One of the hottest questions in Jacksonville must be, which team will show up this year - the one that unraveled at the end of last year or the 12-4 squad in 2005?
It really all comes down to the consistency and health of Byron Leftwich. I mean when he’s good, he’s really good and when it goes bad for him, he just looks awful. He’s in a contract year so that, along with an ankle that finally got the surgery it needed, should make for more focus. The Jags do have the powerhouse little man in RB Maurice Jones-Drew. Man, can that kid bulldoze through a defense. And don’t forget about - though I know you will - Fred Taylor who is the least talked about RB to ever rush for over 10,000 yards in NFL history. WR Matt Jones is a superstar waiting to happen but we’ll have to see if they can get any of the other receivers to become consistent playmakers.
There’s that word again - consistency!
One area you don’t have to worry about consistency is the defense. One of the most physical D’s in the NFL is back for another year of punishment. With a D-Line boasting Marcus Stroud, Marcellus Wiley, and Reggie Hayward, they will stuff a lot of running attacks this fall. They picked up a fast, hard-hitting safety in Reggie Nelson from the University of Florida who should make an immediate impact.
The Jags always start out great at home in the month of September. This combined with a favorable schedule makes me think the Jags are due to make some noise this year. Head Coach Jack Del Rio is a competitor who couldn’t stand what happened in the final month last year. Look for him to keep the Jags focused much more in 2007.
All in all, we’ll just have to see if Leftwich can stay healthy and not get into the habit of throwing of his back foot. If he conquers these two demons the Jags will make a good run at the AFC playoffs!
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