1.) With the Broncos selecting Tim Tebow in the draft, do you get the feeling that a lot of Jaguar fans have turned into part-time Bronco fans?

 Are there part time Bronco fans because Tim Tebow is a Bronco? 

 Understand the love this city has for Tim. He grew up here. He belongs to the biggest church and represented them well. He went to Florida and became a star. They have followed him since he was a high school junior. They are absolutely completely in love with him. They love Denver for taking him in the first round. They hope for the best for him and his new team. So will the Denver team be well received in Jacksonville? Yes and we love you for bringing him home on opening day. From those of us in Jacksonville, may you have a blessed season and may Tim lead you to greatness starting with the second game of the 2010 season.

2.) The Jags followed a similar season ending skid that the Broncos did. They were 7-5 and very much in the playoff hunt until they lost their final four games of the season. What happened?

The Jaguars played Miami and Indianapolis in a 4 day home stand. Rashean Mathis was out and Tyron Brackenridge started in his place. There was no pass rush and a new person in the secondary. Chad Henne went something like 13 pass completions in a row and ate Tyron up. Even still, the Jaguars played hard until the end and almost pulled it out. Then, 4 days later, the Colts came into town and the Jaguars had a fourth quarter lead 31-28. They couldn’t hold it against Peyton Manning.  Reggie Nelson shoulder bumped Dallas Clark and Dallas laughed at him and kept running for a touchdown. Two very physical and emotional losses in a week. That was all they had left in them.

 The season was lost, Christmas came and then a road trip to the Patriots. No one believed in that. Then a frozen game in Cleveland no one showed up to play. They quit before they came out of the locker room. It was too cold for the Florida boys, similar to your closing game against Kansas City, just a mental quit.

 The truth is, the Jaguars teetered on the brink of disaster all year and tried harder than they had talent for. We respected them for the effort, but understood they reached and didn’t have the horses to keep it up. The collapse was not as surprising as some of the victories were. Beating the Jets in NY was a big moment for us.

3.) Do you think QB David Garrard is going to have a better season and is this his last chance to prove himself as a viable starter in this league?

Despite what you hear, David is a viable starter. In 2005, he replaced Byron Leftwich midway through the season and went 5-1 to deliver a playoff spot. In 2006 he replaced Byron again and had two really bad games that caused him to be replaced but in 2007 he posted the miracle season and had a QB rating over 100, better than Peyton Manning. He was fantastic.

 In 2008 the team melted down and he was the most sacked most hit QB in the league. His receivers were horrible and on their way out of football. In 2009 he had new receivers and was still the most sacked most hit QB in the league. He had rookies on each side of him and Dwight Freeney twice a year. He was hit 20 times more than the next most hit QB. Kyle Orton was hit 62 times in Denver, David was hit 128 times in Jacksonville.

 Through it all, he remained strong and positive. He made the pro bowl last year after 8 other guys bowed out, but he was there. He has not let this team down except for two games in 2006. Seriously, he is a good quarterback. You will see for yourself.

 Will he be better in 2010? Against Denver and the all out blitz? If his offensive line learns how to block again. If the receivers are on the same page. A lot is in his favor in 2010 and I think he will be fine. He always has been fine, the team around him hasn’t.   

4.) What would getting a week 1 win mean to the Jaguars season?

OMG, it would be huge. Here is the history as to why. The 2007 season was a miracle season. The whole team played well and the city couldn’t get enough of their Jaguars. Trying to get a ticket to get inside the stadium was hard. In 2008, the management did everything wrong. They refused to pay some, paid others, brought in head cases, gave Jack a big contract and everything fell apart. The offensive line fell to injury. Stories of a free agent driving a new car to every game and bragging about it. The team belonged on a Jerry Springer show. The city was so turned off, they walked away in disgust. In 2009, Kurt Warner was setting the NFL completion percentage record in the Jaguar home opener. The crowd opened up and vented on the team for the 2008 performance and the horrible start to 2009. The Jaguars were booed off the field at half time by 42,000 fans. It was ugly. The Jaguars spent all of 2009 trying to make believers out of the city. They played hard and it started to be fun again.

 In the off season they have done everything they could to rekindle the love. They are 6,000 season tickets away from a sellout in every game. They have reached out and the city has responded. We want to believe again. So after that, what do you think a season opening win would mean?  It would spark the love affair again.

5. ) Based on what you know about the Broncos and your expertise on the Jaguars, who has the edge offensively, defensively, on special teams, and in the coaching department?
 

On offense – let’s look. I would take David Garrard over Kyle Orton. I would take Maurice Jones Drew over Knowshon Moreno.  I would take Marcedes Lewis over Tony Scheffler. I don’t know who is left as a receiver in Denver other than Eddie Royal and I love him for what he did for me in a fantasy league. So, at the risk of sounding like a homer, I like the Jaguar offense over the Denver offense right now. That is assuming the Jaguar offensive line can block again.

 Denver has the defense. On paper and in performance, you guys are soon to see the Orange Crush again. Hands down, Denver defense. The Jaguars struggled and fought to stay in every game. Denver dominated some people. Why it fell apart, I don’t know, but get it back!  Now Jacksonville will not be pushed over when you come to town. We are working on it!

 Coaching? Don Martindale new Defensive Coordinator. Josh McDaniels still a bit fresh faced. I am no Jack Del Rio fan, but I think we have a bit more experience over here and I give a slight edge, out of ignorance, to Jacksonville.

