Well my fellow Jaguars fan, it may have been a rough season, but we made it to the end. Even though it was a disappointing season, we have to look at the bright side, at least we can learn from this year. Here’s just a few things I think we learned in 2o12.

* * *

1. Blaine Gabbert is NOT the answer:

In case you were giving him the benefit of the doubt during his rookie season, I hope you learned your lesson.  While this may be a huge let down… At least everyone is aware of the issue & we can move forward. I better not see him sneak up the depth chart EVER again. While he may be right when he said during his post-season interview that he has not had the easiest time in the NFL considering his two years in the league consistent of an owner & coaching change plus a serious injury. However, in my opinion Gabbert is not starting QB quality.

2. The Jaguars without Maurice Jones Drew is as painful as we imagined:

If there’s one player Jaguars fans NEVER want to see go down, that’s MJD. He is the heart & soul of the Jags. Unfortunately, our worst nightmare came true this season & it was painful. If there was a shining light on the Jacksonville offense, it was MJD. Just one year ago, Mojo was the NFL leading rusher. Without him Jacksonville went from having the 12th ranked rushing game in 2011, to the 30th ranked rushing game in 2012.

3. (2-14) teams still have dedicated fans:

If you don’t believe me, check out the fan base on Twitter…. Or take a look at this picture from EverBank this season. Keep in mind, the Jaguars only won one home game this season.

4. People who hate on Jacksonville’s fan base are simple uneducated:

I hear about it all the time… “Aren’t all the Jaguars game blacked out”… “Are you two the only people in the stands”… “The Jags are going to LA” … Let me tell you how hard I laugh every time .. NOT. Let me shed a little light on this situation… Did you know that in 2012 Jacksonville had an average stadium attendance higher than teams like Pittsburgh, Chicago, & Detroit. In fact the Jaguars finished 20th in the attendance rankings for 2012. That means there’s 12 franchises that had less fans turn out this season than the 2-14 Jaguars.

» Continue reading “What Jaguars Fans Learned In 2012″

Hey there people. I hope you enjoyed the nice showcase of playoff action this past weekend. I must say that I had a fun time watching the games.

While watching the Ravens host the Texans a thought came to; division pride. Similar to when fans of a college team root for another team that is in the same conference if their team is eliminated from relevance.

So I asked myself, “should I root for the Texans? Should I root for the team to win their first ever road playoff game?”

NOT A CHANCE! There is no way that I would ever root for the Texans, Titans, or Colts. No way. Nope. NON! ABSOLUMENT NON!

As far as I’m concerned, those three teams can lose every game they play. Overspend on contracts. Mismanage the clock. Anger your mascots to the point that they result to sabotage during the game. Whatever it takes.

But no, I have no conference pride. And I never will. So I urge you fellow Jaguars fans to just say no. Just say no to this farce of an idea. Ignore the madness people, ignore it.

Since the Jaguars will take on the Ravens during primetime on Monday night, I figured we should look back at Jacksonville’s primetime history.

The Jaguars have been a part of the NFL for 17 seasons since joining in 1995. Jacksonville has played in 29 primetime games; with at least one primetime game each season. With a current primetime record of (13-15) & (4-7) under head coach Jack Del Rio, the Jags hope to turn things around on Monday Night.

Monday’s matchup versus the Ravens will be the first of two MNF games the Jags will host this season. On December 5^th, the Chargers will travel to EverBank field.

Jacksonville’s first home primetime appearance was during the 1997 season. The Jaguars were led to victory by QB Mark Brunell with a 30-21 victory over the Steelers. During this game, Burnell threw for 308 yards and a touchdown.

The last time the Jaguars appeared on MNF they faced off with AFC South division rivals, the Tennessee Titans. With a final score of 30-3, the Jags had a less than desired performance.

In 2006, the Jaguars defeated the Giants 26-10 at the former Alltel stadium; this was the last win the Jaguars had during a primetime appearance. During the 2006 season, the Jaguars also had a MNF victory over the Steelers with a high final score of 9-0.

