just concentrate on playing good football and playing fast. The one thing that we want to see that I think we saw some examples of (Sunday) is the finish and the knock back and the population at the ball, you know, the swarming. I thought we saw signs of that (Sunday)...How we align, how we distribute our front, how they end up being deployed, that's really secondary in my mind to the aggressive attitude that we want to take defensively."

 

Model of consistency

Sixth-year linebacker Daryl Smith has been a steady force for the Jaguars since being selected in the second round of the 2004 draft (39th overall). Smith has started 82 of 84 games and missed only three games due to injuries. He has a streak of four straight seasons with 100-plus tackles. He ranks fourth in team history with 689 career tackles along with 14.5 sacks, three interceptions, six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Smith leads the team with 77 tackles and a career-high three forced fumbles through eight games. He registered 1.5 sacks last Sunday against Kansas City including nine tackles. He is the only player on the team with a sack, tackle for loss, forced fumble and fumble recovery. He finished with a team-high 12 tackles in week four against Tennessee. He forced a fumble of Texans RB Chris Brown on the goal line in week three at Houston and recovered the ball in the end zone to seal the win. He finished with 12 tackles (nine solo) on November 1 against the Titans.


Rookie continues to impress

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Nov 6 2009, 04:30 PM

Rookie defensive tackle Terrance Knighton has been a steady force in the middle of the Jaguars defense. Knighton, one of two rookies to start all seven games, had a career-high 10 tackles last Sunday at Tennessee.

"He's done a nice job," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. "He's stout in the middle, he's got good balance, he's got good body control, and he uses his hands. I think he's mature beyond his years. I really feel good about him in there."

 

Triple threat

Fourth-round draft pick Mike Thomas was inactive for the first two weeks of the season but has become a vital part of the club's offense the last five games. Thomas has 18 receptions for 176 yards and seven rushes for 52 yards including a long of 22. He led the team with four receptions for 55 yards last Sunday at Tennessee including catches of 25 and 21 yards.

He had a career-high seven receptions for 52 yards in week six against St. Louis including a 28-yard reception on the club's drive in overtime. He serves as the club's punt returner and has also seen time at kickoff returner with Brian Witherspoon being out with an injury. He had back-to-back kick returns of 40 and 42 yards against the Titans.

"Mike has taken advantage of his opportunities, he's done a nice job," Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio said. "Those were two big returns last week to give our football team field position. He's got explosiveness. One thing about Mike he's compact built guy but he is muscular, he runs through arm tackles and he can run. He's got legitimate speed."

 

MJD gets praise from Kansas City

Several Chiefs players and head coach Todd Haley were quoted on the club's official website this week about the challenge of facing Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

  • Head coach Todd Haley: "This guy is the cream of the crop. He's a really impressive runner. He breaks tackles, he makes big plays. He is the top of the line right here. We have to be on our game with this guy. If we don't stop the run, we won't have much of a chance."
  • Safety Mike Brown: "He's a great player. It's hard to defend greatness sometimes. He makes a lot of people miss and not just one guy is going to bring him down. I believe he is the number one guy as far as missed tackles in the league. You talk about that and you talk about some great running backs, he's up there in that category."
  • Brown: "You have to grab anything that you can and hold on. He's a hard guy to put your arms around because of the way he's built. It seems like all his weight is from his knees to the waist. He's a difficult guy to tackle."
  • Defensive end Glenn Dorsey: "It's going to be tough. We just have to come out and try to contain him as much as possible."

 

Going the distance

Maurice Jones-Drew is tied for the NFL-lead (Frank Gore, San Francisco) with three touchdown runs of 60-plus yards through seven games. Last Sunday at Tennessee Jones-Drew had two of the five longest runs in the NFL this season. Here's the list:

60-Plus Touchdown Runs in 2009

PLAYER, TEAM DATE LG
Chris Johnson, TEN 11/1/09 vs. JAX 91t
Chris Johnson, TEN 9/20/09 vs. HOU 89t
Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX 11/1/09 at TEN 80t
Frank Gore, SF 9/20/09 vs. SEA 80t
Maurice Jones-Drew JAX 11/1/09 at TEN 79t
Frank Gore, SF 9/20/09 vs. SEA 79t
Thomas Jones, NYJ 10/18/09 vs. BUF 71t
Ricky Williams, MIA 10/25/09 vs. NO 68t
DeSean Jackson, PHI 10/26/09 at WAS 67t
LeSean McCoy, PHI 11/1/09 vs. NYG 66t
Frank Gore, SF 11/1/09 at IND 64t
Adrian Peterson, MIN 9/13/09 at CLE 64t
Julius Jones, SEA 9/13/09 vs. STL 62t
Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX 9/27/09 at HOU 61t

 

Jones-Drew going for three straight

Maurice Jones-Drew tied his single-season career-high with his third 100-yard rushing game last Sunday at Tennessee. Two of his top three rushing totals have come in the last three games. He has recorded 10 career 100-yard games and has back-to-back games with 100-plus rushing yards for the first time as he finished with 133 yards on October 18 vs. St. Louis.

 

 

Rewind

The Jaguars finished with a season-high 217 rushing yards on 16 carries (13.6 avg.) last Sunday with touchdown runs of 80 and 79 yards by running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Here's a look at the milestones set in the game:

  • The 13.6-yard average per rush by the Jaguars was the highest average per rush in the NFL since the 1970 merger.
  • Marked the first time in NFL history a game featured four rushing touchdowns of 50-plus yards. Jones-Drew had scoring runs of 80 and 79 yards while Tennessee's Chris Johnson had touchdown runs of 52 and 89 yards.
  • The 80-yard run by Jones-Drew tied for the longest in franchise history (Fred Taylor, 12/9/07 vs. Carolina).
  • Jones-Drew became only the third player in NFL history with two rushing touchdowns of 75-plus yards in the same game, joining Barry Sanders (10/12/97) and Frank Gore (9/20/09).
  • Jones-Drew's average of 22.1 yards per rush was the best in the NFL in the last 50 seasons (minimum eight rushes).

 

Did you know?

According to STATSPASS, Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew ranks third in the NFL with 8.6 percent of his 116 rushes resulting in a missed tackle. Jones-Drew is fourth in the NFL with 389 of his 640 rushing yards coming after contact.

 

 

Pounding the rock

The Jaguars rank fourth in the AFC, eighth in the NFL, with 135.6 rushing yards per game. In addition, the Jaguars rank second in the NFL with a 5.3-yard average per rush and fourth with eight rushes of 20-plus yards. The Jaguars have produced 160-plus rushing yards in three of seven games including a season-high 217 yards last Sunday at Tennessee.

 

What to look for

  • A Jaguars win would improve their record to 4-4, the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Jack Del Rio the club would be .500 or above after eight games.
  • Torry Holt needs two receptions to become the 10th player in NFL history to reach 900 career receptions. He would accomplish the feat in his 166th career game, the second-fastest in NFL history (Marvin Harrison, 149 games). He needs one reception to extend his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 161, the second-longest streak among active players.
  • Holt needs six yards to surpass Steve Largent (13,089) for 11th place in NFL history for most receiving yards.
  • Maurice Jones-Drew can record his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game.

