The records have been set and the awards have been bestowed. Now it's time to get back to the games. Here are five things Patriots fans should know about the Jacksonville Jaguars:
1. They have a terrific 1-2 rushing punch. Fred Taylor delivers the body blows and Maurice Jones-Drew delivers the knockout punches. The 6-foot-1-inch, 228-pound Taylor has excellent vision and patience. He has lost a step (10 seasons and 10,000-plus yards will do that) but still can change direction and re-accelerate with the best of them. Jones-Drew uses his thick, powerful legs to run over defenders. He can fit through the tiniest of cracks and rarely gets thrown for a loss.
2. John Henderson leads an ornery defense: This is a hit-first-and-ask-questions-later unit. Henderson and the massive Grady Jackson team with ends Bobby McCray and Paul Spicer to make this one of the most formidable lines in the game. Linebackers Justin Durant (great cover skills), Clint Ingram (fast and aggressive), and Daryl Smith (makes plays everywhere) are an underrated bunch. Hard-hitting safety Reggie Nelson and ballhawking corner Rashean Mathis are the stars of the secondary.
3. David Garrard is unflappable: For a young quarterback, Garrard showed remarkable poise in his first season as starter and in his playoff debut. Garrard is built like a fullback (6-2, 240 pounds) but has surprisingly quick feet. He has an uncanny knack for making defenders miss - he abused Pittsburgh safety Tyrone Carter on the biggest play of Saturday night's win. Garrard has a very strong, accurate arm. Most important, he keeps his mistakes to a minimum. He'll face his biggest test this week as he prepares for New England's complicated coverages.
4. There's no go-to receiver: Despite having one of the biggest groups in the game (Ernest Wilford is 6-4, Reggie Williams 6-4, and Matt Jones 6-6), nobody has emerged as a consistent threat. Wilford, the best of the bunch, excels in the red zone but lacks speed and cuts off routes prematurely. Williams runs nice routes and has decent speed but drops too many catchable balls. Jones, a college QB, is just plain soft. He has excellent quickness but he's still learning the position and is a shrinking violet in traffic.
5. They have a chip on their shoulders: For once, a team can play the "no respect" card and have it be genuine. The Jaguars, who always play second fiddle to the Colts in the AFC South, have remained hungry and focused even after they were written off early when coach Jack Del Rio cut former franchise QB Byron Leftwich and again in midseason after key injuries to defenders Marcus Stroud (ankle) and Mike Peterson (hand). In addition, not a single Jaguar is headed to the Pro Bowl.
JIM McBRIDE