Given the current record for the Jaguars during a primetime matchup things aren’t looking too promising for Monday; not to mention the fact that the Jags are on a 5 game losing streak since their week 1 victory over the Titans. When the Jaguars face off with the Ravens on Monday night they will definitely be the underdog, but that’s generally when the Jags play their best. Blaine Gabbert is on the hunt for his first NFL career win; MJD has stated again & again he is tired of losing; JDR only has 2 games to turn things around before the bye week & a nationally televised game is just the place to do it.

During their last 2 meetings, the Jets have been unsuccessful in stopping MJD. With a healthy MJD, Sunday should be no different.

This week the Jags prepare to travel to New York for Week 2 versus the Jets. After a successful victory in Week 1 versus their division rivals, the Tennessee Titans, the Jaguars have a lot to prove this week. McCown impressed skeptical NFL fans last weekend, after the Jaguars cut Garrard 5 days prior to opening day. However, any NFL fan knows that one week you may be in with your fans & the next week you are the next Kyle Orton. If McCown wants to keep Jaguar fans from chanting “Blaine Gabbert” during the games he is just going to have to keep winning. It appears as though McCown is willing to do whatever it takes to step it up for the opportunity he has been given, which even includes mentoring Gabbert. During an interview this week he stated,

“Yeah, that’s out normal Tuesday routine. We try to get in here around 8:30 or 9:00 [am] and we’re here till 1:30 or 2:00 [pm]. That’s what it takes to be an NFL quarterback. I had to learn that my first couple of years in the league behind Jeff Garcia, Kelly Holcomb and Brian Griese and these guys, and Blaine is learning the same things.”

McCown’s performance in Sunday’s game versus the Jets will be crucial, but he is not the only player that will impact the results. TE Marcedes Lewis left the game early last Sunday versus the Titans; it was first reported to be a cramp and was administered IV fluids. Later it was discovered he in fact has a strained muscle. He has missed practice on Wednesday & may not practice this evening.  Lewis will test out the calf on Friday, and plans to play as long as he is not in pain. He is aware his team needs the Pro Bowl TE and stated in an interview this week:

“When I’m at my best, I give our team a better shot at winning. That’s why it’s annoying and frustrating.”

Even if Marcedes cannot play on Sunday, there is a glimpse of hope that Zach Miller could finally return to the field. Miller has not been able to catch a break from injuries since he joined the Jaguars in 2009. However, when he is healthy he is compared to other top tier TE’s such as Dallas Clark.

“Hopefully, he’ll be ready Sunday, too – but hopefully, we can all be out there contributing. An eighty- or eighty-five percent Marcedes Lewis is better than no Marcedes Lewis, but you don’t want to set him back,” Miller said during an interview when asked about Lewis’ injury and his own availability on Sunday.

The Jaguars finally have a healthy Maurice Jones Drew on the field & head coach Jack Del Rio is determined to keep it that way. As Jaguar fans saw last week, while fantasy football owners cringed, JDR removed MJD from the game because he is on a play count. Jacksonville’s superstar running back, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee all last season, has been put on a play count to reduce the risk of injury. Jones Drew was limited action during preseason & Sunday’s win versus the Titans was no different, he finished with 97 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries before JDR replaced him with his backup Deji Karim who ran for 33 yards on 14 carries. Needless to say, this did not please MJD the slightest bit. After taking some time to cool down & think about the situation logically he spoke about it during a conference call on Wednesday, stating:

“It actually feels like when I was eight years old or maybe when I was born, fresh out of the womb knee,” Jones-Drew said during a conference call yesterday. “When you’re in the middle of the game, tempers flare, emotions are flying. The coaches are doing what’s best for the team. I can’t argue with that at all.”