 

Success against AFC West

The Jaguars own a 14-7 mark against AFC West opponents including five consecutive wins. The Jaguars have a winning record against all four teams in the division.

 

Week to prepare for Jaguars

The Jaguars began a stretch last Sunday of three straight games against opponents observing their bye week the week before they play Jacksonville.

 

Series history

The Jaguars hold a 5-2 advantage in the seven-game series with the Chiefs. Three of the last four games have been played at Arrowhead Stadium. The Jaguars won 17-7 in the last meeting between the teams in 2007 at Kansas City.

 

 

Special connections

Two of the highest-drafted tackles in the NFL will be in action on Sunday and both were college teammates. Jaguars rookie Eugene Monroe and Chiefs second-year tackle Branden Albert played together at Virginia. The two worked out together this offseason at Virginia and remain close friends. Additional connections for Sunday's game include:

  • The Jaguars have three players with ties to the Kansas/Missouri area. Cornerback Scott Starks and defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison grew up in St. Louis. Safety Reggie Nelson played at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas in 2004.
  • Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio played linebacker for the Chiefs from 1987-88.
  • Jaguars quarterback David Garrard and Chiefs wide receiver Terrance Copper were teammates at East Carolina.
  • Jaguars safety Brian Russell and Chiefs wide receiver Bobby Engram played together at Seattle.
  • Chiefs strength and conditioning coach Cedric Smith was a three-year starter at fullback at Florida from 1986-89, paving the way for the school's all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith.
  • Jaguars running backs coach Kennedy Pola was on the staff at Southern California from 2000-03 while Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel played there.
  • Chiefs tight ends coach Bob Bicknell was on the staff at Temple in 2006 while Jaguars defensive tackle Terrance Knighton played there.

 

Jaguars partner has history with Kansas City

Jaguars ownership partner Deron Cherry played defensive back for the Chiefs from 1981-91. Cherry, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, ranks third in franchise history with 927 career tackles and 50 interceptions. He tied the franchise single-game record with four interceptions on September 29, 1985 against Seattle.

 

 

Former Chiefs on Jaguars roster

The Jaguars have two former Chiefs on their roster. Offensive tackle Jordan Black was a fifth-round pick of the Chiefs in 2003 and started 29 games over four seasons. Cornerback Tyron Brackenridge played in 14 games for the Chiefs from 2007-08 after signing as an undrafted rookie with the club in 2007.

 

 

Florida connections on Chiefs roster

The Chiefs have four players with ties to Florida: wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (Miami, Norland Senior High), cornerback Brandon Flowers (Delray Beach, Atlantic High), safety DaJuan Morgan (Riviera Beach, Suncoast High) and tight end Jake O'Connell (Naples, Gulf Coast High).

 

 

Former Jayhawks on Jaguars staff

Jaguars first-year strength and conditioning coach Luke Richesson was a four-year letterman at safety for Kansas (1992-96). He was a member of two teams that won the Aloha Bowl. Assistant strength and conditioning coach Jason George served as a graduate assistant strength coach at Kansas from 1997-98 while completing his master's degree in education. George worked with the club's football team along with being directly responsible for the men's tennis and women's soccer teams.

 

 

Pupil meets teacher

There will be a couple of pregame pleasantries exchanged on Sunday between current Chiefs and their former coaches. Jaguars wide receivers coach Todd Monken served in the same capacity at LSU from 2005-06 while Chiefs 2007 first-round pick WR Dwayne Bowe played there. Bowe finished his career with 154 receptions and 2,403 yards with a school-record 26 touchdowns. Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula served as head coach at Alabama while Chiefs QB Brodie Croyle played there. Croyle set the school's single-season record with 2,499 passing yards in 2005 under the tutelage of Shula.

 

 

Chiefs head coach has Florida connections

Chiefs first-year head Todd Haley played golf at the University of Florida and the University of Miami. He earned a degree in communications from North Florida in 1991 where he was also a member of the golf squad.

 

The last time

The Jaguars used a stifling defense to claim a 17-7 win at Kansas City on October 7, 2007 for their third consecutive win. The Jaguars defense held the Chiefs to only 10 rushing yards, the fewest by a Jaguars opponent in team history, and narrowly missed their first shutout of the season.

Quarterback David Garrard recorded a 100-plus rating for the third consecutive game and led a balanced offensive attack that outgained the Chiefs, 357 to 271. Maurice Jones-Drew broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.

 

 

Stat sheet stuffer

  • The Jaguars are tied for second in the NFL with only 34 penalties accepted (36 called) on them through seven games.
  • Opponents have recorded 20 plays of 20-plus yards through seven games, the ninth-fewest in the NFL.
  • Twelve different players have receptions for the Jaguars through six games (6 WRs, 3 RBs, 3 TEs).
  • The Jaguars have trailed at halftime in two of their three wins.
  • The Jaguars have won 11 of the last 14 games when they score 20-plus points including a 3-0 mark this season.
  • The Jaguars have scored first in three of seven games this season and are 36-10 under head coach Jack Del Rio when they score first. They have scored on their first drive four times this season.
  • The Jaguars have 75 rushes of four-plus yards, 24 of 10-plus yards, eight of 20-plus yards and three of 50-plus yards.
  • The Jaguars have 92 plays of 10-plus yards and 28 plays of 20-plus yards (T-12th in NFL).
  • The Jaguars have scored on 16 of 21 trips to the red zone through seven games (11 TDs, 5 FGs).
  • The Jaguars have scored 10 of their 16 offensive touchdowns on first down.
  • The Jaguars are one of only six teams to have all their points on a touchdown via rushing, passing and field goals.

 

Television

The game will be broadcast regionally on CBS. Bill Macatee will handle play-by-play duties with former Jaguars quarterback Steve Beuerlein providing analysis.

 

 

Radio

Sunday's game will be broadcast on the Jaguars Radio Network which extends to 11 affiliates in Florida and Georgia. The Jaguars' flagship stations are WOKV AM & FM (690, 106.5). Brian Sexton (play-by-play) and former Jaguars defensive end Jeff Lageman (analyst) are in their seventh season together calling Jaguars games.

 

 

The last word

I think Daryl's M.O. is that he's been steady, he's been consistent for us. He's always looking to get better. He's always looking to help our defense play better, and he's definitely a guy that week-in and week-out puts his best foot forward and gives us everything he has."

Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker on linebacker Daryl Smith


Sims-Walker in elite group

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Oct 30 2009, 08:13 PM

Mike Sims-Walker has six or more receptions and 80-plus receiving yards in four straight games and has led the team in receiving in four of the five games he has played. Sims-Walker is one of only seven AFC receivers to have multiple 100-yard receiving games through seven weeks and he has had four of his five top career receiving games this season. He is averaging 99.5 yards per game in the past four outings.

Sims-Walker is one of only nine players to have four or more games with six-plus receptions through seven weeks. Here's the list: Reggie Wayne, IND (5 games), Hines Ward, PIT (5 games), Wes Welker, NE (5 games), Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (4 games), Anquan Boldin, ARI (4 games), Owen Daniels, HOU (4 games), Dallas Clark, IND (4 games), Steve Smith, NYG (4 games).

