So, really, what has happened?

Head Coach Jack Del Rio must be getting the same question from reporters. In his post-Titan loss press conference, Del Rio said, “What we’re left with is each other.” You don’t even have to hear how the words were said to feel the real impact of them.

There are problems at almost every position. These problems affect the ability of the other positions. That is how the game of football is. It is a team sport. If your offensive line misses a block your quarterback is going to get rushed and/or sacked. That means that sometimes he has to throw the ball before a receiver is open or has the ability to catch the ball. This leads to a lot of dropped passes or even interceptions. All because one guy missed a block. Maybe that guy only missed that block but the guy next to him got beat another time. And another guy another time. Maybe once or twice the quarterback fails to look down the field. There could be a lot of reasons for that, too. Maybe he is rattled because he has to make sure the offensive line isn’t getting beat. Maybe he doesn’t have confidence in his receivers. Maybe he just messes up. It leads to your quarterback having a 13 of 30 for 135 yard game and a 1-4 record at home.

This is no different on defense. Del Rio pointed out the relationship out in the same post-loss press conference:

“The guys in the back, their job gets a lot easier if the quarterback is getting knocked around, as our guy was,” Del Rio said.

Yeah. Kerry Collins got off two really good passes. Drayton Florence was completely dominated by one of them. However, you know what could have given Florence a better chance? A pass rush. That was supposed to be a problem solved in this year’s draft. To put it simply: it wasn’t.

So what is the problem with the Jaguars?

Everyone messes up just enough to lose games. You can’t place the blame completely on the quarterback, the running backs, the secondary, the wide receivers, the lines.

The Jaguars are a team. And they are losing because of it.

Titan Sized: What is the status of defensive captain Mike Peterson? It sounds as though both he and the team feel like his playing time there has already come to a close. Has the team really decided to go in another direction at MLB?

Jeanne: Mike Pete is a wonderful, awesome person that really gets his team going. Unfortunately, he is ancient in football years. You know how that goes. It happens to everyone eventually. He’s in the last year of his contract and he has been vocal about getting it changed but they haven’t renegotiated yet. I am afraid he is going to go the way of Donavan Darius. Daryl Smith and Mike Pete have been in a competition for the starting job and Smith proved how valuable he was when the Jags took on the Lions. Smith had a sack and a half and seven tackles in that game alone. It is going to be a hard season for Mike Pete.  

UPDATE: I just found out that Jack benched Mike Pete indefinitely. So there you go.

TS: At this point in the season, it looks as though there may still be one AFC wild card spot up for grabs between these three teams (that is, assuming the second place team in theAFC North or one of the four teams in the AFC East take at least the first one): theIndianapolis Colts (5-4), the San Diego Chargers (4-5) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5). As I’m even typing this, I’m having a difficult time seeing any way that the Jags could sneak in, as they are currently staring up at six teams. Again, anything can happen, as we still have almost half of the season left, but do you honestly see any path for your beloved Jags to the playoffs?

Jeanne: By losing to both the Browns and the Bengals, the Jaguars left their playoff hopes in the hands of all the other teams in the AFC. The only way they can even hope to show at the wild card spot is by winning all our remaining games (not an easy task) while the rest of the AFC takes a nose dive. Of course, a girl can hope but I am not holding my breath.

TS: I hate to say it, but we were right about head coach Jack Del Rio in our Titans team preview waaaaay back in August. You know what? I’ll save you the trouble of finding that one in your bookmarks:

“Jacksonville Jaguars: If there is a team that we hate any more than the Colts, it may very well be the Jags. They are also a young team, and players like Garrard, MJD, and the two rookies Harvey and Groves will be productive for years to come, but your coach is an idiot and needs to go. Hopefully him and that stupid suit will be on the hot seat if this team under performs this year. That thing looks like it’s straight off the Men’s Warehouse sale rack. Reebok should be ashamed. He makes Mike Nolan look like Frank Sinatra.”