The Jaguars finish finally preparation for Sunday’s game versus the Jets tomorrow night. The status on Marcedes Lewis & Zach Miller should be determined by then. JDR does not plan to release MJD’s play count, but in the fact that in last two meetings the Jets were unsuccessful in stopping MJD could equal more playing time for the RB.  The Jags Nation will have to wait until Sunday to see how things play out & fantasy owners everywhere will just have to take the risk.

Follow me on Twitter @RoarBlackNTeal or on Facebook.

Hey NFL fans! Welcome back to another addition of the Aerys Huddle. As last night’s moderator, I was interested to hear my fellow writer’s thoughts since this is our first Huddle post lockout. As expected there was multiple different topics for us to discuss, ranging from preseason records to Jim Tressel, we covering it all.

Welcome to the Huddle …

Question 1 – How important do you think preseason records & performances are? Are they good indicators for the regular season?

Brenda (Broncos): Preseason W-L records are absolutely meaningless, at least for many teams. We call those “contenders.” The true purpose of preseason is player evaluation: who makes the team and where on the depth chart; and who doesn’t.

Miranda (Aerys Offsides): The only reason why they are not good indicators is that mostly 2nd and 3rd string players are getting to play. These are not the same people that start opening day. We just aren’t getting a good grasp at what the team is capable of when these lower tier players go.

Brenda (Broncos): The preseason matters more for teams with new coaches – Denver, for one – where there’s an overhaul in progress, such trying out new schemes, implementing different sets, etc. The same goes for players who new teams, those recovering from a shattered ego, and rookies.

Corinna (Jaguars): I agree with Miranda, most of the starters are not on the field during preseason, which is not the case during the regular season.

Melissa (Lions): Not even a little. I’m not going to pretend like going 4-0 this preseason wasn’t encouraging, but we all have to understand that it’s really only a very small sample size of what it’s going to be like. Starters are only play for a quarter or half at most and kinks are still being worked out.

Brenda (Broncos): I personally don’t put much weight into preseason records. Mainly due to the fact different teams/coaches use the preseason for different things. Some use it as a gauge in selecting players for their rosters while some with more established teams use it to tweak things.

Brandyn (Eagles): I don’t think they are any indicator of regular seasons performance, particularly in light of the lockout. More than ever, preseason games were just another opportunity for teams to get some much needed practice in.

Patty (Rams): Preseason performances can be misleading as well. Ask any Detroit Lions fan what the team’s preseason record was just before the 1-15 season. I bet they didn’t see that regular season coming.

Melissa (Lions): Yes, Lions fans know all too well that preseason wins don’t indicate how the season will unfold. In 2008, Detroit went 4-0 in preseason and 0-16 in regular season. So, there’s that.

Brenda (Broncos): Not using this year as an example, but the Indianapolis Colts are traditionally – at least performance-wise – a very poor preseason team, despite deep playoff runs and even a Super Bowl victory.

Brandyn (Eagles): Even if the lockout hadn’t happened, though preseason games have never been an indicator of a team’s regular season record. The Colts haven’t paid attention to preseason game in years and have a losing record for the past several years and they always make it to the playoffs. Like others mentioned, not to pick on the Lions, but they went 4-0 in the preseason the year they went 0-16 in the regular season.

Kristine (Jets): We are always calling preseason “games just the preseason”, and often times are experimenting with things they would not during the season in real game situations. Not to mention they are trying to cut down the roster. That being said, I dont think we can completely discount what happens in the preseason. I think its a good preview of what to expect from a team (strength and weaknesses).

Corinna (Jaguars): Not to mention that the NFL always has that “all-star” that is holding out for one reason or another (usually money related), so we don’t see them during preseason… cough cough Chris Johnson.

Question 2 – Which games weeks 1-4 do you think is the most compelling?

Corinna (Jaguars): Week One: Titans @ Jags – Division rivals during opening weekend. It’s a great time to see who is prepared for the season & who is not. Also during week one: Colts @ Texans – Same as listed above. This year the AFC South is up for grabs & it’s anyone’s to claim.