In addition, Sims-Walker is one of only six players to have 80-plus receiving yards in four or more games. Here's the list: Chad Ochocinco, CIN (5 games), Donald Driver, GB (4 games), Andre Johnson, HOU (4 games), Wes Welker, NE (4 games), Hines Ward, PIT (4 games).

 

Mathis and Witherspoon

Rashean Mathis (finger) and Brian Witherspoon (hamstring) were declared out for Sunday's game by Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio on Friday. Offensive lineman Maurice Williams was limited on Friday with a knee injury and is listed as questionable.

 

More history for Holt

Torry Holt continues to etch his name in NFL history as one of the game's top receivers. Holt ranks 10th in NFL history with 896 career receptions and 11th with 13,067 yards.

Holt needs four receptions on Sunday to reach 900 career receptions in 165 games, the second-fastest in NFL history (Marvin Harrision, 149 games). Holt needs 23 receiving yards to surpass Steve Largent (13,089) for 11th place for most receptions.

Holt recorded his 47th career 100-yard receiving game against St. Louis on October 18. Holt and Buffalo wide receiver Terrell Owens are tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin for fifth place with 47 career 100-yard receiving games. Here's a list of the most 100-yard receiving games in NFL history.

 

PLAYER 100-YARD GAMES
Jerry Rice 76
Randy Moss 62
Marvin Harrison 59
Don Maynard 50

Michael Irvin

47

Torry Holt 47
Terrell Owens 47

 

Rookies playing major role

The Jaguars selected nine players in the 2009 NFL Draft including seven players on Sunday in the final five rounds. All nine players are on the active roster and the first five have made a combined 24 starts through six games.

"That's what they drafted them for," wide receiver Torry Holt said. "At some point they've got to play and I think the best learning you can get is playing on Sundays. They can do all the things through the week of practice, in OTAs and in training camp but it still doesn't simulate a game."

What to look for

  • A Jaguars win on Sunday on Nashville would improve their record to 4-3, the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Jack Del Rio the club would be above .500 after seven games.
  • The Jaguars are 2-1 in the AFC South and have never won three of their first four division games under head coach Jack Del Rio.
  • Maurice Jones-Drew needs five rushing yards reach 3,000 for his career.


In the hunt

The Jaguars are one of 10 AFC teams with a record of .500 or better after seven weeks. The Jaguars' three losses have come against opponents with a combined record of 12-6 (.667 pct.) including one of the NFL's three undefeated teams in Indianapolis (6-0). Here is a look at the AFC's top records through seven weeks:

2009 AFC TOP RECORDS

1. Indianapolis Colts 6-0
    Denver Broncos 6-0

3. New England Patriots 5-2
    Cincinnati Bengals 5-2
    Pittsburgh Steelers 5-2

6. New York Jets 4-3
   Houston Texans 4-3

8. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-3
   
Baltimore Ravens 3-3
    San Diego Chargers 3-3

Still going strong

Center Brad Meester is expected to make his 136th career start on Sunday, tying running back Fred Taylor for the second-most starts in franchise history. Wide receiver Jimmy Smith holds the franchise record with 150 starts from 1995-2005. Meester started a team-record 92 consecutive games after being drafted in the second round in 2000.

 

Thomas shows his versatility

2009 fourth-round pick Mike Thomas was inactive for the first two weeks but has become a vital part of the club's offense the last four games. Thomas has 14 receptions for 121 yards and six rushes for 45 yards including a long of 22. He serves as the club's punt returner and has also seen time at kickoff returner. He had a career-high seven receptions for 52 yards in week six against St. Louis including a 28-yard reception on the club's drive in overtime.

 

Streak for Garrard

David Garrard is expected to start his 23rd consecutive game on Sunday, the third-longest streak by a quarterback in team history and most since 2001. Mark Brunell holds the top two marks at 27 games (1997-98) and 24 games (2000-01).

Did you know?

Maurice Jones-Drew averaged 104.1 yards from scrimmage in 20 division games from 2006-09, the 10th-highest average in the NFL. He is tied for second in the NFL with 20 touchdowns (18 rushing, 1 receiving, 1 return) in division play.

 

In the hunt

Playing at Tennessee is always John Henderson's favorite trip of the year because he has the opportunity to play in front of his family and friends. Henderson grew up in Nashville and attended Pearl-Cohn High School before playing at the University of Tennessee.

Henderson has 23 tackles through six games with two passes defensed and two quarterback pressures. His play hasn't gone unnoticed.

"He does such a great job with his hands and anchoring in the new scheme he's really effective," Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said. "He's that dominating nose tackle in the 3-4 that is playing all three positions. He'll lock up, separate and make the play. He's very, very hard to block. He's getting good pressure. It looks like he's working his lower body. He's got tremendous strength and he's playing really well."

 

Series history

The Jaguars have played the Houston/Tennessee franchise more than any other NFL team. The Jaguars and Titans have met 29 times in the regular season with the Titans leading the series, 16-13. The Jaguars have swept the season series with the Titans twice (1997, 2005).

Stat sheet stuffer

  • The Jaguars rank second in the NFL with only 32 penalties accepted against them through seven weeks.
  • Opponents have recorded 17 plays of 20-plus yards through seven weeks, tied for the sixth-fewest in the NFL.
  • 12 different players have receptions for the Jaguars through six games (6 WRs, 3 RBs, 3 TEs).
  • The Jaguars have trailed at halftime in two of their three wins.
  • The Jaguars have won 11 of the last 14 games when they score 20-plus points including a 3-0 mark this season.
  • The Jaguars defense has registered 28 negative yardage plays for 78 yards.
  • The Jaguars have scored first in three of six games this season and are 36-10 under head coach Jack Del Rio when they score first.
  • The average length of the club's scoring drives through six games is 8.23 plays and 3:43.
  • The Jaguars have converted 42.9 percent on third down (36 of 84).
  • The Jaguars own a 36-6 record since 2003 when they score 20-plus points and control the ball for 30 minutes or more including three consecutive wins.
  • The Jaguars have 67 rushes of four-plus yards, 21 of 10-plus yards, six of 20-plus yards and one of 50-plus yards.
  • The Jaguars have 83 plays of 10-plus yards (12th in NFL) and 22 plays of 20-plus yards (T-16th in NFL).
  • The Jaguars have 12 10-play drives which have resulted in 53 points including 10 against St. Louis 10/18.
  • The Jaguars have scored on 16 of 21 trips to the red zone through six games (11 TDs, 5 FGs).
  • The Jaguars are one of only 11 teams to not allow a 100-yard rusher through the first seven weeks.
  • The Jaguars have scored eight of their 14 offensive touchdowns on first down.
  • The Jaguars have outscored their opponents 41 to 25 in the fourth quarter, the seventh-highest differential in the NFL (+16).
     

Television

The game will be broadcast regionally on CBS, locally on WTEV CBS47 (Ch. 6 cable). Gus Johnson will handle play-by-play duties with Steve Tasker providing analysis.

 

Radio

Sunday's game will be broadcast on the Jaguars Radio Network which extends to 11 affiliates in Florida and Georgia. The Jaguars' flagship stations are WOKV AM & FM (690, 106.5). Brian Sexton (play-by-play) and former Jaguars defensive end Jeff Lageman (analyst) are in their seventh season together calling Jaguars games.

