Bills At Jaguars Preview
The Jaguars’ lost against the Titans deflated any sort of playoff talk the Jaguars were getting. I even saw some power rankings where we dropped fifteen places. It all seemed a little outrageous to me. Despite the ailing offensive line, the Jaguars managed to keep it some what close against our number one rival on their turf (who, after week one, is the leader of the AFC South). Garrard looked shaky and the ground game couldn’t get established but with our injured offensive line against their dominating defensive, no one had a chance. On top of all that, the Jaguars dropped significantly but the Patriots and Colts, who left turds on the field, are still the “best” of the NFL. Sorry Patriots fans but I don’t see how losing the league MVP will not hurt you in any way.
Sorry. I just had to get that ‘no respect’ speech out of the way. It is something we Jaguar fans do before the game. It is akin to the lord’s prayer before bed.
Basically, it is week two and the Jaguars are banged up. They dropped one of the linemen they signed this week (Chris Slaughter) and activated D’Jaun Woods from the practice squad. That sentence right there tells you everything you need to know. Our offense is in trouble. Not only are the offensive linemen dropping quicker than Canadians in the Florida heat, the already mediocre wide receiver corps is banged up enough so that we’re activating guys from the practice squad. In the second week.
Meanwhile, the Bills have a new light under their butt. Tom Brady is down. We repeat, Tom Brady is down. That leaves the AFC East wide open. The balance of power has shifted. However, who is it to? The Jets signed Brett Favre in the off season (what, you didn’t know?) and his gunslinger ways have him completing touchdown passes he has no right to complete. On top of the Bills win last week, they have a lot of motivation. I am going to be honest, though. I know nothing about the Bills at all except for the Canadians like them and they signed Stroud who may or may not be looking for a vengeance game depending on what media person you talk to.
One of the news guys on the local channels said last night, “Not many teams go 0-2 and get to the playoffs. To say this is a must win game is an understatement.” To that I say, “What about the 2007 Giants? IN YO’ FACE.”
But seriously. Don’t lose this game, guys.
Vic’s Ten Things
Because he can say it so much better than I can:
"Here are 10 things the Jaguars have to do to beat the Bills.1. Be efficient on offense—Given the state of the reconstruction of the offensive line, nobody is expecting an explosion of points. Be patient, capitalize on opportunities as they present themselves and, above all, don’t turn it over.2. Deny the big play—The Bills have big-play guys all over the place: Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish and Terrence McGee, most prominently. Deny them the big play and you win.3. Play better at QB—David Garrard was rattled by the rush in Tennessee and got careless with the football. That has to change.4. Protect the QB—Blame Garrard all you want, but when your quarterback is sacked seven times and knocked to the ground a dozen times more, he’s probably not going to have a good day and you’re not likely to win.5. Scare somebody—The Jaguars receivers scare no one. As a result, teams are loading up against the run, a trend that will continue until someone shows some big-play ability that must be respected.6. Know what this means—They say every game is a must-win game. Yeah, but this one has a little more “must” to it. Wanna go to Indy 0-2? I didn’t think so.7. Be truly special—The Bills’ and Jaguars’ special teams are each outstanding. If one of these units was to claim victory, it would probably be the deciding factor in the game.8. Play to the crowd—Jack Del Rio appealed to Jaguars fans on Wednesday, asking them to show their support on Sunday. OK, guys, give them something to cheer.9. Respond to adversity—Nothing makes a team feel better about itself. The last two weeks have been nothing but hard times. It’s time for change.10. Use the heat—The temperature is supposed to soar into the nineties on Sunday. Hey, the Bills are from Buffalo. They’re Canada’s team. Long drives and fast tempo; that’s the formula for victory."
Injury Report
It is everyone. Everyone is injured.
Fun Fact
Now that he isn’t with the Jaguars, Marcus Stroud is looking great. Jerk.
The Prediction
It is going to look bad and sloppy. However, the Bills do not have the defensive line that the Titans did and so it will give us some more room. And that little bit of room is all we need to win. Add in the edge of home field advantage and the Jaguars have won their fight against adversity!