NC's Keys To Victory: Jacksonville Jaguars
by Nick Cast on Sep 9, 2010 3:39 AM MDT
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PrintToday is the day. After 8 long, grueling months, football is back and it's about damn time. The season opens tonight with Brett Favre and the Vikings in an NFC Conference rematch against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. That should be a good game, but that's not the game on my mind.The Broncos open up their regular season on Sunday by traveling to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars. This is a must win for Denver. If Denver has a chance of making the playoffs this year, they have to win the first two games of the season. It starts on Sunday against the Jaguars. This is a winnable game. Although, with all of the injuries and lack of cohesion in the offensive line, this game is up in the air. There are keys to winning any game. Lets take a look and unlock the answer to beating the Jaguars.
Let's take a quick glance at the Jags pre season
Week 1: Jaguars vs Eagles: 27-28 L
Top Rusher: Deji Karim 2 carries for 9 yards
Top Receiver: Troy Williamson 2 catches for 101 yards and 1 TD
Week 2: Dolphins vs Jaguars 27-26 L
Top Rusher: Rashad Jennings 3 carries for 26 yards
Top Receiver: Mike Sims Walker 3 catches for 64 yards
Week 3: Jaguars vs Buccaneers 19-13 W
Top Rusher: Brock Bolen 7 carries for 26 yards
Top Receiver: Brock Bolen 4 catches for 40 yards
Week 4 Falcons vs Jaguars 9-13 W
Top Rusher: Chad Kackert 10 carries for 46 yards
Top Receiver: Zack Potter 2 catches for 33 yards
Notable Pre Season Stats
Player Att Comp Yards TD INT Rating
Garrard 49 35 325 1 1 87.5
Player Att Yards Yds/Att TD
Maurice Jones Drew 6 -2 -.03 0
Player Rec Yds Yds/Rec TD
Rashad Jennings 9 70 7.8 0
Mike Sims Walker 8 83 10.4 2
Marcedes Lewis 5 84 16.8 0
Troy Williamson 4 128 32.0 1
These stats really don't mean a whole lot. The only stats that should be noted are Maurice Jones Drew's and David Garrard's. MJD played in just 1 game and has been recovering from an injury ever since. He is going to be on the field on Sunday, but he hasn't taken game snaps since the 1st pre season game. On the other hand, Garrard completed 71 % of his passes and has had flashes of really good football this pre season. He seems to have really solid games, or very average games.
Keys To The Game
Stop Maurice Jones Drew
It's an obvious goal that is so difficult to actually do. MJD is one of the best running backs in football. He is an explosive player capable of getting into the endzone on any play. He is playing behind a below average o-line, yet he is still a dominant force. Last season, he rushed for 1391 yards and 15 touchdowns on a 4.5 yard per carry average. He is also a receiving threat. Last season, he caught 53 passes for 374 yards and 1 TD. This should be a great test for our front 7. We spent a lot of money trying to improve our D-Line so we can stop the run after getting run all over at the end of last season. If we hold MJD to under 100 yards, we have a very, very good chance of winning this game.
Attack the Secondary
In case you didn't know, Jonathan Loesche from Big Cat Country came over here and answered all the questions we had about their team. In this post, I asked him if it was fair to say that the Jags secondary was the biggest concern going into the season. He said yes. The only solid player in their secondary is Rashean Mathis. Other then him, the rest of their secondary is full of questions. This is great news for Kyle Orton who looks to continue his stellar pre season play into the regular season. He should have a very solid day passing the ball.
Attack Garrard
The Bronco o-line isn't the only one full of questions. Other then Eugene Monroe (who looks to have a stellar year), the Jags o-line is full of inconsistency. Here is what Jonathan Loesche had to say:
After Monroe, I don't know. Some uneducated talking heads keep praising RT Eben Britton, but he’s been inconsistent at best. The interior of the offensive line is also an issue. C Brad Meester was really bad last year, but has looked like he might rebound this year. Also, G Vince Manuwai is in year 2 of his recovery from ACL surgery.
There is nothing better then hearing the word "inconsistent" and "tackle" in the same when your talking about an opponent. Ryan McBean and Jason Hunter are RDE and ROLB, respectively. They should both focus on picking on Britton. Jarvis Moss will also get snaps at ROLB. The fact that their C is a question also bodes well for the Broncos. Jamal Williams and Kevin Vickerson are mammoths of men. They should be able to have their way with a so so center. If we collapse the pocket, Garrard is sure to make mistakes.