Brandyn (Eagles): Week one: Colts v Texans matchup to see how Indy would fare without Peyton Manning. Hopefully they can put up a little more fight for the next several games.

Miranda (Aerys Offsides): Week One: Most compelling is Dallas at the Jets on the 10th anniversary of 9-11-01.

Melissa (Lions): Same here, Jets – Cowboys game was the most compelling. Aside from the fact that it was the first week of the season and two high-profile teams were playing. The fact that it was on the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11 brought a lot of excitement and energy to the game. And it was game everyone wanted to watch, regardless of whom you were cheering for or whether you were a fan of either team.

Patty (Rams): Week 1 – PIT @ BAL. The epitome of smash mouth football.

Brenda (Broncos): Week 2: San Diego @ New England – for no other reason than this is usually the predicted AFC title game, or so the pundits usually say.

Brandyn (Eagles): I think the Eagles’ Week 2 game, at Atlanta, will be huge because of the storyline of this being Vick’s 1st return to Atlanta since being an Eagles starter…and signing the second $100 million contract of his career.

Corinna (Jaguars): Week Two: Eagles @ Falcons: I mean who isn’t excited to see Vick face his former team?

Kristine (Jets): Im really looking forward to the Eagles/Falcons game.

Patty (Rams): Week 2 – SD @ NE. It will be the Chargers first real test of the season to see where they measure up against the big boys of the AFC. Are they indeed ready to take that next step?

Brandyn (Eagles): Lastly, as I have learned from my time at Aerys, even in the Green Bay at Chicago game in Week 3 isn’t good, the smack talk between fans will be. Those two teams despise each other. That hatred, combined with the fact that the Packers seem to have lost absolutely no momentum since the Super Bowl and are going to Soldier Field, should be one fun game to watch.

Brenda (Broncos): Week 3: Packers @ Bears – no explanation needed

Patty (Rams): Week 3 – I have two games here. First, ATL @ TB. Matty Ice vs. my Josh Freeman. Second, GB @ CHI. The rematch of the 2010 NFC Championship game. Got to see how the Bears do this time around.

Kristine (Jets): Week 4 – Jets/Ravens

Question 3 – After watching the preseason games, which rookie do you think will have the most impact on their team?

Kristine (Jets): JJ Watt (Houston) looks fantastic. He will play a huge part if overhauling that defense that needs to improve. He is already making huge plays.

Patty (Rams): I’m obviously biased but the Rams rookie TE, second round draft pick Lance Kendricks will be the one to watch. McDaniels loves a good TE, in fact, he likes to double his fun in certain formations.

Miranda (Aerys Offsides): Cam Newton. Which he proved yesterday by throwing for 422 yards – the most ever by a rookie quarterback in his first career start.

Corinna (Jaguars): After yesterday’s performance by Cam Newton, whew, I mean how can you not mention him. Carolina’s offense finished last in the NFL in total offense, passing yards and scoring last season, then week one he throws for over 400 yards!

Brenda (Broncos): The verdict is already in: Denver LOVES Von Miller. The Broncos were dead last in defense last season; now with Elvis Dumervil back from injury and Robert Ayers changing positions (where he should excel), I would be highly surprised – and that’s an understatement – if Denver repeats its defensive performance in 2011. Though I expected Denver to go DT with its No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, Miller in hindsight was an ideal selection. He’s menacing, quick off the ball, and will give opposing backfields fits. I like him

Corinna (Jaguars): Long term I truly believe that Blaine Gabbert will have a significant impact on the Jaguars. Hopefully he can be the QB that finally leads us to the postseason & wins!

Patty (Rams): Another rookie I think will be a factor is Julio Jones of the Falcons. The kid looked like a legitimate threat. He seems to be handling the pressure of being their number one pick well so far. They gave up quite a bit to jump up in the draft to get him so he needs to produce sooner than later.