 

Junior Roar Cheerleader Production

More than 200 girls ages six to 17 will have an opportunity to perform with The ROAR of the Jaguars 2009 cheerleading squad as part of the 15th-annual Junior ROAR Production. Each participant who attends every practice session will put her talents to the test during the halftime show on Sunday, December 13 when the Jaguars host Miami at 1:00 p.m. The three-day clinic will be conducted at the stadium by members of the 2009 ROAR. Each participant will receive an official Junior ROAR T-shirt, a uniform, pom-poms, a performance DVD and an autographed 2009 Jaguars Cheerleader poster. Go to jaguars.com for more information or call Christy Stechman Zynda at (904) 633-6000, ext. 6203.

 

The last word

"If you go out and execute and put points on the board then you're giving yourself a chance, and that's really all you can ask for. Being able to handle the noise, keeping your composure and knowing they already hate you there anyway, we should be able to go out and not worry about that. They're going to be yelling some nasty things at you, but that just makes it more fun."

Quarterback David Garrard on playing road games


A do-it-all back

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Oct 21 2009, 10:06 AM

 

Jaguars Texans Football Maurice Jones-Drew serves as the Jaguars' lead running back after sharing time with former running back Fred Taylor the previous three seasons. In his first 53 career games, Jones-Drew has averaged 86.2 yards from scrimmage and 125.1 all-purpose yards per game.

Jones-Drew has started a career-high six games this season and leads the Jaguars in rushes (108), rushing yards (463), touchdowns (8) and yards from scrimmage (628), and he ranks third in receptions with 26. He leads the NFL in touchdowns and first downs (35) and is tied for first with two 100-yard rushing games.

 

Give me the ball

Jones-Drew set a career-high with 33 carries against St. Louis last Sunday and finished with 133 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to five receptions for 45 yards. The 38 touches are the most in the NFL through six weeks. The 133 yards were the second-most of his career (166, 12/10/06 vs. Indianapolis) and it marked his second game this season with three rushing touchdowns. It was his ninth career 100-yard rushing game and the Jaguars are 7-2 in those games. Jones-Drew is one of nine NFL players through six weeks to have two 100-yard rushing games.

 

Featured back

Jones-Drew ranks fourth in the NFL with 134 offensive touches (108 rushes, 26 receptions) through six weeks. St. Louis' Steven Jackson leads the NFL with 140 touches (120 rushes, 20 receptions). Jones-Drew ranks sixth in the NFL with 108 rushes and second among running backs with a 4.3-yard average per carry (minimum 100 attempts).

 

Among the NFL's best

Maurice Jones-Drew ranks fourth in the AFC and sixth in the NFL with 463 yards on 108 rushes (4.3 avg.). Here's a list of the NFL's rushing leaders:

2009 NFL RUSHING LEADERS

RK PLAYER, TEAM YARDS RUSHES
1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota 624 121
2. Chris Johnson, Tennessee 596 95
3. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati 531 127
4. Steven Jackson, St. Louis 501 120
5. Thomas Jones, New York Jets 481 96
6. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville 463 108

 

Nose for the end zone

Jones-Drew leads the NFL with eight touchdowns including three last Sunday against St. Louis. Jones-Drew has multiple touchdowns in 10 career games and has scored three touchdowns in two games this season (9/27 at Houston). Additional notes include:

  • Recorded multiple touchdowns in 10 games and the Jaguars own an 8-2 record in those games.
  • Ranks third in franchise history with 48 career touchdowns (42 rushing, 4 receiving, 2 kickoff returns) in only 53 games.
  • Tied his career-high with three rushing touchdowns week three at Houston including a 61-yard touchdown run, the second-longest of his career (74t, 12/24/06 vs. New England). It was the longest play for the Jaguars since 12/23/07 against Oakland when Fred Taylor had a 62-yard rushing touchdown, a span of 19 games.
  • Ranked second in franchise history with 42 career rushing touchdowns in 53 games including eight this season.
  • In 2008, he tied for sixth in the NFL, third in the AFC, with 14 touchdowns (12 rushing, 2 receiving).
  • First player in franchise history to have at least nine rushing touchdowns in three consecutive seasons.
  • Ranks first in franchise history with 5.4 average points per game.

NFL MOST TOUCHDOWNS FROM 2006-09

RK PLAYER, TEAM  TDS TOUCHES
1. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego 62 1,166
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville 48 812
3. Randy Moss. New England 41 249
4. Marion Barber III, Dallas 40 758
5. Terrell Owens, Dallas, Buffalo 39 261
  Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia 39 1,027

2009 NFL MOST TOUCHDOWNS

RK PLAYER, TEAM TDS
1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville 8
2. Willis McGahee, Baltimore 7
  Adrian Peterson, Minnesota 7
3. Ronnie Brown, Miami 6
  Michael Turner, Atlanta 6
  Thomas Jones, New York Jets 6

 

One score is not enough

Jones-Drew has three career games with three touchdowns and is one of only five players to have three touchdowns in a game in 2009. He is the only one to do it twice. Here's the list:

PLAYERS WITH 3 TDS IN A GAME IN 2009

PLAYER, TEAM DATE TDS
Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX 10/18/09 vs. STL 3
Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX 9/27/09 at HOU 3
Adrian Peterson, MIN 9/13/09 at CLE 3
Chris Johnson, TEN 9/20/09 vs. HOU 3
Michael Turner, ATL 10/11/09 at SF 3
Randy Moss, NE 10/18/09 vs. TEN 3

 

20 carries equals success

Jones-Drew recorded 20-plus carries for the eighth time in his career and third time this season last Sunday against St. Louis. He has produced 90-plus rushing yards in six of the eight games. Here are his rushing totals in games with 20-plus carries:

JONES-DREW'S GAMES WITH 20-PLUS CARRIES

DATE NO YDS AVG LG TD
10/29/06 at Phil. 21 77 3.7 13 0
12/17/06 at Tenn. 25 98 3.9 17 1
10/12/08 at Den. 22 125 5.7 46t 2
12/18/08 vs. Ind. 20 91 4.6 15 0
12/28/08 at Bal. 23 78 3.4 23 0
9/13/09 at Ind. 21 97 4.6 26 1
9/27/09 at Hou. 23 119 5.2 61t 3
10/18/09 vs. STL 33 133 4.0 26 3


 

Dual threat

Jones-Drew ranks third on the Jaguars with 26 receptions through six games. He ranked second on the team in 2008 with a career-high 62 receptions for 565 yards along with two touchdowns. The 62 receptions were the most by a Jaguars running back in team history and second-most by a NFL running back in 2008. He led all NFL running backs with 565 receiving yards. He has a reception in 41 consecutive games.