Give Orton Time
It appears like our starting o-line will be Clady, Daniels, Walton, Kuper, and Beadles when we play the Jags. That means we will be starting 2 rookies and 1 player who is in his 1st year of the system. Let's not forget to mention that Clady is still getting back in the swing of things from his off season injury. Walton has been pretty solid all of season. Beadles played a few snaps at RT in week 4 against the Vikings, but he hasn't taken significant snaps against starting caliber players. Daniels has been a solid run blocking guard, but has struggled at times in pass coverage. This should be a key every single week, but I'm going to put it in this week especially. With so many injuries this summer, Denver's o-line is a big question this week. Jags D-Line is no slouch. Their front consists of Kampman, Alualu, Knighton, and Harvey. They will be applying plenty of pressure. If we can limit that pressure, Orton will give us a great shot at getting our first W.
Special Teams Coverage
The Jags have a couple of solid returners on their team. Deji Karim and Scotty McGee are the primary returners for the Jags. Karim averaged 32.8 yards per kick return. McGee averaged 29.3. If we want to win this game, we can't let Karim run over our special teams. Now, both Karim and McGee were listed on the injury report on Wednesday. So we will see if they play. Karim had limited practice, but McGee didn't practice at all. If McGee isn't able to go, I would kick it to his replacement and keep it away from Karim....or we could just tell Prater to boot it to the back of the endzone and not worry about any returner.
Key Match ups
Maurice Jones Drew vs Jamal Williams, Justin Bannan, and Ryan McBean
The Jaguars are pretty easy to figure out. If you stop MJD, you have a very good chance at winning. David Garrard is a pretty average QB. Without MJD, the Jags offense is quite unspectacular. MJD is coming off of an injury. He hasn't seen any snaps since the 1st pre season game. We need to shut down MJD early and force Garrard to try and beat us. Jamal and McBean in particular will need to take advantage of their rather average opposition.
Marcedes Lewis vs Whoever Guards Him.
Ask any Jag fan and they will tell you Marcedes Lewis is poised for a break out year. He is a player who can kill you all day if you don't cover him. Jarvis seems like the logical choice since they match up physically. Marcedes Lewis is one of Garrard's favorite targets. Marcedes is the only receiver that I can see having a big game if we don't have a game plan for him.
Despite talk that Kampman is too old or has lost a step, he is still a very good pass rusher. Kampman can still wreak havoc on the quarterback. Clady is coming off his injury and his first opponent is not an easy one. This will be a great test to see how far Clady is in his recovery.
Here again are your keys to victory against the Jags: Stop MJD, Attack the Secondary, Attack Garrard, Give Orton Time, and Special Teams Coverage. If we can do those things in any capacity, we will win this game. I see us coming out of Jacksonville with a W. However, this is not an easy game. Denver is a team that is widely overlooked, but so is Jacksonville. They have some real talent there and if we aren't careful, they can win this game. Our #1 key to this game is to stop MJD in some capacity. Do not underestimate Jacksonville. If our run D hasn't improved, or if our o-line is as bad as some fear, we are in trouble.
Until next time MHR.
This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR
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Cut off the head...the body dies!
MJD is the “head” of this offense. Without him running effectively, it lessens Garrard’s effectiveness! There goes the offense!
"Attitude reflects Leadership" Hogblog...aka KSM
there you go Hogblog
cut MJD and we have a VERY good chance of winning, although stopping MJD is way easier said then done.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
After watching McDaniels Wednesday presser...
I had to vote “attack the secondary”. McDaniels gave credit where credit was due, but he smells the opportunity there. I think stopping MJD, and our O-line holding up are going to be the things that EVERYBODY is looking at… but our Defense has been surprisingly stout in the Redzone. If we can attack that secondary and land some big throws its going to quiet that crowd and give us a great chance at outscoring them. I really think this is going to be a very violent game. Every team needs to generate a ground game and both of these teams have a lot to prove in that area. I think it will be a nasty fight in the trenches – but ultimately will be decided by who makes the successful shots downfield when they get dialed up – as very few may be.
"It is better to be rougly right than precisely wrong." - John Maynard Keynes
I agree,
If we pass and score consistently they will abandon the run and that way you take out MJD and their offense. Garrard will be passing against our good secondary.
by OrangeBroncos on Sep 9, 2010 7:50 AM MDT up reply actions
I watched the presser too
McD seemed to butter up the Jags IMO. MJD and O-line are very important but I wouldn’t be surprised if the first play of the regular season was a deep post by Eddie Royal. We need to attack the secondary. Orton should be able to pick it apart like a Thanksgiving turkey. I predict at least 300+ yards for him on Sunday with an opportunity for 400.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
“Their front consists of Kampman, Alualu, Knighton, and Harvey.”