Kristine (Jets): Its hard not to point out Julio Jones, who could be a potential ROY candidate. I think that guy is a phenomenal athlete and he may not have the biggest impact of all rookies of his team but I think we will look back at his career and he will be one of the great wideouts in the league (like his teammate Roddy White).

Melissa (Lions): It’s hard to gauge this after watching preseason games, but I probably would have said Julio Jones. After week 1, my vote is with Mark Ingram. Probably not a popular choice, but it’s impossible not to be impressed with this kid. Despite being stuffed at the goal line on the final play of the game between the Saints and Packers Thursday, Ingram showed a tremendous amount of talent and toughness, something the Saints lacked in Reggie Bush last season. He might not get the most touches in the game, but when he does, he squeezes out every last bit of yardage he can. And that’s what an impact-player is all about.

Question 4 – Peyton Manning, such an iconic QB. Reports indicate he will miss week one & possibly more. Former Head coach, Tony Dungy said the team won’t make the playoffs without him. Are the Colts in trouble?

Brandyn (Eagles): If what we saw on Sunday is any indiication, then yes, the Colts are in a HELL of a lot of trouble.

Brenda (Broncos): As a central Indiana native and longtime Colts fan (when games were always blacked out and those who did attend wore paper bags over their heads to avoid public shame), Peyton’s slow recovery is worst-case scenario. No, it’s even worse than that. Peyton is 35-years-old, and it’s no secret he’s in the final years of his career, but Colts fans will never be ready for the end. What’s happening right now in Indianapolis is sadly a preview of coming attractions…whenever that might be (hopefully many, many years from now).

Patty (Rams): Yup, it sure looking that way. Honestly, I think they got themselves into this by putting all their eggs in the Manning basket. Their entire offense is predicated on and built around the strengths of Manning. Until now the easier job in the NFL was being Manning’s back-up. Manning’s been quite the ironman with just over 200 consecutive starts but it’s the Colts’ fault for not having a legitimate QB2. Sorry Curtis Painter, nothing personal… Unless Kerry Collins can pull a Kurt Warner, Indy could be looking at a really bleak 2011 and a good shot at getting Luck-y in the 2012 draft.

Brandyn (Eagles): Kerry Collins is no slouch, though. He has had to come in and learn the team’s offense in a hurry. I think he will improve over the next few games.

Brenda (Broncos): What I’m worried about is the fan base. I remember when no one cared about Indianapolis – even those in the region. Peyton Manning has not only made the Colts relevant in the NFL, but singlehandedly increased the fan base significantly. No one wore Colts t-shirts, jackets, or hats when I was growing up, but now I see merchandise and #18 jerseys everywhere, and I haven’t lived in Indiana since early 2003. I could go on and on and on about this subject, but its best I stop now. I get very riled up and passionate when discussing the hometown team…

Corinna (Jaguars): Let me start of by saying that I never want to see a player injured… But if someone has to be it is about time that player is Peyton Manning. I mean the guy is in 2^nd place for most consecutive games started. The other AFC South teams would love to see the Colts dynasty suffer just a little bit; after all when was the last time the Colts didn’t win the division. With that being said I do love Peyton, when I’m not being a Jags fan, and hope that he can return & doesn’t have to go out like this.

Miranda (Aerys Offsides): Big trouble! I am hopeful that Kerry Collins gets better. But, they are getting a man that was set on being retired this year. I really think they need to try to trade for a really good backup quarterback. I saw something earlier about Carson Palmer… that would be good, but I worry about that cost! And more so, would it be possible!

Melissa (Lions): Uhhh, yeah. They might as well tank this season and enter the Andrew Luck lottery, because it’s not going to happen this year. The Colts looked horrible in their first game of the season and me thinks it’s not going to get any better. Absolutely breaks my heart that Peyton will miss the season and maybe more. He IS football. On and off the field he represents the NFL so well. This season won’t be the same without him.