So, aside from all of the nasty (accurate) jabs, and not to rub it in (too much), but would you not agree that this ball club has been a major disappointment thus far? What do you think Del Rio’s future is? Will he be given a pass for this year given all of the injuries and the off-field tragedy involving Richard Collier? Does he still “have the troops”?

Jeanne: Del Rio just got his contract extended before this season started, he isn’t going anywhere. There are a lot of excuses for the Jaguars’ record, especially when not all that much has changed since last year. Unfortunately, this whole thing is really disheartening. The losses got stacked on top of injuries on top of “Big Rich” and the Jags just had a weak start. I think we will have to wait until next year to judge Del Rio’s future.

TS: What areas, if any, do you see the Jaguars capable of being effective against the Titans?

Jeanne: Well, I am of the opinion that the reason we started off slow is because both lines were not performing up to standards. That is why the only teams we’ve been able to run on are the teams ranked at the bottom of run defense. Honestly, I think that the one advantage that we have is Garrard. He has gone back to last year’s form in the last few weeks, despite the offensive line letting him get touched or rushed far too often.

TS: When is “Classy” Matt Jones going to be reprimanded by the NFL for, um… what was it again? And when is Jerry Porter going to earn his paycheck for, um… playing football again?

Jeanne: I don’t think a Titans fan can go after another team’s wide receivers, sheesh. I am just glad that Matt Jones didn’t get suspended for the Titans game. I really don’t know what is taking them so long. Jones appealed the suspension but usually it doesn’t take three weeks for the appeal do go through. He should have been gone for the Browns, Bengals and Lions games. I know we lost two of those three games but we have much harder games coming up so it would have been nice if he was absent for the softer part of our schedule.  Also, Jerry Porter AND Troy Williamson caught touchdown passes against the Lions. So. Um. Maybe they will be performing better? … haha, yeah.

TS: The Jags were a lot of critics’ picks to take that next step and make it to the Super Bowl this year. They had a stellar one-two combo at running back. They had a QB who could manage football games quite effectively. They had a defense that was nasty, and was primed to get even nastier with the addition of rookies Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves. So, in your best estimation, what the f happened? What do you think the Jaguars need to address in order to become a legitimate threat in the AFC again?

Jeanne: I have been wondering what happened all season! My theory is that it is just a bunch of small things that lead to one or two mistakes that cost us everything. A few mistakes and some bad luck combined with frustrations, a new defensive coordinator and an injured offensive line. That is the Jaguars’ losing record cocktail. The Lions game last week was the first game all season where the game wasn’t decided in under seven points. Maybe with things righting themselves they will find themselves in a better situation when the end of the season comes but, as I said above, the rest of the AFC wild card teams have to start losing.

And finally, what’s your prediction for the game?

Jaguars

John Henderson (knee), Greg Jones (ankle) and Troy Williamson (groin) did not practice either Wednesday or Thursday. In the case of Jones and Williamson, it looks like old injuries are giving them problems.

Both Matt Jones (thigh) and Paul Spicer (thigh) saw limited practice. Matt Jones is still not suspended for his drug charge because he is appealing the suspension. What else can I say? At least he is with us this week but it would be nice to plan for the three games he won’t be with us. 

Rashean Mathis (foot) and Fred Taylor (neck) did not practice Wednesday but had full participation in today’s practice.

Justin Durant (rib) and Pierson Prioleau (foot) saw full participation in both practices.

Titans

Eugene Amano (knee), Keith Bulluck (chest), Michael Griffin (illness), Jason Jones (foot), Justin McCareins (concussion) and Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin) did not practice on either day.

Nick Harper (ankle) did not practice Wednesday but had limited practice on Thursday.

Amhard Hall (concussion) saw limited practice during both days. 

A look at the competition: 

New York Jets’ THOMAS JONES rushed for 149 yards and three
touchdowns on 26 carries in the Jets’ 47 – 3 win over the St.
Louis Rams.