You say this like Denver should be worried about this group. All I see is an aging cast off, a overdrafted rookie, a so-so DT and a another very overdrafted DE.
Unfortunately for Denver, we’ll be playing better front sevens most weeks after week 1.
Denver: 32-32 until we're not.
Well
Every player over 30 who transfers teams is often called a “cast off”. Kampman can still be effective. Alualu and Harvey might have been overdrafted, but that doesn’t mean they suck. It just means they went higher then they should have gone. Alualu and Harvey have both had nice pre seasons. They both had sacks. They can rush the pass rusher and shouldn’t be overlooked just because Jags drafted them before they should have gone. I have no counter to “a so so DT”. Knighton is a so so DT lol
Jags D-Line isn’t that spectacular, but they are going against our injured, recuperating o-line and that makes them more dangerous then they probably are.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Kampman is an absolute stud...
… and probably a top-5 passrusher in the league over the past 3-5 years.
That said, everyone else on the Jax D-line is mediocre and/or really young and unknown.
Its actually a fairly nice start for the rookie oline, as I’m more afraid of complex 3-4/4-3 zone blitz schemes and wiley veteran dirty tricks causing problems than I am about the oline getting overpowered. My nightmare would be a 1st game against Pitt/Balt/Philly/NOLA/NYJ where a blitz (or at least zone-blitz) is coming basically every play, but the oline has to puzzle out where from….
The Jax scheme is more straightup. Their DTs and Harvey are young, physical players that can overpower folks… but they really aren’t that different than the better players our oline faced in college.
Kampman on the otherhand… though he’s schedule to line up against Clady, I would not be surprised to see him moved to LDE and challenge Beadles on the strongside… and that could get ugly as Kampman pulls out 8+ years of dirty tricks and sneaky technques he’s picked up in the NFL to make our young’uns look silly…. If Harris was back, I’d stick Graham next to Beadles to give a little extra chip on passing plays, but with Clady potentially still a bit slow in his backpedal, we may need to protect his outside while he gets to game speed… which basically means we could see a lot of 2 TE sets….
Kampman
didn’t fit the Packs move to the 3-4. Now that he’s back at end, he will give opposing QB’s nightmares. That man is not to be taken lightly.
by PaleHorse78 on Sep 10, 2010 12:04 AM MDT up reply actions
Agreed
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood..."
by Alan_Smithee on Sep 10, 2010 10:23 AM MDT up reply actions
Along wih tying to contain MJD
we’ll need to do a great job on both the tight end as you mention and backs out of the backfield. Our OLB’s will be tested on sunday.
It's "just" football
yes they will
This is a huge test for our D-Line. If we can stop MJD, it will bode well for the rest of the season when we play some very good RB’s (Chris Johnson, Shonn Greene, Jamaal Charles, Ryan Matthews).
We have to watch out for Marcedes Lewis. He is certainly capable of the big play and MJD can make big plays by catching the ball out of the backfield. Great opportunity for Ayers/Hunter to shine.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Stopping MJD is the biggest key....
with attacking the secondary a close 2nd.
The biggest factor (I believe) is MJD as a dump-off and screen receiver. If we focus too much attention on him as a runner, we may get burned. Our BIG LB crew to stop the run can’t keep up with him if he gets outside…..Do we have a DE that can contain him?? I’m not sure.
I imagine he will do some damage as a perimeter receiver, but we can still limit the gains with our great secondary coming up to make the tackl if need be.
Offensively, if we go to the air, we should be able to win this game. I think KM and Buck will have a good game and keep them honest at the line….I wouldn’t be surprised if we have 6 WR on the active list. Willis’ speed could be invaluable in this game, and I think Mathis will be focused on Gaff.
I think we win this game! Go BRONCOS!!
Officially on record with a 10-6 prediction for 2010! (8/21/10)
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
John Adams
MJD is a dangerous receiving running back. His stats have been very consistent since his rookie year. He is a dangerous screen and dump off guy. It’s something I am sure McD is preparing our guys for those passes. I would like to start seeing some of this “attacking” mindset that we have heard about all off season. Lets get to the QB and force Garrard into making his mistakes. If we limit ours and improve the chances of their mistakes, we should come out with the W.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
This game will be each team's offensive strength
against the other team’s most glaring defensive weakness. Could be a high-scoring affair.
