From The sideline
Good Thing its Only Preseason
From The sideline
Good Thing its Only Preseason
By BRANDON FINLEY
Sports Columnist
Coming into Saturday the logical train of thought was that we'd see a Jaguars team that looked sharp. Most Jaguar fans believed this was a chance to show why many people believe the Jaguars are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Following an upset loss to the worst team in football last year, the Jaguars looked more like a team that could be battling for the number one overall pick.
Much of the blame can be put upon the Jaguars inept offense. They didn't move the ball particularly well, and David Garrard looked lost for the most part. Why didn't the Jaguars wait for him to prove that he can be successful twice in a full season before signing him to a long term contract?
There were times where he looked more like a high school quarterback than a NFL quarterback who threw eighteen touchdowns and only three interceptions last season. Then again, who can pick off a pass when you're throwing lasers into the dirt?
The Jaguars were supposed to come into this game and dominate. What happened was the opposite. The Jaguars boast one of the best 1-2 punches in the running game throughout the entire NFL, but Ricky Williams looked like the best runner on the field during Saturday evening. That's not a good sign considering that Williams has been gone from the league due to a variety of off the field issues throughout the past few seasons.
Where was Fred Taylor? Where was Maurice Jones-Drew? Where was Greg Jones, who looked amazing only a week earlier against the Falcons? These are all questions that will need to be answered if the Jaguars realistically want a shot at winning the division for the first time.
September 7th is looming near, and although training camp officially ended last Thursday the coaches are probably wishing it extended into the next few weeks after that showing. Sure, it was preseason, but it was also the Miami Dolphins. This is the same team that had as much trouble winning a game last season as the New England Patriots had losing one.
For a team with Super Bowl aspirations there should be no excuse for that performance. The only thing left to do is move on. It may have been an early lesson for this veteran team, or it could have just been one of those fluke pre-season games. Remember, the Indianapolis Colts usually go 0-4 in the preseason, and they don't ever seem to have too much trouble making the playoffs.