MOST RECEIVING YARDS BY NFL RB FROM 2006-09

RK PLAYER, TEAM YARDS (REC)
1. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia 2,002 (238)
2. Reggie Bush, New Orleans 1,727 (228)
3. Steven Jackson, St. Louis 1,626 (188)
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville 1,573 (174)
5. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego 1,439 (173)

MOST RECEPTIONS BY NFL RB FROM 2006-09

RK PLAYER, TEAM REC (YARDS)
1. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia 238 (2,002)
2. Reggie Bush, New Orleans 228 (1,727)
3. Steven Jackson, St. Louis 188 (1,626)
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville 174 (1,573)
5. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego 173 (1,439)

MOST RECEPTIONS BY NFL RB IN 2009

RK PLAYER, TEAM REC (YARDS)
1. Ray Rice, Baltimore 33 (325)
2. Tim Hightower, Arizona 29 (228)
3. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville 26 (165)
  Joseph Addai, Indianapolis 26 (153)
5. Steve Slaton, Houston 23 (282)

 

Among best in franchise history

Maurice Jones-Drew moved into second place in franchise history for career rushing yards and third place for all-purpose yards last Sunday vs. St. Louis. He ranks first among all Jaguars running backs with a 4.7-yard career average per rush.

JAGUARS CAREER RUSHING YARDS

RK PLAYER, YEARS YARDS ATT
1. Fred Taylor, 1998-2008 11,271 2,428
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, 2006-09 2,996 638
3. James Stewart, 1995-99 2,951 765

JAGUARS CAREER RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS

RK PLAYER, YEARS TDS
1. Fred Taylor, 1998-2008 62
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, 2006-09 42

JAGUARS CAREER ALL-PURPOSE YARDS

RK PLAYER, YEARS YARDS
1. Fred Taylor, 1998-2008 13,632 (11,271 rushing, 2,361 receiving)
2. Jimmy Smith, 1995-2005 12,875 (12,287 receiving, 589 returns)
3. Maurice Jones-Drew, 2006-09 6,631 (2,996 rushing, 1,573 receiving, 2,062 return)
4. Keenan McCardell, 1996-2001 6,495 (6,393 receiving, 102 returns)


Ellison has St. Louis ties

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Oct 16 2009, 09:18 AM

 

_1HS0024 Much of the attention this week has been on wide receiver Torry Holt as he squares off against his former team on Sunday. The game also has special meaning for Jaguars defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison.

Ellison grew up in St. Louis and attended Parkway South High School. He was an avid Rams fan, with Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt being two of his favorite players. He had the opportunity to spend a portion of the 2008 season with Bruce as a member of the 49ers practice squad.

"I grew up rooting for those guys," Ellison said. "I'm here now with Torry. I wasn't able to get to many games but I would watch them on television. They were the hometown team."

Ellison visited the Rams organization prior to the 2005 draft after playing two seasons at the University of Missouri. He hoped the local team would select him, but he was picked in the third round by Carolina.

"I went to Mizzou and stayed home, so to play for the Rams would have been the trifecta," Ellison said.

Ellison is still well-remembered in the area, as he had his jersey retired by his high school in 2006. He was a standout basketball and football player and set the school shot put record.

"That was awesome," Ellison said. "All my old friends and classmates came out to see it."

 

Jaguars look for victory before bye week

The Jaguars will observe their bye on Sunday, October 25. The Jaguars own a 9-5 mark in the game before the open date in the 14 previous seasons, including a 4-2 mark under head coach Jack Del Rio. The Jaguars have won four consecutive games before the open date including a 24-17 win at Denver in 2008.

 

Turning it around

Since the current playoff system (12 teams) was instituted in 1990, 11 teams have rebounded from being at least three games under .500 later than week five to qualify for the postseason.  The Jaguars were 3-6 in 1996, then 4-7, but they won five straight games to make the postseason for the first time and won two playoff games.

 

Jaguars in NFC play

The Jaguars own a 16-10 mark against the NFC under head coach Jack Del Rio (2003-09) with an 11-2 mark at home.

 

'Maine' man on special teams

Fourth-year pro Montell Owens leads the Jaguars with nine special teams tackles through five games including four last Sunday at Seattle. Owens moved into third place in team history with 54 career special teams tackles.

Owens was a long shot to make the club's roster as n undrafted rookie from Maine in 2006. Not only has he been a staple on the club's special teams ever since, he signed a contract extension in the offseason. Owens has played in 51 games and ranked second on the team in 2008 with 18 tackles and had two touchdowns.

He scored his first career touchdown on a 41-yard run on against Houston last season as a result of a fake-punt direct snap. Later in the season at Cincinnati, he recovered a fumble on a kickoff and returned it 18 yards for a score.

 

Taking care of the ball

The Jaguars are tied for the NFL lead with only one interception thrown through the first five weeks, joining Denver and Green Bay. The Jaguars are tied for 13th in the NFL with seven turnovers (6 fumbles, 1 interception).

Special connections

The Jaguars have several people in their organization with ties to St. Louis besides Torry Holt and Atiyyah Ellison. Cornerback Scott Starks grew up in St. Louis and played at Hazelwood East where he was an All-America honoree as a senior.

Defensive line coach Ted Monachino was a three-year letterman as a linebacker at Missouri and graduated in 1990. He was born in Council Bluffs and started his coaching career at Hannibal High (1990, 1994-95) and Pacific High (1991-93). Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter served in the same capacity at Missouri from 1989-93 and was on the same staff with Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole. Assistant defensive backs coach Thom Kaumeyer was a sixth-round pick of the Rams in 1989.

Additional connections include:

  • The Rams have two players with ties to Florida: left tackle Alex Barron (Florida State) and defensive tackle Leger Douzable (Tampa, Alonso High, Central Florida).
  • Jaguars linebacker Daryl Smith and Rams safety James Butler were teammates at Georgia Tech.
  • Jaguars safety Brian Russell and Rams kicker Josh Brown were teammates at Seattle.
  • Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio served as defensive coordinator at Carolina in 2002 while Rams LB Will Witherspoon played there.
  • Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was head coach at Arizona State from 2001-03 while Rams FB Mike Karney played there.
  • Jaguars linebackers coach Mark Duffner and Rams running backs coach Sylvester Croom were on the staff together at Green Bay in 2003. Croom was on the staff at Alabama from 1984-86 while Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Shula played there.

 

The last time

The Jaguars snapped a two-game win streak with a 24-21 road loss to the St. Louis Rams on October 30, 2005. Jaguars running back Fred Taylor finished with a season-high 165 rushing yards including a 71-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Ernest Wilford recorded a career-high six receptions for 145 yards with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Byron Leftwich. Rashean Mathis had two interceptions of Rams quarterback Jamie Martin.

The Jaguars took a 21-17 lead in the third quarter on a 15-yard touchdown catch by Matt Jones, but Leftwich was intercepted by Mike Furrey at the start of the fourth quarter. The Rams scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Martin to Steven Jackson, who finished with a career-high 179 rushing yards.

 

What to look for

  • A Jaguars win would improve their record to 3-3, the sixth time in seven seasons under head coach Jack Del Rio the club would be .500 or above after six games.
  • Torry Holt needs one reception to extend his streak for consecutive games with a reception to 159 games.
  • Holt needs 34 receiving yards to become the third-fastest player in NFL history to gain 13,000 career receiving yards. Sunday will be his 164th career game.
  • Maurice Jones-Drew needs 89 rushing yards to move into second place in team history, surpassing James Stewart (2,951).
  • Jones-Drew needs 43 all-purpose yards to move into third place in team history, surpassing Keenan McCardell (6,495).

