MVN - Most Valuable Network

Jaguars have opportunity for defining win of 2007

The Jacksonville Jaguars face the Pittsburgh Steelers in a contest at Heinz Field today that could give them the one thing that they have been searching for this season: a defining win.

The Jaguars have had nine solid outings this season where they came out of the contest victorious, but in each one, there was some area that was lacking. 

History has shown that any time the Jaguars take on the Steelers, they come ready to play.  With a 10-8 advantage over Pittsburgh all time, the Jaguars have clearly found a way to win against the traditional powerhouse. 

The game today in Pittsburgh marks the first time in many years where the implications are significant.  The Jaguars and Steelers are both fighting for the post season.  While the Steelers hold the advantage right now in the AFC North, a loss coupled with a Cleveland win could put them in direct competition with the Jaguars for one of the two wild card spots.

A Jaguars win along with a Titan loss would put the Jaguars into the post-season for the second time in the last three years after a five year drought.

This is a game between two former division rivals that has real meaning for both teams.  It has been a long time since anyone has been able to say that.

December has arrived, and the Jaguars are in the lead for one of those wild card slots giving them access to the post season and playoff possibilities.  The games matter this year for the Jaguars, and as such is the case, the goal will be to find a way to win in a hostile, cold, wet environment.  It is just the type of thing that this team was built for.

Traditionally, teams from the south do not fare well in cold weather environments.  That is not the case for the Jaguars.  Their power running game and physical style of defense makes the transition from tropical southern weather to blustery winter weather with little difficulty.

Against the Steelers, the Jaguars have the advantage of a running game that thrives between the tackles, and should not be impacted by the weather conditions they face.  The depleted Steelers defensive line will have it’s work cut out for it in trying to stop the run.

The Jaguars defense will have the task of stopping the speedy Willie Parker, whose running style will not give the Steelers an advantage in wet, muddy conditions.  Stretching the play to the outside will be difficult with snow and rain in the forecast.

Where the Jaguars will find difficulty is on the defensive line.  The one area that has been their Achille’s Heel all season long is their lack of a consistent pass rush.  They struggle to get pressure on the quarterbacks they face, giving them entirely too much time to pick apart the secondary.  They must find a way to disrupt the rhythm of Ben Roethlisberger and throw off the timing of the Steelers solid passing attack.  Weather conditions would normally negate this issue, but if their running game is not working, they will have to rely on their quarterback.  The Jaguars must find a way to get a pass rush that will force mistakes.

David Garrard must continue to play efficiently, and take his shots when the opportunity presents itself.  With big, physical receivers, the ball control game will be the rule with winter weather expected.  This should help the Jaguars. 

If the Jaguars were to look at the December calendar and circle a game where they could have their signature win, today is the perfect opportunity.  Beating another team that has playoff aspirations will set the tone for the rest of the season, and could begin the build up leading to the Super Bowl in 2008.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 16th, 2007 at 7:25 am and is filed under Jaguars' Journal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.