Jacksonville Scouting Report

[BernietheKid]

Jacksonville Jaguars paid attention to lessons from Cleveland Browns' January beatdown: Tony Grossi's Scouting Report

Published: Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 6:15 PM Updated: Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 6:37 PM

Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- The way the Browns ran over his team in the final game of the 2009 season had a profound effect on Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager Gene Smith.

The Browns built a 20-3 lead and cruised to a 23-17 win by running over, through and around the Jaguars' defense. They rushed for 214 yards and threw only 11 times.

"The way we finished the season certainly left a bad taste in our mouths," Smith said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. "I feel what happened in that particular game, Cleveland had tremendous success running the ball against us. Certainly it identified some areas we needed to address in the off-season."
The Jaguars lost their last four games to finish at 7-9.

"I think the Cleveland game was kind of an exclamation point to that last quarter of the season," Smith said. "That certainly stuck with me. I'd like to think it stuck with a lot of our players.

"If we wanted to improve our football team, one of the first things we had to do was get stronger up front. I tried to do that through the last two drafts. I think that toughness of your football team starts up front. And I think winning starts up front."
So the loss to the Browns shaped the Jaguars' off-season. Almost every major acquisition the Jaguars made was to strengthen their defensive line.

Their big signing in free agency was former Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman.

Then Smith made defensive linemen his top four picks in the draft, starting with tackle Tyson Alualu of California. Alualu teams with 2009 third-round find Terrence Knighton to give the Jaguars a formidable tandem at defensive tackle.

Kampman, their defensive leader and best pass rusher, was lost for the season with a major knee injury at a practice last week. Now the Jags will see what they have in rookie fifth-round picks Larry Hart and Austen Lane, who are part of their defensive end-by-committee.

The Jaguars team the Browns visit on Sunday in Jacksonville is as inconsistent as the 2009 edition.

At 5-4 after two straight wins, they're in the AFC playoff hunt again. But it's hard to get a read on them. Their losses have come by 27 points, 25 (twice) and 22. They've won two games on the final play -- a 59-yard field goal and a 50-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass.

Quarterback David Garrard checks in with the top passer rating (104.9) in the AFC and second overall to Michael Vick. But he's hot and cold. In the Jaguars' five wins, Garrard has 14 touchdowns and one interception. In the four losses, he's thrown one TD and six interceptions.

They're an up-and-down team that needs to win at home and split on the road to have a decent shot at a wild-card berth. After hosting the Browns, the Jaguars have road games at the Giants and Tennessee.

So Sunday's game is a big game for them. Not only is it a chance for the Jaguars to measure their improvement against the Browns' strong rushing game, it's a must-win if they want to stay in the playoff picture.

TONY GROSSI'S SCOUTING REPORT
Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, 1 p.m. in EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
Record: 5-4.
Last game: Beat Texans, 31-24, Nov. 14.
Coach: Jack Del Rio, 63-62, eighth year.
Series record: Jaguars lead, 8-4.
Last meeting: Browns won, 23-17, Jan. 3, in Cleveland.
Stephen Morton / Associated Press
Only Michael Vick has a better quarterback rating than Jacksonville's David Garrard, although the Jaguars' QB tends to either being sizzling hot or bonechilling cold.

League rankings: Offense is 20th (sixth rushing, 27th passing), defense is 28th (21st rushing, 29th passing) and turnover differential is minus-6.

Offensive overview: They have all the elements of a prolific offense, but lack consistency. David Garrard is a boom-or-bust quarterback. When he is protected, he can be very good. But he can also be very bad when protection breaks down and does not turn negative plays into positive ones. The key to the unit is the offensive line, of course. When things go right, they like to control the clock with running back Maurice Jones-Drew and use his running to set up a passing game around receivers Mike Thomas, who is 5-8, and Mike Sims-Walker. The go-to guy has become 6-6, 275-pound tight end Mercedes Lewis, who leads the team with seven touchdowns. Garrard's 104.9 passer rating is tops in the AFC. He is also the team's second-leading rusher with 131 yards on 32 keepers -- so he runs three or four times a game.

Defensive overview: The loss for the season of Aaron Kampman with a torn knee ligament was a crushing blow. He not only was the leading sacker (with four), but also good in containing the run around his side. The interior line tandem of Terrance Knighton and rookie Tyson Alualu is quite good. They're tough to run against inside.