 

Television

Sunday's game will be broadcast regionally on FOX, but will be blacked out in the Jacksonville area. Ron Pitts will handle play-by-play duties with John Lynch providing analysis.

 

Radio

The game will be broadcast on the Jaguars Radio Network which extends to 11 affiliates in Florida and Georgia. The Jaguars' flagship stations are WOKV AM & FM (690, 106.5). Brian Sexton (play-by-play) and former Jaguars defensive end Jeff Lageman (analyst) are in their seventh season together calling Jaguars games.

 

Jones-Drew contributes to Safe Kids

Maurice Jones-Drew had $1,000 on his behalf donated to Safe Kids Northeast Florida for being named the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week following the Houston game. Cynthia Dennis, coordinator of Safe Kids, visited the stadium on Wednesday to thank Jones-Drew for the contribution.

Safe Kids Northeast Florida was founded in 2003 with Wolfson Children's Hospital serving as its lead organization. Funding is provided by Wolfson Children's Hospital, public and private grants and donations, and grants from Safe Kids Worldwide. The mission is to bring together local organizations to address the area's pediatric injury prevention needs and to prevent accidental injuries in children fourteen and under with initiatives directed at those needs.

 

Meester hosts group for dinner at Maggiano's

Jaguars center Brad Meester and his wife, Jamie, hosted 15 kids at Maggiano's Little Italy in the St. Johns Town Center on Tuesday. The dinner was part of the "Brad's Buddies" program that was established in 2009. Meester, who took over the program from former Jaguars lineman Tony Pashos, will host an event for the children from Guardian Ad Litem each month throughout the next year.

 

Nwaneri continues video game challenge

Guard Uche Nwaneri hosted his second video game tournament on Tuesday at Sneakers Sports Grille in Jacksonville Beach. The tournament benefits the daniel home and features several Jaguars players competing against fans.

 

Considine visits PACE center

Safety Sean Considine visited the PACE Center for Girls on Thursday to serve as a judge for a contest and spoke to the group about making the right decisions in life. PACE provides girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy.


All eyes on Holt

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Oct 15 2009, 11:24 AM

 

Holt squares off against former team

Seven-time Pro Bowl selection Torry Holt will look across the field on Sunday and see many of his former teammates and coaches as the St. Louis Rams visit Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

Holt played 10 seasons for the Rams after being selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1999 draft. Holt played in 158 games for the club over 10 seasons and totaled 869 receptions for 12,660 yards and 74 touchdowns. He ranks second in Rams history for receptions, receiving yards, yards from scrimmage (12,717) and all-purpose yards (12,732).

During his tenure, he started 10 postseason games and was a member of the 1999 Super Bowl XXXIV Championship team. He ranks second in Rams postseason history with 47 receptions for 630 yards. He holds six of the top seven single-season marks for receptions and two of the top three for receiving yards, as well as the career record for 100-yard receiving games (46).

 

History being made on Sunday

Holt will become just the sixth player in NFL history to face a team for which he had 10,000-plus receiving yards. Here are the players with 10,000-plus receiving yards with one team who later faced that team:

PLAYER PREVIOUS TEAM, YEARS NEW TEAM, YEAR

YARDS WITH
PREVIOUS TEAM

Jerry Rice San Francisco, 1985-2000 Oakland, 2002, 2004 19,247
Tim Brown LA-Oakland, 1988-2003 Tampa Bay, 2004 14,734
Isaac Bruce St. Louis, 1994-2007 San Francisco, 2008 14,109
Torry Holt St. Louis, 1999-2008 Jacksonville, 2009 12,670
Cris Carter Minnesota, 1990-2001 Miami, 2002 12,383
Stanley Morgan New England, 1977-1989 Indianapolis, 1990 10,352

 

 

Etching his name in NFL history

Holt ranks 10th in NFL history with 891 receptions and 12th with 12,966 receiving yards with 74 touchdowns. He ranks first in NFL history with 79.5 average receiving yards per game. Additional notes on Holt:

  • Recorded 46 career 100-yard receiving games.
  • Recorded 80-plus receptions in eight of 10 seasons and 90-plus receptions in six seasons.
  • Started 10 postseason games and was a member of the Rams 1999 Super Bowl XXXIV Championship team.
  • Needs 694 more receiving yards in 2009 to become only the sixth player in NFL history to record nine consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards.

 

Looking to join 13,000 club

Holt needs 34 receiving yards on Sunday in his 164th career game to become the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 13,000 career receiving yards. Holt reached 11,000 career receiving yards faster than any player (131 games) and was the second-fastest to reach 12,000 career receiving yards as he did it his 146th career game.

FASTEST TO 13,000 RECEIVING YARDS

RK PLAYER GAMES
1. Jerry Rice 154
2. Marvin Harrison 162
3. Randy Moss 167
4. Terrell Owens 172
5. Isaac Bruce 179

 

Best of the decade

Holt leads the NFL since 2000 with 839 receptions for 12,178 yards. His 68 touchdown receptions rank as the fourth-most in the NFL.

MOST RECEPTIONS FROM 2000-09

RK PLAYER, TEAM RECEPTIONS
1. Torry Holt, STL, JAX 839
2. Marvin Harrison, IND 791
3. Tony Gonzalez, KC, ATL 767
4. Derrick Mason, TEN, BAL 762
5. Hines Ward, PIT 757

MOST RECEIVING YARDS FROM 2000-09

RK PLAYER, TEAM YARDS (REC)
1. Torry Holt, STL, JAX 12,178 (839)
2. Terrell Owens, SF, PHI, DAL, BUF 11,017 (741)
3. Randy Moss, MIN, OAK, NE    10,842 (724)
4. Marvin Harrison, IND 10,439 (791)
5. Derrick Mason, TEN, BAL 9,737 (762)

 

 

Tops among active players

Holt ranks fourth in receptions and third in 100-yard receiving games among active players. Here are the lists:

MOST RECEPTIONS (Active Players)

RK PLAYER, TEAM RECEPTIONS
1. Isaac Bruce, STL, SF 1,016
2. Terrell Owens, SF, PHI, DAL, BUF 963
3. Tony Gonzalez, KC, ATL 935
4. Torry Holt, STL, JAX 891
5. Randy Moss, MIN, OAK, NE 873

100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES (Active Players)

RK PLAYER, TEAM 100-Games
1. Randy Moss, MIN, OAK, NE 61
2. Terrell Owens, SF, PHI, DAL, BUF 47
3. Torry Holt, STL, JAX 45

CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION (Active Players)

RK PLAYER, TEAM GAMES
1. Hines Ward, PIT 167
2. Torry Holt, STL, JAX 158
3. Tony Gonzalez, KC, ATL 135

RECEPTIONS OF 25-PLUS YARDS (Active Players)

RK PLAYER, TEAM 25-PLUS
1. Terrell Owens, SF, PHI, DAL, BUF 143
  Randy Moss, MIN OAK, NE 143
3. Isaac Bruce, STL, SF 138
4. Joey Galloway, SEA, DAL, TB 110
5. Torry Holt, STL, JAX 101

MOST RECEIVING TDS (Active Players)

RK PLAYER, TEAM GAMES
1. Terrell Owens, SF, PHI, DAL, BUF 140
2. Randy Moss, MIN OAK, NE 136
3. Isaac Bruce, STL, SF 91
4. Joey Galloway, SEA, DAL, TB 77
5. Torry Holt, STL, JAX 74

 

 

Looking his way

Holt leads the NFL since 2000 with 1,400 passes thrown his way which resulted in 839 receptions. Holt leads the Jaguars with 39 passes thrown his way in 2009 which resulted in 22 receptions.

