By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars are seeking to return to their old ways of dominance (which was last shown in sacksonville). They have shown improvement from their 2021 version (3-14) in 2022. The former Eagles Super Bowl-winning HC Doug Pederson has lifted the Jags offense from the ashes and jolted Trevor Lawrence’s all-around ability (as T-Lawrence has thrown 1,232 passing yards, 8 passing touchdowns, and 4 interceptions thus far). The sophomore RB Travis Etienne has also been effective alongside James Robinson up to this point (by way of obtaining 339 all-purpose yards).

The Jags haven’t only witnessed growth and production from their young QB-RB duo, but they’ve also been competitive in each contest this season. They lost in Week 1 by a score of 28-22 against the Washington Commanders, but they bounced back and dismantled the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 24-0 in Week 2. They had the most surprising Week 3 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a score of 38-10. They weren’t able to beat the Philadelphia Eagles (aka the last undefeated NFL squad) in Week 4 — as they lost 29-21. I’m confident that I’m not the only NFL die-hard to acknowledge that the Jags had a surprising effort against Philly. Unfortunately, the Jags had a shocking loss against the Houston Texans in their latest battle.

I still feel the utmost confidence in the Jaguars’s direction and chances of reaching the postseason in 2022. The Jags will reap growth from Lawrence (despite his worst game on the season in Week 5), Etienne, and their first overall pick in 2022, Travon Walker.

Their schedule in 2022-2023 is quite tasty, as well. The Jags battle the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions, the Tennessee Titans, the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Jets, the Houston Texans, and the Tennessee Titans. I feel that the Jags can edge out the Broncos, Raiders, Lions, Titans each time, Jets, and then not be swept by the Texans.

It may not be sunshine and rainbows for the Jags, but they have certainly taken monster steps from last season. I foresee the team led out by the scrappy HC and motivated QB to continue to improve, defeat the mediocre competition, & punch their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2017.

The post Why the Jacksonville Jaguars can still make the playoffs appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts offense was flat-out embarrassed against a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that isn’t exactly the ole “Sacksonville” defense. The Colts and their potent QB-RB duo dropped a goose egg against their archnemesis in Week 2. So, the Colts have shockingly not won a game in their first two weeks. With that said, two questions have arisen around the Colts: Is the Colts offense okay? And should Colts fans begin to bring out the Bryce Young posters?

The Colts offense has Avenger-like figures on offense in Jonathan Taylor, Matt Ryan, and Quentin Nelson. Although, they can’t operate on a high level without legitimate threats at the WR position. Matty Ice may not be the same signal-caller that he was in 2016, but he can be more talented than the 2021 version of Mac Jones or Jimmy G with their prior well-rounded rosters with a quality group of wideouts.

I honestly don’t love the Colts group of wideouts with a healthy Michael Pittman Jr and Alec Pierce. Pierce had a dreadful drop for an easy TD in Week 1. The veteran WR (Pittman) has also had injury issues in his short career. The outlook for the Colts WR group is undoubtedly worrisome in 2022.

The Colts legend Tony Dungy stated that the Colts need JT to start heating up if they want to win games. Although, I’m not ready to believe that the Colts can lean on the Jonathan Taylor show to mow down opponents. It should be noted that Taylor ousted 161 rushing yards against a mediocre Houston Texans team and they still lost.

I would really like to see the Colts sign a free agent WR to improve their fighting chances. Will Fuller and Odell Beckham Jr. are both looking for a new home. In particular, OBJ could really be reliable from numerous WR spots and he can take the top off a defense. The former Rams WR could certainly make the Colts a dangerous play-action offense. OBJ also has less troubling injury habits than the former Texans WR. All in all, the Colts should still be aggressive and creative by signing the electric and polarizing Beckham Jr.

Contrary to a lot of aggravated Colts fans, I also don’t believe the posters for Bryce Young should be shown in Indianapolis for at least a couple of more weeks.

