The Jacksonville Jaguars are 4-7 after a 30-12 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last weekend. After a second-place finish in the AFC South and a wild-card berth in the playoffs last season, the Jaguars are hoping they can make a late-season playoff push in 2008.
This is Jack Del Rio's sixth year as the Jaguars' head coach. Through the previous five seasons under Del Rio, the Jacksonville defense has ranked fourth in yards allowed (300.1 per game) and points allowed (18.2), while the offense was sixth in rushing yards (135.2) and second in fewest turnovers (114).
OFFENSE
Quarterback: David Garrard is in his second season as the Jaguars' starter. Last season, Garrard finished with only three interceptions in 325 attempts, giving him the second-lowest interception percentage in a season for any quarterback in NFL history. Garrard has thrown for 2,461 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions this season. He also has 221 yards on the ground with one rushing touchdown.
Running back: The Jaguars use a running back-by-committee approach that combines the talents of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Taylor is in his 11th season with the Jaguars and has led the club in rushing in eight of the past 10 years. He made the Pro Bowl after the 2007 season for the first time in his career. Jones-Drew has rushed for 503 yards and 11 touchdowns, which is tied for first among AFC running backs, while Taylor has 436 rushing yards and no touchdowns.
Wide receiver/tight end: Former first-round draft pick Matt Jones leads the team in receiving with 54 catches for 623 yards and two touchdowns. Receivers Reggie Williams and Dennis Northcutt both have 23 catches this season. Williams has 224 yards and two touchdowns, while Northcutt has posted 256 yards. Tight end Marcedes Lewis is second on the team in receiving with 347 yards and two touchdowns.
Offensive line: The Jaguars' offensive line has had its share of injuries so far this season, including two starters go on injured reserve. Left tackle Khalif Barnes has been a mainstay on the Jaguars' offensive line since being drafted in 2005. Next to Barnes is rookie left guard Uche Nwaneri. Center Brad Meester is in his ninth year in the league and is one of only six players in team history to start more than 100 games for the franchise. At right guard, Princeton grad Dennis Norman has started at least one game for the Jaguars in each of the past three seasons. Tony Pashos holds down the right tackle position.
DEFENSE
Defensive line: The Jaguars' defensive line is anchored by two-time Pro Bowl tackle John Henderson. Henderson, who ranks fifth in Jaguars history with 26 sacks, has 30 tackles and two sacks this season. Rob Meier provides a veteran presence next to Henderson in the middle of the defense. Meier has 23 tackles and two sacks for the year. Reggie Hayward is an eighth-year defensive end who has 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2008. Rookie defensive end Derrick Harvey was the Jaguars' first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft and has 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season. Harvey also has an interception this year.
Linebacker: Clint Ingram is in his third season in the NFL and has 16 tackles and two sacks this season. Justin Durant was tied for fifth on the Jaguars last season with 70 tackles in the regular season and led the team with 31 postseason tackles. He has 41 total tackles this year. Middle linebacker Daryl Smith is in his fifth season as a starter for the Jaguars after being drafted in the second round of 2004. Smith has 53 tackles and 2.5 sacks so far this season.
Secondary: Cornerback Rashean Mathis has led the team in interceptions in three of the past four years. Mathis was voted to the Pro Bowl after the 2006 season and has 37 tackles this season and has intercepted three passes, returning two of them for touchdowns. Strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh is in his fourth season in the NFL and has 44 tackles and three interceptions this season. Free safety Reggie Nelson, a first-round draft pick in 2007, has 30 tackles and one interception this year. Nelson set a team rookie record with five interceptions last season. Rounding out the secondary is cornerback Brian Williams, who is second on the team with 54 tackles and has picked off two passes this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Returning:Cornerback Brian Witherspoon handles primary punt and kickoff returns for the Jaguars. In only nine games played this season, he has 32 kickoff returns for 798 yards with a long of 51 yards. He also has replaced running back Maurice Jones-Drew as the team's primary punt returner and has since fielded 13 punts for 179 yards. Jones-Drew has returned nine kickoffs this season for 200 yards.
Kicking: Kicker Josh Scobee has served as the team's placekicker for the past four seasons after being drafted in the fifth round of 2004. Scobee has connected on 16-of-20 field goal attempts this season and is 100 percent in his extra point attempts.