Brandyn (Eagles): And with Sunday’s 34-7 loss, the issues very clearly aren’t only on offense. The defense needs to make a lot of improvements to not let a score get that out of hand so early on. Peyton Manning does a lot of things, but play defense is not one of them.

Kristine (Jets): I do think the Colts are in trouble. Unfortunately, I think that Peyton concealed so many of the Colts other issues. The need to improve the offensive line, special teams and some aspects of the defense, for that matter. We saw last year that they have next to no threat to run without Joseph Addai healthy. I am concerned and I think it would do them some good to focus on improving these aspects of the team while Peyton is away. Also, Kerry COllins had about a week to work with these guys. Let’s not destroy him and call Favre yet.  Oops, I mean F****

Question 5 – Roger Goodell said recently he would suspend Jim Tressel if the Colts did not make him sit out games to start the 2011 season. Colts have stated he will miss first seven games. However, is this Goodell’s place to implement a suspension if they did not? Is it the NFL’s responsibility to enforce NCAA rules?

Brenda (Broncos): Jim Flippin’ Tressel. I have no comment. It’s best if my opinions are left unsaid.

Patty (Rams): Roger GODell needs to cool it. I’m sure the Colts had some “encouragement” from the league/GODell to carry out the sentence. The players already think Goodell has too much power and this only piles it on more.

Melissa (Lions): I feel the same way about the Tressel situation as I did about Pryor. I get that they want to punish those who use the NFL as a way to escape NCAA punishments, but I also think it’s important to keep college football and the NFL very separate. And this inhibits that. The NFL and Roger Goodell should not play traffic cop to the NCAA.

Miranda (Aerys Offsides): Tressel did wrong and needs to pay the price for his bad deed. Simply taking the forced resignation from Ohio State is not punishment enough. I think it is their responsibility to let their fans and let the players, personnel, know they won’t tolerate what shenanigans is done, no matter where it is done.

Brandyn (Eagles): I can’t answer whether it is Goodell’s place, as there are many things he has implemented as Commissioner that many think overstep the bounds of that role.

Corinna (Jaguars): I’m with Patty on this one. He clearly is on a power trip. However, I see where you are coming from Miranda. I definitely agree that he needs a harsher punishment for what he did. But that would be like your new boss punishing you for being fired from your previous job. Just doesn’t make sense to me.

Melissa (Lions): I don’t think it’s Goodell or the NFL’s responsibility. I’ve said this a million times, I dislike Ohio State with great intensity and I’d like to see them punished for what they did. But, it’s the NCAA’s problem, not the commissioner of the NFL’s. With that said, because Pryor was suspended it would have looked poorly on Goodell and the NFL if Tressel had not been. So for that reason, and that reason only, I agree with the suspension. Pryor and Tressel weren’t the first or last to suffer NCAA punishment. However, they are being made an example — and that’s unfair.

Brandyn (Eagles): However, I think that if a suspension was issued to Pryor, then one absolutely needed to be issued for Tressel. If anything, as Tressel oversaw the program that has violated so many NCAA policies and the NFL has chosen to enact a suspension on Pryor, Tressel should have a much heavier longer suspension than Pryor.

Kristine (Jets): The NFL has no place suspending players/ coaches to enforce suspensions from the NCAA. In a way, they are a “minor” league for the NFL, but officially they are not. I understand what Goodell was saying about setting a precident for behavior and placing an emphasis on ownership of one’s actions but it’s not his place.  It was an NCAA issue not an NFL issue. That being said, Tressel should have been suspended by the NFL not by the COLTS in order for this to be fair. If they are going to do it to Pryor, it was to be done to Tressel. And every other player that ever committed an NCAA violation. Right? I know..its absurd.

That concludes this edition of the Aerys NFL Huddle. Make sure to check back monthly to read about the opinion of our Aerys writers on a wide variety of NFL subjects. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @Aerys_NFL or on Facebook.