The post What to expect from the Indianapolis Colts offense moving forward appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars nicely brought in a few unique profiles for their defense this off-season. It would be an understatement to say the Jaguars needed to improve a few areas on their defense. In particular, the Jags pass rush was below mediocre last season — as the Jags had 32 sacks (28th in the NFL).

The first overall pick, Travon Walker, will look to wreak havoc on the edge in a similar way as former DROY pass rusher winners: Nick Bosa (9 sacks, 16 QB hits, and 25 QB hits) and Chase Young (7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 10 TFLs) made an impact in their first season. Walker has stated that his goal is to break Josh Allen’s rookie sack total: 10.5 sacks. Walker doesn’t only have confidence in himself, but the DC Mike Caldwell feels confident in the former first overall pick being a force in his rookie campaign.

I also honestly believe the Jags LB group upgraded this off-season. They lost Myles Jack, who recorded a dreadful 37.7 grade by PFF, but they should anticipate quality production from the rookie LB Devin Lloyd. The 6’3, 230-pound LB had a 6.38 draft grade and he also landed on Yardbarker’s pre-season all-rookie team.

The new-look Jags offense should have more success, particularly in their rushing attack. A healthy Travis Etienne and the sturdy James Robinson should untwine to be a terrific RB tandem. The Jags ranked 31st in Time of Possession last season, so it was clear their offense didn’t help their defense get close to enough rest. Assuming the Jags roll out an improved rushing attack w/ new muscle and swagger on defense, the Jags defense should make significant progress and make fans reminisce about the days of Sacksonville.

The post Why the Jaguars defense should really improve in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected the mighty pass rusher Travon Walker first overall and it’s clear JAX really aspires to return to being recognized as “Sacksonville”. The former Georgia defender that was prioritized over Aidan Hutchinson should help the Jags defense harass fellow AFC South quarterbacks for many years to come.

The soft-spoken, mammoth-like edge rusher has superb power. He has the size (6’5, 276 pounds) and he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. The 2022 DPOY candidate and Cleveland Browns gifted pass rusher Myles Garrett is 6’4, 271 and he ran a 4.64 40-time. Marcus Davenport, who was Pro Football Focus’s most effective pass rusher after a month of football last season, displayed a unique combination of speed (4.59) and size (6’6, 265 pounds) at his NFL combine.

The NFL gods handed defenders like Davenport and Clowney rare ability, but it’s clear that injuries have haunted these utterly explosive pass rushers. Davenport and Clowney both registered nine sacks in 2021, but each pass rusher has missed 11 games in the past two seasons combined.

Hopefully, Walker can be as productive as Garrett (All-Pro in 2020 and 2021) and remain as healthy as the Browns elite defender (two games missed in 2020 and 2021 combined). Walker proved to be a healthy force last season (0 missed games), as he was a key warrior in their win over Alabama in the National Championship. In the CFB grand contest, Walker had a sack, a very impressive seven QB hurries, and a potential touchdown-saving tackle.

The Jags understand that Walker realistically has a HOF ceiling and a quality floor. He will surely hit the ground running with a Jags DL that will help him succeed as soon as possible. The Jaguars carry a fierce edge player in Josh Allen and it’s safe to say that it will be hard for opposing teams to double-team each DE. The Los Angeles Rams really allowed Von Miller to capitalize off his matchups next to Aaron Donald, as he notched four sacks in the recent post-season gauntlet. The Jags ranked 28th in sacks a season ago, but they should feel comfortable in their new stout pass-rushing tandem turning the Jags defense into an opposing QB’s worst nightmare.

The post What does Travon Walker bring to the Jaguars? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The Jacksonville Jaguars will go into the 2021 season with a new head coach. Urban Meyer is the new man to take charge, hoping to be the guy to change the fortunes of a franchise that has struggled for many years. After drafting the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck in Trevor Lawrence this year with the number one overall pick, the Jags fans have rarely gone into a season this excited. The Jags have twice gone into a season on the back of reaching an AFC Championship game but with the addition of Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence, there is a real buzz around the organization and in the city of Jacksonville. However, Urban Meyer has never coached in the NFL. He is one of the most successful college head coaches of his generation. Can he translate this to the pros?