But teams kill the defense with outside runs. The lack of a pass rush coupled with a disintegrating secondary makes for a bad combination. Second-year cornerback Derek Cox has emerged as the secondary's best player as one-time Pro Bowler Rashean Mathis seems to have lost his game. Former Browns sixth-round draft pick Don Carey is starting at free safety. This is a unit in transition as the club tries to correct past draft mistakes. Six of the 11 starters last week had two years or fewer NFL experience.
Sharon Ellman / Associated Press
As the Cowboys' Dez Bryant learned on this play, Derek Cox has emerged as a steady -- and physical -- cornerback for the Jaguars.

Special teams overview: Kicker Josh Scobee is 14-of-16 in field goals. He is 9-of-10 from 40 yards and longer, including a 59-yard walk-off game-winner. Punter Adam Podlesh is 16th in gross average (44.0 yards) and 14th in net (38.3). The coverage units are outstanding after the pickup of long-time Pro Bowl coverage specialist Kassim Osgood. Rookie kick return Deji Karim has a 25.2-yard average and Mike Thomas averages 10.7 on punt returns.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
• Quarterback David Garrard: Big and mobile, he's taken the lead in the AFC with a 104.9 passer rating following six touchdowns and no interceptions in his last two games. He became the fourth QB in NFL history last week to win a game on a final-play TD pass of 50 or more yards.

• Running back Maurice Jones-Drew: One of the league's most durable pint-sized backs, the 5-7, 208-pounder does not shy from running between the tackles and can scoot around the edge, too. His 745 rushing yards leads the team.

• Tight end Marcedes Lewis: Formerly known for his run-blocking, he's become a big passing target (6-6 and 275 pounds) who can run after the catch. His seven touchdowns trail only Antonio Gates (nine) among NFL tight ends.

Injury report: Defensive end Aaron Kampman (knee) was placed on injured reserve. Receiver Mike Sims-Walker (leg) has appeared on the injury report recently.

Small world: Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker is a Cleveland native and was a Browns assistant coach from 2005-08. ... Running backs coach Earnest Byner played for the Browns 1984-88 and 1994-95. ... Defensive backs coach Cory Undlin was an assistant coach with the Browns 2005-08. ... Defensive back Don Carey was drafted by the Browns in 2009 and was waived/injured. ... Defensive lineman C.J. Mosley played for Browns in 2009 and was cut after '10 training camp. ... General Manager Gene Smith is a native of Monroeville.
-- Tony Grossi

Jacksonville Jaguars paid attention to lessons from Cleveland Browns' January beatdown: Tony Grossi's Scouting Report | cleveland.com

[BernietheKid]

Browns Next Opponent Fighting for Playoffs
RB Maurice Jones-Drew		By The Sports Xchange Posted Nov 15, 2010 | More The Jacksonville Jaguars are just one game back, with the Browns coming to town.
The last time the Jaguars played the Browns, they had nothing at stake and they played as if they didn't. When the Jags play Cleveland on Sunday, they may have their playoff lives at stake. The Jaguars lost to the Browns 23-17 in the 2009 season finale in a game Cleveland led handily before the Jaguars scored a late touchdown. The Browns rushed for 214 yards that day, and the Jaguars finished 7-9. When the teams play Sunday, the stakes will be high for the Jaguars. Coming off a dramatic 31-24 over the Texans, the Jaguars are 5-4 and tied with Tennessee just one game behind the 6-3 Colts in the AFC South. They can't afford a loss to the Browns because four of their final six games are on the road, including a game at the New York Giants and then road games at all three division rivals, the Titans, Colts and Texans. They also hope the way the beat Houston will be a springboard. Houston cornerback Glover Quin batted a Hail Mary pass in the end zone into the arms of Mike Thomas on the final play of regulation. A surprised Thomas caught the 50-yard pass inside the 1-yard -line and walked into the end zone to give the Jaguars a 31-24 victory over the Texans just when it seemed as if the teams were headed for overtime. "Wow, it was crazy. I still can't believe it. That is why it's called the Hail Mary," guard Uche Nwaneri said. "Whether, it s destiny, magic or luck, it's a win. That's a fact. "I've never, ever in my career as a football player seen that play live. I've always seen on ESPN Classics where it works. But I've never been a part of it. "It may well be the start of a storybook season." Thomas said, "What a way to end it, huh? I was a little shocked and stunned." The last time a Jaguars game ended on a Hail Mary pass was in 2002, when Cleveland's Tim Couch threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Quincy Morgan to beat Jacksonville 21-20. It was only the fourth time in NFL history that a regular-season game ended on a game-winning TD pass of 50 yards or more with no time remaining. Two of them took place in Jacksonville games. NOTES, QUOTES LINEUP WATCH: With defensive end Aaron Kampman lost for the season with a torn ACL, Jeremy Mincey, who was scheduled to replace Derrick Harvey on the left side, played for Kampman on the right side even though he has a broken bone in the back of his right hand. Mincey had five tackles and one quarterback hit. Austen Lane played in Harvey's spot for the second game in a row. TRENDING: The Jaguars are making a serious attempt to get their running game going. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 100 yards on 24 carries, his second 100-yard game in a row. On a nine-play, second-quarter touchdown drive that went 52 yards, the Jaguars ran on every play. Jones-Drew ran eight times, including a 3-yard touchdown run, and Rashad Jennings had one run of 8 yards. Scout.com: Browns Next Opponent Fighting for Playoffs