 Jacksonville’s MAURICE JONES-DREW posted three touchdowns on
three consecutive possessions rushing 11 times for 70 yards in the
Jaguars’ 38 – 14 win over the Detroit Lions.

 Minnesota’s ADRIAN PETERSON rushed for 192 yards and one
touchdown on 30 attempts in the Vikings’ 28 – 27 win over the
Green Bay Packers.

If you’re not going for the homer vote, it could be a tough call. I want to eliminate Thomas Jones from my list because, really… the Rams? But you’d have to use the same logic with Maurice’s three touchdowns against the Lions. If I was being entirely honest here, Adrian Peterson probably deserves it more because he was close to 200 yard against a better team than both Maurice Jones-Drew and Thomas Jones.

But who needs honesty? Safe Kids in Jacksonville needs 1,000 dollars! 

You can vote for Maurice here.

They were both ejected from the game and as he left, Big John blew a kiss at the crowd. This stirred up some problems in the meeting room and was one of many events that led Coach Jack Del Rio to crack down on fun. The NFL fined Henderson 15,000 dollars for the fight. It seems like it would stop at that, doesn’t it?

Well, the NFL earns the nickname “No Fun League” this time. The league is looking into fining the other Jaguars who were trying to break up the fight. It is basically looking into fining all of the Jaguars defensive guys on the field at the time. Many of them were trying to break up the fight, as you can see in that youtube video. However, being in the area at the time can subject you to a fine.

Paul Spicer doesn’t agree with that verdict:

“There’s a big difference if you are actively involved or if you are breaking it up,” said Spicer, who contends he was restoring order. “You can’t go off and say you’re going to fine everybody.”

“There are a lot of guys in the area and one [Whitworth] has no helmet on. I grabbed John to take him to the sideline. What if the guy without the helmet got head-butted? And they say they’re going to fine everybody? That’s ridiculous, it’s wrong and they need to revamp that rule.”

Spicer has a point, I think. Spicer, Brian Williams, Reggie Nelson, Gerald Sensabaugh, Rashean Mathis, Daryl Smith, Derrick Harvey and Rob Meier are all facing fines. Mathis doesn’t even come over to the area until after the fight has been broken up.

I don’t know the extent of the fine or if the Bengals involved are facing fines as well (one would have to assume they are). Fights are rare in the NFL and I guess the threat of a fine keeps most players away. Good thing Harvey got that loaded contract, huh?

The AFC South is not the division it was last year, that much is obvious and is something I have repeated more than once over the course of the season. However, this isn’t a bad thing. While the Colts, the Jaguars and the Texans leave something to be desired (much like the rest of the AFC) the Titans are the strongest team in the league. Yes, they are better than the New York Giants and it isn’t just because the Titans are undefeated. The Titans are just plain old dominating. If you’re the type to feel that “we play in a hard division” pride, the AFC South measures up to the NFC East in a lot of ways. Too bad they are probably only sending one team to the playoffs this year.

Houston Texans (3-6)

Looking back: The Ravens made the Texans look silly. The Ravens scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. This was due in part because Sage Rosenfels seemed to think that Ray Lewis was a Texan. The Texans had four turnovers and they were all because Rosefels made mistakes. These two stats together say everything: Sage threw for almost 300 yards and the final score was 41-13. Something just isn’t right there.

Looking forward: You’ll never be a respectable NFL team if you have a dude named Sage heading up your offense, especially if you’re talking on a Manning on their turf next week. On the plus side, the Texans are out of the post-season race so if they are vying for a good draft pick a loss to the Colts would be a good thing!

Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

Looking back: Last week I wasn’t sure if the Colts had found their groove yet. This week I am entirely convinced that Bob Sanders really was as important to the defense as everyone made him out to be. The Colts have two very tough, deserved wins next to their names from the last two weeks and they have won those games in the traditional Colts fashion. They have come from behind for an exciting win. If they can keep this up, they will deserve their wild card spot.