His Journey As A Player

Meyer was a walk-on in college as a defensive back for the University of Cincinnati, despite initially being drafted by Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves in 1982. Injury would deny Meyer the chance to make it as a professional player, but he showed signs of his coaching credentials whilst in college. He would go back to college, heading to Ohio State University where he studied sports administration. He would get a degree at both colleges, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Cincinnati and sports administration at Ohio State, which will have no doubt helped him massively during his time as a football coach.

He may not have made it to the NFL as a player but he showed signs of his credentials as a coach during his time in college. Meyer would often spend additional time in practice, learning how to run them and handle substitutions. These all prepared him for life as a coach. As a player, he was part of a Cincinnati team that finished 2-9, with Meyer saying that it “wasn’t a great experience. We weren’t very good”. This will help him be prepared for a Jaguars team that won just one game in 2020. His former coach in Cincinnati David Currey spoke of his coaching abilities.

“He was not a great player but you could tell he would coach for a living. He was a student of the game, always trying to learn about things”.

The Start Of Meyer’s Coaching Career

He started his coaching career in 1985 as a defensive backs coach for St Xavier High School in Ohio before becoming a graduate assistant for two seasons with Ohio State. He spent two years with Illinois State as an outside linebackers coach in 1988 and a quarterback and wide receivers coach in 1989. He would then spend eleven years as a wide receivers coach, spending six with Colorado State and then five with Notre Dame before getting his first head coaching job in 2001 with Bowling Green.

The Early Stages Of His Time As A Head Coach In College

Meyer only spent two seasons with Bowling Green but would leave the team with a 17-6 record in charge. Highlights of his time there was the 56-21 win over rivals, the University of Toledo Rockets. Whilst with Bowling Green, he transformer their fortunes. He joined with the team having gone 2-9 in 2000 to then go 8-3 in 2001 and 9-3 in 2002, before leaving for the University of Utah.

Utah hired Meyer and was an instant success, going 10-2 and winning the Liberty Bowl in 2003. They would go 12-0 and win the Fiesta Bowl in 2004. Whilst with the university, he coached safety Eric Weddle and quarterback Alex Smith, who went on to be the number one overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Smith would become an inspiration to everyone when he went on to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year during the 2020 season, returning the field after a life threatening injury in 2018.

Meyer openly claimed that he “made Utah competitive” during his time there. Morgan Scalley played as a defensive back under Meyer at Utah before going on to become a defensive coordinator with the college. He spoke of how Meyer changed everything.

“You could tell it would be different from the first session at the weight room. I never had butterflies going into a weight room and that had me going”.

Success With Florida and Ohio State

The Florida Gators then came calling in 2005, where Meyer would spend the next six seasons. He would coach notable players such as Cam Newton, Carlos Dunlap, Janoris Jenkins, Maurkice and Mike Pouncey, Tim Tebow and Trey Burton during his time in Florida as head coach. With an overall record 65-15 with the Gators, Meyer won Florida the Outback Bowl and the Sugar Bowl as well as winning two National Championships. He had a 5-1 record with Florida in Bowl games. Following a health scare, Meyer decided to leave the Gators after the 2010 seasons as he wanted to put focus on his family and “life away from the field”.

He soon returned to college football, becoming Ohio State head coach two seasons later. During his time with the team, he had an 83-9 record. He won one National Championship as well as a Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. His time there sadly ended in controversy, before leaving in 2018 due to health reasons. He spent time as a television analyst before accepting the Jacksonville head coaching position in January 2021.