JAGUARS MOST TARGETED PLAYERS IN 2009

RK PLAYER TARGETS RECEPTIONS
1. Torry Holt 39 22
2. Mike Sims-Walker 31 19
3. Maurice Jones-Drew 30 21
4. Marcedes Lewis 26 14
5. Mike Thomas 8 7

 

 

Big jump from first to second year

Holt played in all 16 games as a rookie with the Rams and finished with 52 receptions for 788 yards. Following his rookie campaign, he reeled off eight consecutive seasons with 80-plus receptions and 1,000-plus receiving yards. He finished his second season with 1,635 yards, an increase of 847 yards from his rookie season. It is the largest increase from year one to year two among active wide receivers.


Holt leads offense

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Oct 12 2009, 07:07 AM

Wide receiver Torry Holt led the team with a season-high seven receptions for 95 yards (13.6 avg.). Holt extended his streak with a reception to 158 consecutive games, the second-longest streak among active players and the ninth-longest in NFL history. Additional notes include:

  • Started his 150th career game.
  • Career totals include 891 receptions for 12,966.
  • Leads the team with 22 receptions for 306 yards through five games.

Jaguars shut out for only third time

The Jaguars were shut out for only the third time in franchise history. The Jaguars also failed to score on 12/26/04 vs. Houston and 12/17/95 at Detroit.

 

Garrard finishes with 188 passing yards

David Garrard finished 18 of 31 passing for 188 yards for a 75.7 passer rating with a long completion of 28 yards to Mike Thomas. Garrard has 30 or more attempts in 15 of the last 18 games. Garrard played against his 27th NFL team on Sunday. The only teams Garrard has yet to play against are Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis and Washington. The Jaguars host the Rams next Sunday.

 

Jones-Drew finishes with 17 touches for 57 yards

Maurice Jones-Drew led the team with 34 rushing yards on 12 carries and added 23 yards on five receptions. Jones-Drew has a reception in 40 consecutive games and moved into seventh place in team history on Sunday for career receptions (169). He leads the team through four games with 330 rushing yards, five touchdowns and 450 yards from scrimmage. He ranks second with 21 receptions for 120 yards.

 

Landri records third career sack

Derek Landri sacked Matt Hasselbeck for a five-yard loss in the second quarter. It was the Jaguars fourth sack this season and third of Landri's career.

 

Iwuh makes second career start

Jaguars linebacker Brian Iwuh made his second career start on Sunday. Iwuh started the 2007 season-finale at Houston and finished with a team-high nine tackles.

 

Tidbits

  • Rookie linebacker Russell Allen made his first career start and was credited with a game-high 10 tackles. Cornerback Derek Cox had seven tackles.
  • Montell Owens and William Middleton were credited with two special teams tackles.
  • The Jaguars first five drives started on their own 11, 30, 21, 4 and 8-yard line.
  • Adam Podlesh had eight punts for a 45.5 net including two downed inside the 20. The eight punts tied for the second-most of his career.
  • Backup quarterback Luke McCown saw his first action of the season and completed his only pass attempt for two yards.
  • Josh Scobee's streak of consecutive games with at least one point ended at 61 games, the second-longest streak in team history.
  • Brian Witherspoon returned four kicks for a 28.3 average. Witherspoon had a long of 42 yards, the third-longest of his career.
  • Tight end Marcedes Lewis started his 38th consecutive game, the fifth-most among active NFL tight ends.
  • Defensive tackle John Henderson tied Kyle Brady in sixth place for most starts in team history with 110.
  • The Jaguars had only one possession inside the 20 and failed to convert on fourth down.


Del Rio has friend in Seattle

Posted by Ryan Robinson, Oct 9 2009, 03:27 PM

Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio is hoping to catch up with another professional coach from his hometown of Hayward, California while he is in Seattle this weekend. Del Rio has been friends Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu since their days of playing little league baseball, basketball and football together. The two played all three sports together at Hayward High where they won nine straight league titles in the three sports.

In his first season with the Mariners in 2009, Wakamatsu helped the club become the 13th baseball team since 1901 to record a .500 or better mark the season after losing 100 games. The Mariners were 61-101 in 2008.

"I am really proud of the job he did," Del Rio said. "He went into Seattle and turned that around. Last year they lost a hundred games and he turned them around. The city was very appreciative of his efforts, so it's a good story."

 

Hitting the west coast

The Jaguars play the first of two west coast games on Sunday, with a trip to San Francisco scheduled for November 29. It marks only the second time in franchise history (2004) the club will have two road games against west coast opponents. In 2004, the Jaguars lost 34-21 at San Diego and defeated Oakland 13-6 in the season finale. This will be the Jaguars' first game at Qwest Field and the trip to San Francisco will be the first in the regular season in franchise history.

 

Five questions (well, six) with Jaguars safety Gerald Alexander

You earned your first start as a Jaguar last week. You have been through a lot the last two years with injuries and the trade from Detroit. Do you ever look back and realize how far you have come?

I think the time I first looked back was when I ran out of the tunnel on Sunday. It's approaching a year ago when I had surgery, so to come full circle as far as playing as a rookie, getting hurt, going through the season we went through last year, coming to a new team and having a new start, just having it all come back to where I was starting and playing well. I'm just grateful for the opportunity I'm being given.

Not only did you start, you made two key plays with a forced fumble and an interception on back-to-back possessions.

It was great. I just want to do whatever I can do to help this team win. I tell the coaches after every game that I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to play.

It was ironic that the Jaguars earned their first win of the season on the same day the Lions picked up their first win since 2007. Were you happy for them?

Yes, I have a lot of friends up there. As soon as we won and I saw that they won, I called a lot of the guys and congratulated them. I was there and I've been through a lot with those guys. People ask me how it was and I tell them, 'It is hard.' You saw the feeling around here when we lost the first two. Just imagine losing all of them.

You have been a nice addition on the field but guys say you have brought a lot to the locker room as well. First of all, you are a proud Boise State alum and have been known to wear the school colors on game day.

Definitely, just taking pride in what the program has become. When I got there it wasn't the program that it is now. Just being able to be there and be a part of that foundation to get that program to where it is now, I take so much pride in it. I represent them to the fullest.

The rumor is that you have established yourself as the Madden champion in the locker room. Is that true?

That was easy. There was no doubt in my mind. My skills have traveled. Everywhere I go I'm the champ as far as the Madden game. The competition comes from Maurice (Jones-Drew) and Uche (Nwaneri). I play them on a regular basis.

Who do you like playing with on the game?