Looking forward: The Colts take on the bruised and battered Texans next week. This is their second match up of the season and Sage Rosenfels may hand the game away once again. The Texans are weird, though. They may embarrass themselves against a team like the Ravens but the fight their divisional games hard. However, the Colts have their groove back so I can really see them steamrolling over the Texans, despite Houston’s best efforts.

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

Looking back: The Jaguars have finally won a game they were supposed to win and they did it in a convincing fashion. This is the first game all season that wasn’t decided within seven points. The only downside? It was the Lions. Every stat has to be taken with a grain of salt. However, the Jaguars were so far ahead the Cleo Lemon made a few very unconvincing drives down the field. It probably felt good being David Garrard on the sideline knowing you would be hit anymore that day.

Looking forward: The Jaguars may feel energized after their dominance of the Lions. Unfortunately for them, they are taking on the undefeated Tennessee Titans at home this week. The last time these two teams played, the Titans put the Jaguars’ offensive line on the PUP list. Will David Garrard be protected? Can the run game get established? Can they stop the run? Can they stop Kerry Collins from tearing them a new one in the secondary? All these questions must be answered this week for them to even come close to winning.

Tennessee Titans (9-0)

Looking back: The Titans/Bears game promised to give each team a little bit of challenge because they just seemed to match up oddly together. Look at the running stats for the Titans. They had 20 yards on 29 carries. The Bears made Kerry Collins prove himself and that is exactly what he did. He threw for almost 300 yards with no turnovers. Where are the Titans’ weak points? Well, maybe we will see before the season is over.

Looking forward: The Titans take on a lackluster Jaguars team in Jacksonville. All the Titans have to do is keep doing what has been working for them. The game was very close last time these two teams played but that was with Vince Young starting. I honestly have no idea what to expect from this game. Obviously, the NFL thought it would be interesting enough to change the time from 1:00 to 4:15. If you have the opportunity to watch it, I suggest you do. This will be a game for fans of the teams and fans of the game alike.

Mike Pete is probably missing the game against Detroit because of his actions. However, if these talks go well he will be allowed to play. However, no one knows what “talks going well” actually mean or what will happen if they don’t go well. Peterson is on the last year of his contract, and he is getting old by NFL standards, so you can imagine how he feels about this whole situation.

More light has come to the situation regarding Peterson’s ejection from the meeting:

Instead of staying silent during the meeting, as Del Rio had requested, Peterson defended himself by saying he was just trying to bring some energy to the team. Del Rio was agitated by the explanation and wanted none of the back-and-forth that continued between himself and the linebacker. Peterson was excused from the meeting. When Peterson reported for practice a short time later, he was told to go back home by Del Rio, one source said.

This seems very juvenile on the part of both parties but when your team is 3-5 I suppose men can regress into children. Both men have points. Del Rio doesn’t want his men to behave disresepectfully when they are down several touchdowns and one of their critical linemen just got tossed from the game. Peterson thought that he would bring some enegry back to the defense. In Peterson’s favor, the defense did not allow a single point in the second half.

There just seems to be a ton of bad news coming out of Jacksonville this week. With all these distractions, it will be a wonder if the Jaguars pull out a convincing win against the Lions.

Update from Jaguars.com:

The Mike Peterson saga ended on Friday and the Jaguars said they’ve turned their full attention toward Sunday’s game in Detroit.

“I’m 100 percent behind my coach and my teammates, ready to do what I need to do to get a win,” Peterson told reporters shortly after Friday’s practice. Peterson had missed Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices after having been sent home by coach Jack Del Rio, in what was one of several disciplinary measures by the coach on Wednesday.

“It’s private. It happened behind closed doors and I’d rather keep it behind closed doors,” Peterson said of his conversation with Del Rio that led to the middle linebacker’s return to the team.

“Good to have him back,” Del Rio said on Friday. “He’ll travel and we’ll decide what’s best for the team,” the coach added when asked if Peterson will play against the Lions on Sunday at Ford Field.

Peterson was in agreement with that strategy. “The decision is his. I’m ready to roll. The decision is up to coach,” Peterson said.