Dumervil was a force to be reckoned with in ’09.  Source: Yardbarker

Dumervil led the league in sacks last season with 17.  He was a force that all teams had to take into account and scheme against.  Dumervil thrived in Denver’s 3-4 defense and was one of the reasons that scheme worked so well for them.  Without Dumervil there, a large void has developed in the Denver defense.  A void that is bound to be exploited by opposing offenses.

Previously, Zoltan and Terry did a great job digging through stats and analyzing the Jaguars’ offense versus the Broncos’ defense.  One of the major obstacles to the Jaguars offense on opening day was Dumervil’s stellar numbers and driving engine from last year.  With him gone, the Jags are able to focus on the other defensive hurdles.  All of which may be smaller than Dumervil and his incredible knack for getting to the quarterback.  The next best pass rusher on the Denver defense?  Darrell Reid with four.

This also provides the Jaguars offensive line a break to develop some early season cohesion against a defense that just lost a major pass rushing threat.  Hopefully Monroe and Britton and whoever ends up starting in the middle will end up having a good day and gain some confidence heading into the rest of the season and a tougher schedule.  Maybe if David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew have a big day they will gain even more confidence.  And if they can stop David from getting sacked…well, it would be a good beginning to the season.

I wish Elvis Dumervil the best, and I hope he comes back at full force after his injury.  But for now, I’m breathing a sigh of relief for the Jags and relishing this lucky break that may allow them to start the season strong.

- Luke N. Sims

The Denver Broncos are an important team to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not only are the Broncos the first home opening game but they play the Indianapolis Colts in week three and the Tennessee Titans in week four.  If Denver gets hot, they can shake up the AFC South real quick.  Zoltan and I have done a very very deep dive into the Denver Broncos to see where they are and what our chances are. After the jump, be prepared to spend some time reading. This article is worth 3 credit hours in Jaguar fan preparation. (more…)