QPU # 2.
could be high scoring for 1 team
I think we will take this easily myself.
21-10 Broncos
daaayuuuuum! you gonna take that KB?!? lol -Broncs55
Absolutely not. KB is a function of aggression and rage, the derivative of which can be traced back to my childhood.-KentuckyBronco
PS3 ID: KoRnHo|ed
I hope that you are right, but we are on the road and we have always struggled against the Jags for one reason or another.
I’ll say 27-24 Broncos, but this one could go either way.
Oh I'm not saying a close tight game isn't possible
afterall… it’s 20 degrees warmer in Jacksonville than it is in Denver right now…. that alone will take it out of our guys. But being the first game, I think adrenaline for our starters will overcome that. I know every player is licking their chops, and toe to toe we are far more talented of a team in my biased opinion.
I think we will contain MJD. I also think Gerrard won’t have much fun, as our DB’s will cover long enough for us to pressure him. I say Ayers will be getting his first statistical sack recorded, and I sense a interception for one of our DB’s. Probably the nickel corner.
My crystal ball also predicts that Gatorade will be in abundance, and Tebow won’t see much action other than a couple plays. Afterall, short yardage (3rd and 1, 3rd and 2) have killed us in the past. I also see Royal getting a touchdown, however only having about 25-30 yards. Every receiver will be solid contributers with a lot of medium gains. Knowshon will keep them in place with 3 to 4 yard gains.
My crystal ball also says that the Jaguars cheerleaders will be in midseason form, and my eyes will be on them at least 1/3rd of the game. :D
Hope this information helps… and sorry if me and my crystal ball have spoiled the game at all for you. :(
Again… 21-10 Denver
daaayuuuuum! you gonna take that KB?!? lol -Broncs55
Absolutely not. KB is a function of aggression and rage, the derivative of which can be traced back to my childhood.-KentuckyBronco
PS3 ID: KoRnHo|ed
It could be
but I don’t think it will be. Our secondary is one of the best so they won’t be beating us through the air all that much. Their D-Line is good, but not stand out like our secondary is. I see us winning this game 24-13.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Good stuff, Nick
In all honesty, the Jags are one of the worst teams in the NFL. I can’t even sugar coat it. They are competing for the top pick in next year’s draft. That being said, the Broncos need to know that even though the Jaguars are not in the upper echelon of NFL teams, they cannot take this game lightly. Hang 30 on these guys, and win by three scores. 30-13, 30-17, something like that.
If the Broncos struggle with Jacksonville, I will give a little wiggle room in my criticism because of injuries, but this game favors Denver, no matter how good MJD is. He is not 100 percent, and knee injuries are not only scary to play with, they are not easy to come right back from.
The Broncos should blow Jacksonville out, but I’ll let the playing do the talking.
follow me on Twitter: @Sayre_Bedinger
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yep....that's for real
I agree, but of course, W Paige at DP says they’re a wild card contender. ridiculous.
Always remember Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.
-- Shug Jordan
by Orange and Blue on Sep 9, 2010 9:57 AM MDT up reply actions
yeah.... well the MSM is also saying that
either the Chiefs or the Faiders will be in the playoffs this year.
My take on it is our team has the best chance. I’m not so sure we are underrated as much as we are just flat out forgotten about.
daaayuuuuum! you gonna take that KB?!? lol -Broncs55
Absolutely not. KB is a function of aggression and rage, the derivative of which can be traced back to my childhood.-KentuckyBronco
PS3 ID: KoRnHo|ed
it’s like they have already moved past McD and pile Tebow-think (going no where QB) into the junk yard of “nothing of relevance to see here”.
Always remember Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.