[OconRecon]

I just praying we don't have a let-down game after the last three weeks against the "New's". It sounds like they feel they have a score to settle from last year's season ending loss, as well as playoff hopes on the line.

BUT, Hillis, Dabol, and McCoy have looked pretty darn good for a month now. It does not feel like the days of DA where you could never bank on week-to-week consistency....I'm hoping.

[Enigmatic Evil]

These two teams have played each other with something riding on the line in the past. When we played them last year we were running with a hot defense and a hot running back, this year we have a STABLE defense for once, a breakout running back as opposed to a flash in the pan AND we have an emerging QB. There was a reason we only threw the ball 11 times, wasn't Brady Quinn starting that game? Exactly....

I think this is a game we can't overlook. I expect the team to win, but this Jags team has beaten the Colts this year and they're playing tough football. This should be a good game to watch.

[Greythan]

The coaching staff and vets are going to earn their pay this week. I agree with the notion that we need to NOT see this team as a "lesser" opponent after the four game gauntlet we've just run.

I like the match up, but only if we come out punching.

[Riffer X]

I was a big fan of Don Carey and pissed when Jacksuck snagged him in kind of an unwritten rule violation. He is now starting at FS (granted in a horrific secondary) but this adds a little to this game, as I'm sure Mangie is not too happy about Jax pulling the maneuver they did to snag him.

They also nabbed CJ Mosley, who I thought was a pretty decent backup.

I have thought Jax is by far the most overrated team record wise in the league. They are really bad in the secondary, and I expect the Browns to win this game easily if they are ready to play like they have been. The running game should allow Colt to have a nice throwing day against their porous secondary. Key will be stopping Garrard, basically by keeping him contained in the pocket without all day to throw.

[JewDago]

Originally Posted by BernietheKid

The interior line tandem of Terrance Knighton and rookie Tyson Alualu is quite good. They're tough to run against inside.

But teams kill the defense with outside runs. The lack of a pass rush coupled with a disintegrating secondary makes for a bad combination.

and that's why every team needs a change-of-pace back. if cribbs weren't hurt, i'd say that we should just plug him in for a sweep or toss play, but he is, and there's not really anyone else on the team with speed to the outside.

what i really like about the defensive matchup, though, is that there's no pass rush to contend with. for so long, teams playing the browns have had all day to throw. it'll be great to be on the opposing side of that equation for once, and it'll let us see even more what colt and the receivers can do.

[JewDago]

Originally Posted by Riffer X

I have thought Jax is by far the most overrated team record wise in the league.

the bears are also somehow 6-3. when did that happen?

[OconRecon]

Ok, here's the plan:

Vickers blocks for Hillis, then,
Vickers blocks for Hillis, then,
Vickers blocks for Hillis, then,
Vickers blocks for Hillis, then,
Vickers blocks for Hillis, then,
Vickers blocks for Hillis, then,
Vickers blocks for Hillis, then,
Vickers blocks for Hillis, then,
Vickers blocks for Hillis.

That's it. Let them try and stop it.

[OzDawg]

Can't take them lightly...QB rated second only to Vick this year. They're also pissed we stomped them last year.
Good runnin game... and luck been with them...
Plan well coaches...please

[Enigmatic Evil]

This reminds me a lot of the Kansas City game earlier in the year, a re-match against a team that we beat handedly last season in their home turf. This game isn't going to be easy for us, I think that Jacksonville is one of the more inconsistent teams in the NFL but I also feel they're a perrenial underdog just like us. They're more in the thick of their divisional race than we are, but this is still a big game for both teams. One that we as Browns fans feel that we can win and one that I know the Jags are going to want to win after last year.

I think it's going to be a good one.

[golfer704u]

MJD scares me in this game, but I think our offense and our rookie QB might just have their breakout game here.