I can play with anybody. I like what the Jets bring to the table. I like what (Mark) Sanchez does and the addition of Braylon (Edwards) is only going to make them better.

History of success

The Jaguars own a 16-9 mark against the NFC under head coach Jack Del Rio since 2003. In addition, the Jaguars own a 10-4 mark in games starting between 4:00-4:15 p.m. ET under Del Rio. Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. EDT on Sunday at Seattle.

 

Series history

The Seahawks hold a 3-2 edge in five games against the Jaguars. The Jaguars won the last meeting 26-14 on Kickoff Weekend in 2005 in Jacksonville. This is only the second meeting between the teams in Seattle with the Seahawks winning 24-15 at Husky Stadium on October 7, 2001.

 

Special connections

Jaguars assistant head coach/tight ends Mike Tice played 10 seasons for the Seahawks from 1981-88 and 1990-91, playing his final eight seasons under legendary head coach Chuck Knox. Tice still vacations in the area during the offseason and plans on retiring there when his coaching career is complete.

"I'm excited for the trip," Tice said. "I'm excited for us to go out and play well. I'm excited for the players that I deal with to go out and play well. It's important for me to go out there and put on a good performance and win the football game. It's important every week, but for me, spending ten years there as a player it holds a little bit more importance."

Tice isn't the only Jaguars coach who played for Seattle. Offensive line coach Andy Heck was drafted in the first round (15th overall) by the Seahawks in 1989 and started five seasons (1989-93) including three without missing a snap. Assistant defensive backs coach Thom Kaumeyer played safety for two seasons with the Seahawks from 1989-90. Assistant director of pro personnel Louis Clark was a 10th-round pick of the Seahawks in 1987 and played six seasons with the club.

Additional connections include:

  • Jaguars special teams coordinator Russ Purnell spent nine seasons (1986-94) with the Seahawks. He was tight ends/assistant special teams coach in 1987 before taking over the special teams and tight ends in 1992.
  • Tice was the head coach at Minnesota from 2003-05 while Seahawks wide receiver Nate Burleson played there.
  • Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter served in the same capacity at Boston College from 1994-95 while Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck played there.
  • Jaguars cornerback Tyron Brackenridge appeared in 21 games with 12 starts in two seasons (2005-06) at Washington State.
  • Seahawks president of football operations/general manager Tim Ruskell graduated with a communications degree from South Florida.
  • Wide receivers coach Robert Prince spent two seasons (2007-08) on the Jaguars staff.
  • Jaguars tight end Ernest Wilford, Seahawks defensive end Darryl Tapp and Seahawks offensive tackle Brandon Frye were teammates at Virginia Tech.
  • Jaguars wide receiver Torry Holt and Seahawks cornerback Travis Fisher played together at St. Louis.
  • Jaguars defensive tackle Derek Landri and Seahawks tight end John Carlson were teammates at Notre Dame.
  • Seahawks running backs coach Kasey Dunn was on the coaching staff at Arizona while Jaguars offensive tackle Eben Britton and wide receiver Mike Thomas played there.

What to look for

  • A Jaguars win would improve their record to 3-2, marking the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Jack Del Rio the club would be above .500 after five games.
  • A win would give the Jaguars two consecutive road wins for the first time since 2007 (9/23 at Denver - 10/7 at Kansas City). It would be the second consecutive season the club would win two of its first three road games.
  • RB Maurice Jones-Drew needs 123 rushing yards to move into second place in team history, surpassing James Stewart (2,951).
  • Jones-Drew needs 100 all-purpose yards to move into third place in team history, surpassing Keenan McCardell (6,495).
  • The Jaguars have never scored 30-plus points in three straight games.
  • The Jaguars need two takeaways to become the first team in franchise history to record at least two takeaways in each of the first five games.
  • John Henderson is expected to start his 110th career game, tied with Kyle Brady for the sixth-most starts in team history.
  • 17 of Rashean Mathis' 26 career interceptions have been on the road.

Holt has history with Seattle

Torry Holt played in 15 regular season games against the Seahawks as a member of the St. Louis Rams. Holt competed against the Seahawks twice a year for seven straight seasons. He has registered 84 career receptions for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns with four 100-yard receiving games.

Seahawks have seven players with ties to Florida

The Seahawks have seven players with ties to Florida including two who played at Florida State and the University of Miami. The list includes defensive tackle Colin Cole (Ft. Lauderdale, South Plantation High), cornerback Travis Fisher (Tallahassee, Godby High, Central Florida), running back Edgerrin James (Immokalee, Immokalee High, Univ. of Miami), cornerback Kelly Jennings (Live Oak, Univ. of Miami), tackle Walter Jones (Florida State), kicker Olindo Mare (Cooper City, Cooper City High, Valencia CC) and tackle Ray Willis (Florida State).

 

Grant reunites with former team

Seahawks safety Deon Grant started 48 consecutive games for the Jaguars from 2004-06 and finished with seven interceptions. Grant has a relationship with Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio dating back to 2002 when Del Rio was the defensive coordinator with Carolina. The Panthers improved from last in the league in total defense to second overall in 2002.

"Deon was a good player for us," Del Rio said. "He got an opportunity to go there for a nice contract, he took advantage of free agency. I'm happy for him and look forward to seeing him this weekend."

Two former Seahawks on Jaguars roster

Jaguars safety Brian Russell started 32 games for the Seahawks from 2007-08 after signing as an unrestricted free agent. He was released during final cuts and signed with the Jaguars on Sept. 8. Safety Courtney Greene was a seventh-round pick of the Seahawks in the 2009 draft and spent the preseason with the club before signing with the Jaguars on Sept. 22.

Did you know?

Teams with 300-yard passers in 2009 have a combined record of 18-7 (.720). The 18 combined wins are the most in NFL history through the first four weeks of the season.

The last time

The Jaguars kicked off their 11th season in the NFL with a 26-14 home win over the Seahawks on September 11, 2005. The Jaguars registered 362 yards of offense and did not commit a turnover while getting five takeaways (two interceptions and three fumbles). Only 10 players who played in that game remain on the Jaguars roster.

Television

The game will be broadcast regionally on CBS, locally on WTEV CBS47 (Ch. 6 cable). Kevin Harlan will handle play-by-play duties with Solomon Wilcots providing analysis.

 

Next up

The Jaguars return home to face the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, October 18 at 1:00 p.m. It will be the Rams' first regular season game in Jacksonville. The game will reunite Jaguars wide receiver Torry Holt with the team that made him the sixth overall pick in 1999. The Rams played in the first preseason game at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on Aug. 18, 1995. The Jaguars will observe their bye week on October 25.

 

The last word

"I think it started with him staying here in the offseason, which is something we had wished he'd done last year but he had some family things he had to work through. We're very pleased to see that he stayed here. I think that's really the first part of the big step. The biggest thing with him is consistency. I mean he's been a good player for us, people just haven't noticed it. He's been a dominant blocker over the past couple years. The consistency in the passing game is something that he needed to continue to work on. I think it's starting to come. I think we still have a long way to go, but I think he's made some good steps here the past couple of weeks."

Assistant head coach/tight ends Mike Tice on the emergence of tight end Marcedes Lewis


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