-- Shug Jordan
by Orange and Blue on Sep 9, 2010 10:22 AM MDT up reply actions
we've already been "nothing of relevance"
for several years. We definitely were last year and shocked the world the first 6 games.
daaayuuuuum! you gonna take that KB?!? lol -Broncs55
Absolutely not. KB is a function of aggression and rage, the derivative of which can be traced back to my childhood.-KentuckyBronco
PS3 ID: KoRnHo|ed
He must be thinking of the Jags of old
follow me on Twitter: @Sayre_Bedinger
Check me out on Facebook also
XBox LIVE gamer tag as suggested by XBox: SoppiestKibbles
yep....that's for real
by Sayre Bedinger on Sep 9, 2010 10:39 AM MDT up reply actions
Thanks Sayre
but can you tell me how you REALLY feel? lol I probably talked up the Jags more then they deserve. I don’t think they are very good on paper, but they have talented people. MJD, Marcedes Lewis, and Mike Sims Walker are solid offensive players. Their D-Line is capable of doing some damage, but overall, I think we are just the more talented team. We SHOULD come out with a W, but anything can happen in football.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
One Caveat
I don’t understand the popular thought that the first two games are must wins in order to make the playoffs. The fact is, we will lose some we shouldn’t and win some we shouldn’t. To me what is far more important than who we are playing is what kind of momentum are we gaining as the year progresses and how are we finishing. That more than anything will decide our playoff potential IMO.
I say we have to win the first 2 games
because our schedule is set up the way it is.
Jax and Seattle are our first 2 games. Very winnable games.
Now, look at the next 4 games:
Indy, @Ten, @ Bal, NYJ,
All these teams are very good, playoff caliber teams. I am very pessimistic in our chances to beat Indy or Bal. They are SO talented.
Tennessee and NYJ are winnable, but they will be very tough games.
Lets assume the worst and say we lose all 4. That is half of the total losses we had in 09 in just 6 games. If we don’t win the 1st 2 games then that puts us at 1-5 or 0-6. Do you like our odds of winning 9 out of 10 games against the likes of OAK, SF, KC, SD, STL, KC, ARI, OAK, HOU, SD. I don’t.
Now, if we win the first 2 games, then lose the next 4, that puts us at 2-4 and we have to win 7 our of 10 in order to make playoffs. Stiff odds, but way easier to do then 9. If we can win 1 or 2 out of that tough 4 game stretch, I really like our odds of going 9-7
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
I agree Nick to a point
I just think that regardless of schedule, if we are not competitive and unable to take it to the teams on our schedule, then we shouldn’t be in the playoffs. It is not so much about taking advantage of so called “soft” spots in our schedule, but being a consistently tough (from start to finish) team, regardless of who we play.
I’m not trying to say that schedule doesn’t matter, it is just that playoff teams find a way to overcome the perceptions inherent in their schedules. When was the last time a subpar team made it to the playoffs because of their weak schedule. I think it is rare at best. Good teams advance.
I see what your saying
I would rather see consistent play the whole season long then see a team that strikes lightening but fades out over time. It’s about time Denver found some stability.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
Perceptions of subpar...
… and superior teams are often extremely biased DUE to strength of schedule.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking the top 12 performing teams make the playoffs every year… its simply completely and totally untrue. An 8-8 team that missed the playoffs, but had the AFCS as a non-conference opponents (Indy, HOU, Tenn and Jax) may have been a much better team than an 11-5 playoff team who got to play the NFCW (AZ, SF, StL, and Sea)….
Likewise
The second-place finisher in the AFC South could well be at 8-8 due to the brutal in-division games, but might be a better team than another team with a better record that plays in a cupcake division.
by BroncosBassist on Sep 10, 2010 5:26 AM MDT up reply actions
yep
What confuses people sometimes is the games against those 8-8 teams. Its not generally the “elite” teams that skew peoples perceptions… its the mediocre to good ones.
Last year for instance. Neither HOU nor Pitt were playoff teams… but both were good. Playing those 2 teams is very different than playing NYJ (good DEF, but not a great team last year due to bad QB play) and Miami (decent team, but not as good as HOU or Pitt lasgt year)… and often its not even that close because rather than NYJ/MIA, they really played Jax and Buff… the record difference between HOU/Pitt and Jax/Buff may not be extreme, but the likelihood of winning is VERY different. A decently good (borderline playoff) teams should beat Jax/Buff maybe 75% of the time… but even an elite team like Indy probably only beats Hou/Pitt 60% of the time… for a similar borderline playoff quality team, its probably a coinflip.
Basically, schedule is huge in the NFL. Footballoutsiders is high on KC this year not so much because they think KC will be super improved, but rather that they think marginal changes to KC/Den/SD will make all those games competitive (roughly 50-50), and KC’s other opponents are comparative cupcakes (dregs of divisions vs. top-2).
(BTW: here is where I have a big disagreement with FOutsiders… they have KC, SD, and DEN all projected at between 8 to 9 wins…. yet because of <1 game difference in projection, they forget that all those division games are basically coinflips and they talk about KC as being this potentially great team, while Denver is talked about like we’re StL… that narrative is simply not supported by the data).
