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Jacksonville Jaguars from NFL.com
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NFL AFC South 2005 Jacksonville Jaguars
Published: 2005-09-06
2004 record: 9-7
Offense:
The Jaguars offense ranked 21st in the NFL in yards and 29th in points. Running back Fred Taylor, in 14 games, rushed for 1,224 yards (10th in the NFL), a 4.7 avg.(tied 3rd among backs w/ 1,000+ yards), but only 2 rushing touchdowns. Taylor injured his knee (mcl/pcl) late last season and has seen limited time in pre-season, but thus far, Taylor and the knee have looked strong. A scary thought to have so much of the offense leaning on one knee. Wide receiver Jimmy Smith led the team with receptions (74), yards (1,172) and 6 touchdowns and will be joined by sophomore Reggie Williams in the starting lineup but the receivers had too many dropped balls last season. With the 21st pick, the Jaguars selected quarterback Matt Jones (Arkansas) to play wide receiver. Interesting pick. How will the transition go? The athletic Jones (6’6”, 230 lbs., sub 4.4 speed, also played basketball at Arkansas) has great hands, and already thinks like a receiver. Jones brings an instant nightmare match up for any secondary
and could be a great red zone target. Jones could be the steal of the 1st round (Detroit Lions selected wide receiver Mike Williams with the 10th pick). Quarterback Byron Leftwich lost 15 lbs. in off-season training and will continue to make forward strides in his third year, especially with the addition of new offensive coordinator Carl Smith, who’ll add more deep schemes and audibles for Leftwich. Now if the receivers can step up, Leftwich’s passer rating from last year (82.2) should continue to rise. Point production will need to increase. The Jags scored half as many as the Colts did last season.
Defense:
The Jaguars defense ranked 7th in the NFL in points and 11th in yards. Defensive tackles, all-pro Marcus Stroud and John Henderson form one of the top duos inside, and the line improves with the addition of pass rush threat defensive end Reggie Hayward (Denver Broncos). Defensive end Paul Spicer will also return after missing 14 games from a broken leg. The defensive line gets better and remains the strength of the defense. The linebackers remain the same from last season, led by undersized middle linebacker Mike Peterson, who led the team in tackles and tackles for loss. Cornerback Rashean Mathis had a solid year, leading the secondary with 5 interceptions and 21 pass defenses, but the other side will be the target, current starter Kenny Wright (Houston Texans). Wright should be an improvement for departed DeWayne Washington (Kansas City Chiefs). Safeties Donovin Darius and Deon Grant are quality veterans in the secondary.
Overall:
The Jaguars are improved from last year’s team, but the AFC wildcard race will be fierce, and a 10-6 record does not guarantee a playoff spot. Prediction: 2nd in AFC South.
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Betting Odds
| Odds to Win: | |
Open | |
Line | |
Bet365 | |
VipSports | |
BetCris | |
Bodog | |
| Super Bowl XL | |
25/1 | |
25/1 | |
26/1 | |
30/1 | |
n/a | |
22/1 | |
| AFC Conference | |
12/1 | |
12/1 | |
15/1 | |
14/1 | |
n/a | |
8/1 | |
| AFC South | |
7/2 | |
7/2 | |
4.75/1 | |
13/4 | |
n/a | |
4.5/1 | |
(as of 9/06/05)
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2005 Jacksonville Jaguars Schedule
Preseason
WK DATE OPPONENT SCORE
1 Sat, Aug 13 Miami W 27-17
2 Sat, Aug 20 at Tampa Bay W 20-17
3 Thu, Aug 25 Atlanta L 7-23
4 Thu, Sep 1 at Dallas L 20-27
Regular Season Schedule & Results
WK DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET)
1 Sun, Sep 11 Seattle 1:00 PM
2 Sun, Sep 18 at Indianapolis 1:00 PM
3 Sun, Sep 25 at NY Jets 1:00 PM
4 Sun, Oct 2 Denver 1:00 PM
5 Sun, Oct 9 Cincinnati 8:30 PM
6 Sun, Oct 16 at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM
7 BYE WEEK
8 Sun, Oct 30 at St. Louis 1:00 PM
9 Sun, Nov 6 Houston 1:00 PM
10 Sun, Nov 13 Baltimore 1:00 PM
11 Sun, Nov 20 at Tennessee 1:00 PM
12 Sun, Nov 27 at Arizona 4:05 PM
13 Sun, Dec 4 at Cleveland 1:00 PM
14 Sun, Dec 11 Indianapolis 1:00 PM
15 Sun, Dec 18 San Francisco 1:00 PM
16 Sat, Dec 24 at Houston 1:00 PM
17 Sun, Jan 1 Tennessee 4:05 PM
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