His Coaching Style & The Spread Offense

Meyer is seen as someone who is competitive, fiery and resolute. His “juice” is said to fire his teams up, with his infectious personality an integral part of his head coaching success. During his time as an analyst, he often went through a breakdown of offensive systems, with one component of his style of coaching being his Spread Offense.

This is a scheme which features four receivers, resulting in the opposition defense attempting to cover these players. This system allows the run game to excel, with RPO and read option plays often used under this style of offense. In a modern day NFL, we are seeing plenty of college schemes being brought into the league. Meyer will look to bring this style of coaching into the NFL that worked so well for him in college.

Can He Transform The Jaguars?

This is not going to be an easy task for Meyer but as he showed in Utah, he is capable of turning a team around. Jacksonville has the talent on their roster but have never seemed to fulfil their potential. One of their aforementioned trips to the AFC Championship was in the 2017 season. Their defense named ‘Sacksonville” played a big part in their journey, where they had a ten point lead and were nine minutes away from reaching the Super Bowl. They would end up losing 24-20 in agonizing fashion.

The components of Sacksonville would slowly fall apart. Jalen Ramsey, Malik Jackson and Yannick Ngakoue all left in 2019, with both A.J. Bouye and Calais Campbell leaving in 2020. Quarterback Blake Bortles was seen as the player holding back the team, being released in March 2019 as the Jaguars looked to Nick Foles, who won Super Bowl 52 MVP just a year earlier. He was seen as the missing piece in the jigsaw but only lasted one season in a disappointing spell with the franchise.

Head coach Doug Marrone guided Jacksonville to the AFC Championship and a 10-6 record in his first full season as head coach of the franchise. Despite this, he couldn’t guide them to more than six wins in any of the three seasons that followed before being fired in January 2021. Issues off the field started to develop, with the players arrested on their annual trip to London in 2018 after an unpaid £50,000 drinks bill. Meyer won’t stand for any negative behaviour with his aforementioned fiery, competitive and infectious personality is likely to keep the players in check.

And then of course, there is Lawrence. One of the best college prospects in many years, he brings a lot of expectation with Jags fans pinning their hopes on him being the man to bring the good times to this franchise. He had not lost a regular season game since high school and reached the National Championship in two of his three seasons with the Clemson Tigers, winning one of those two.

He played 40 games in college and threw for 758 out of his 1,138 throws, giving him a 66.6 completion percentage. Across his time with Clemson, he threw for 90 touchdowns and 10,098 yards. Jacksonville have a real talent on their hands and they need to do everything they can to ensure he fulfils his tremendous potential.

Along with Lawrence, they have reunited their number one overall pick with his Clemson team-mate in running back Travis Etienne, who recorded 70 rushing touchdowns and 4,952 rushing yards during his four seasons in the ACC. He will join a running back room alongside James Robinson, who impressed highly in 2020 during his rookie year with 1,070 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Etienne is said to also be working out as a receiver, which gives variety to the offensive side of the ball. Former Detroit Lions wideout Marvin Jones has joined the team via Free Agency to add depth to a wide receiver room already including DJ Chark Jr and Laviska Shenault Jr. Second-round pick Tyson Campbell gives depth to the Jaguars secondary, as will 65th overall pick Andre Cisco. 45th overall selection Walker Little will add protection to the Jags offensive line. Myles Jack is a survivor from the Sacksonville era and alongside fellow linebacker Josh Allen, they have the potential to cause problems for the opposition.

Jacksonville have a long rebuild ahead and fans should not expect an immediate transformation. Doubts remain over new Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz and whether he can get back to his 2017 form. The Tennessee Titans’ defense is seen as their Achilles heels and the Houston Texans are a mess. They will likely see their quarterback Deshaun Watson leave, which will result in years of struggles and mediocrity. This is not the toughest division in the NFL and the Jags will want to capitalise on this, but the improvement will likely be in either year 2, 3 or 4 of the Urban Meyer Jacksonville era.

The post Urban Meyer’s career so far: can he transform the Jaguars? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.