100% agree AR. WE should be competitive in all games. Win the ones we should win and play tough in the close ones. Schedule matters not. Take it...dont rely on others to do your work for you.
You, my friend, are proof you dont need to have big floppy feet and a red nose to be a clown!
"I actually watched the World Cup. I HATE baseball. Hockey’s over. Hey, at least we have the WNBA. Oh, man. I’m making a noose. Want one?"
Harv Neptune.
One nit
Maybe not such a nit. If Eben Britton is the RT, then the left end of our front-7 will be the ones attacking him. Maybe Robert Ayers and his new-found rush moves can make him beg for some help. Doesn’t hurt that he’ll also be looking across at Justin Bannan.
Thanks for the write-up, by the way!
Sorry to come in with criticism. Uncalled for.
Can’t wait for Sunday.
by BroncosBassist on Sep 9, 2010 10:45 AM MDT up reply actions
I appreciate you pointing that out
Thanks. I don’t know why I got it wrong lol
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
I confuse myself on RE vs. LT all the time.
In fact, I had to double-check myself a couple times before I posted so I wouldn’t come across as a moron. And an ass. :)
by BroncosBassist on Sep 9, 2010 2:07 PM MDT up reply actions
I never was good with left and right
All that matters is up and down, and getting into that endzone! haha
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
The real key to victory?
That’s easy: We need to score more points than they do!
Seriously, though, every game is a chess match. Each team tries to play to their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. That is what makes this game difficult to predict. The Jags strength is running the ball, which happens to be our weakness. On paper, this does not look good for us. On the other side, our running game is suspect, so we will be trying to attack their defensive weakness through the air. Overall, we balance out.
The key will be which team manages to minimize the strength of the other. If we can control the Jags ground game, their offense will be forced to throw the ball, which plays to our strength. While we had trouble doing that in the pre-season, we were not at full strength in those games. With our starters back on the field I have confidence that we will be able to stop the run enough to disrupt what the Jags want to do.
My prediction: Broncos 24, Jags 17
Very nicely put
I believe we will be able to minimize the damage MJD will do and we will come out with the W. So far, our defense has been a “bend but don’t break”. That’s good in the sense that Jacksonville is a bad red zone team, which happens to be where our defense is best this season.
I see us winning 24-13
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
I voted attack Garrard.
He will make mistakes if pressured. Even though their attack is centered on running the ball, if we make them one dimensional they’ll fold as we’ll be able to scheme to limit lanes for MJD.
Three and outs followed by long marches by Orton and a stifling special teams play equals our first win of the season.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. A. Einstein
Very nicely put
Garrard is an average QB. He is prone to mistakes when he doesn’t have enough time in the pocket. The more pressure, the more opportunities for our secondary.
Last Name: Ever, First Name: Greatest
Nobody Runs On The Denver Broncos
Xbox360 gamertag: SnipeMeHarder
You beat me to it Nick
My weekly UFR Preview comes out Friday. Nice work.
Character may be manifested in the great moments but it is made in the small ones -- Philip Brooks
My ship finally came in, but it was the Kobayashi Maru.
You'll all be happy to know that I played this game last night in Madden
The good guys came out on top 23-7. It’s realistic, too, because they gathered more yards than us, but we stiffened in the red zone as we’ve done in the preseason. And Knowhon only ran for 3.3 average carry. Buckhalter played well, I think that he averaged 7 yards per carry.
They missed one field goal and we stopped them early in the third on a fourth and inches clinging to a 13-7 lead.
McBean had two sacks and Bannan added another and we picked off Garrard twice.
So there you have it, we win easily. Yay. :)
It takes neither courage nor intelligence to cheer for a team only when that team wins. The true test of a fan's mettle is the same as it is for a player: Were you there when you were needed?
aka Solace
Nice write up Nick
Very realistic in your assesments.
I went with give Orton time and here’s why: When you can lead a scoring drive through passing in 2:00 min. A run first offense can rarely catch up. The Colts record against the Jags is proof.
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Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Cliff Avril didn’t mean that thing he said about other teams contacting him
- From Cam to RGIII, and the weird psychology of draft analysis
- UCLA comes down with a case of Tebowmania
- Ellen tries to get Kate Upton to confirm Mark Sanchez is her boyfriend
- Sore loser Bully Ray spits beer in the face of Brandon Jacobs
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