Jacksonville Jaguars 2010 Season Predictions

July 14, 2010

The Jacksonville Jaguars finished up the 2009 season at a disappointing 7-9. The Jaguars were actually sitting at 7-5 and right in the middle of the playoff hunt, but all hopes for the postseason were ruined when the Jaguars finished the year on a four-game losing streak. Heading into the 2010 season head coach Jack Del Rio is on the hot seat, and if the Jaguars fail to improve he is likely done in Jacksonville. Here is a look at what the Jaguars will bring to the table on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they finish the year in the AFC South.

Offense: The Jaguars decided to stick with quarterback David Garrard this offseason, but it’s likely his last shot to prove he is the quarterback of the future for this organization. If Garrard struggles to get it going this season, look for backup Luke McCown to get a shot.

The Jaguars figure to have one of the top rushing attacks again in 2010 behind Pro Bowl back Maurice Jones-Drew, who finished the 2009 season with 1,391 yards and 15 touchdowns. Look for Rashad Jennings to be more a part of the offense in 2010, after only getting 39 carries in his rookie season.

At wide receiver the Jaguars finally got what they expected out of Mike Sims-Walker, who led the way with 63 receptions for 869 yards and seven touchdowns, after struggling with injuries his first two seasons. The Jaguars let veteran Torry Holt go, and are hoping that second year player Mike Thomas can step in and be a solid target for Garrard. Also keep an eye out for Troy Williamson, who missed all but two games in 2009.

The offensive line isn’t anything spectacular but when healthy can get the job done. The Jaguars look like they found their two starting tackles for quite some time in Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, as both shined in their rookie season. Inside Kynan Forney and Uche Nwaneri are expected to hold down the guard spots, but keep an eye out for Vince Manuwai who is coming off a torn ACL to fight for the starting right guard spot. Veteran center Brad Meester will have to fight to keep his job this fall.

Defense: The Jaguars made a couple big moves up front on the defensive line this offseason, as they defensive tackle John Henderson walk, but added a possible Pro Bowl player in veteran defensive end Aaron Kampman. Tyson Alualu is expected to join Terrance Knighton at the tackle spot, while the Jaguars hope Derrick Harvey can finally live up to his potential and put together a big season.

At linebacker the Jaguars made a solid addition to the group in veteran Kirk Morrison, who should be a nice upgrade in the middle of the defense. Daryl Smith and Justin Durant will hold down the two outside spots, and should give the Jaguars a pretty solid group as a whole.

In the secondary the Jaguars believe they have to very solid starting corners in veteran Rashean Mathis and youngster Derek Cox. Scott Starks, Don Carey, and Tyron Brackenridge figure to fight for the starting nickel job this fall. At safety the Jaguars expect Sean Considine and Gerald Alexander to battle it out for the starting strong safety spot, while Reggie Nelson and Anthony Smith fight for the starting free safety spot.

Prediction – 4th AFC South: I think we could see some improvements from the Jaguars this season, but to think they are going to top either the Colts or the Texans in this division doesn’t seem likely. They could slip past the Titans if Young struggles, but I think when it’s all said and done they finish right around 6-10 or 7-9 and we see both Del Rio and Garrard get the boot.

Find out where the rest of the teams finish the season in our 2010 NFL predictions. If you plan on betting the NFL this season, be sure to check out our expert NFL odds each and every week.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

Posted by Jack Jones · Filed Under Football Picks, Football Predictions, Football Rankings 

Comments

Comments are closed.