 Special teams? We have nothing. You can win that one if you want.

 The question will come to this on game day… can your defense show up and crush the Jaguars. That is where your victory will come from, if it comes. We are ready and waiting. Of course, if you do fall behind, and you need the crowd on your side… number 15.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) will leave the warm Florida climate to come to Colorado where game day temps will hover around 50 degrees. Jacksonville cannot win or lose games by more than seven points this year, so their record is not a good indicator of what to expect on Sunday. Unbelievably, the Broncos have the league’s longest home winning streak at six games. Both teams are plagued by injuries, and the Jags are coming off of a tough loss to Pittsburgh. The two teams met last year in a game that the Broncos would like to forget about. With a 2-0 record to begin the 07′ season, the Broncos thought they had their QB of the future, and a strong defense. Then, like a tornado picking up Dorothy in Kansas, the Broncos were taken by the storm and slammed into a place called Loserville. They went on to lose to Indianapolis by 18 and San Diego by  38 after their defense let the Jags’ offense control the ball for 39 minutes. The Broncos’ defense continued its downward spiral until the season’s end. But, last year is last year. This is a brand new team that is looking for their 400th franchise victory. The Jags are not going to rain on their parade again. However, it will not be an easy victory for the Broncos. My Prediction: Broncos 31 Jaguars 20.  

Offense

Broncos - The offense will look to get back on track after their poor performance in Kansas City and their 16 point effort in the Tampa Bay win. Some new guys will need to fill in this week as Selvin Young and Tony Scheffler are out due to strained groins. Young leads the team in rushing yards, and Scheffler is third in receiving yards. It looks like it’s a good week to have Michael Pittman on your fantasy roster as he will be carrying the ball more along with Andre Hall. Other than Jay Cutler, Pittman has the most touchdowns for the Broncos this season. With Scheffler out, Nate Jackson will see more playing time as well. Also on the mend is rookie Eddie Royal. He is probable with a sprained ankle, but you will see Darrell Jackson (who returns from injury) on the field quite a bit.  Cutler still has plenty of options available to him. I’m sure Brandon Marshall is pleading for more balls to be thrown his way as he only had 3 catches for 25 yards last week. Cutler just needs to be careful of the underneath defenders that have intercepted his passes intended for Marshall in the past. The offense loves to play at home, so they should have over 30 points against the Jags’ struggling defense.     

Jaguars- Any offense that comes to Denver makes me nervous. Yes, the Broncos have shown that they have a defense. Now, let’s test this theory by replicating the experiment. Like the Bucs, the Jags have a QB who is a headcase. David Garrard comes in with 3 TDs, 4 INTs, and 1 fumble in 5 games. That’s benchwarmer worthy, but the Jags don’t have a clipboard holder good enough to replace him, so they’re stuck with Garrard. Their running game might have a chance with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew running the show. Both had over 100 yards rushing in their win over the Colts, but it was a close game because Garrard played like a JV backup. Matt Jones leads the team in legal fees, I mean receiving yards with 23 catchers for 269 yards and 1 TD. That’s how bad this offense really is. Don’t throw on your bathrobe and slippers yet, though. This team likes to control the clock and would like to hold the ball for 32-35 minutes per game. Let’s hope the Broncos’ can stop the run to allow their offense a chance to get on the field.

Defense

Broncos - Defensive momentum does not cross state lines, does it? At least for now? If the Broncos can generate the pass rush once again, Garrard is the kind of QB who will throw right into the arms of Champ Bailey, Dre Bly, and Co. The 3-4 alignment mixed in with the 4-3 may be the right recipe for the Broncos right now. The linebackers had more than half the team’s 62 total tackles against the Bucs, and youngsters got a glimpse of what it must have been like to watch the Orange Crush in action. Elvis Dumervil feels a sense of relief as he got his first sack of the season (finally!), and the rest of the defense held Tampa Bay to just 168 passing yards. The Broncos should play to the run at least in the beginning because of the Jags’ tendency to have an ugly passing game. If the Broncos can stop the run, then the game is pretty much in the bag.  

Jaguars - This defense has trouble coming up big when it needs to. In their final drive, the opposing offense has scored on the Jags in all 5 games. As a whole their pass rush has had trouble, tallying just 8 sacks through 5 games. The Jags are plagued by age and injury. Cornerback Drayton Florence and safety Reggie Nelson missed last week’s game, but Florence should play on Sunday. The coaching staff played the game more conservatively on defense against the Steelers by cutting back on the blitzes, but that may not work against the Broncos. When Cutler has time, receivers find a hole to sit in, and Cutler can deliver on the money. Brian Williams is one of the top 10 players in the league in tackles (29), and he has an interception. Rashean Mathis also has a nose for the ball as he has 2 INTs on the season. The Broncos offense will have a chance to expose this frail defense in the air and on the ground.

Special Teams  

Broncos - Jason Elam who? Matt Prater is 4-4 on field goals of 50+ yards. He was named the a top AFC player of the week, and nailed all three of his field goals against Tampa. He leads the league in scoring with 51 points. Brett Kern also did a great job on special teams last week punting 5 times and landing the ball inside the 20 twice. He averaged 49.6 yards per punt. Tampa only had one chance to return a kick and the coverage stood strong on that one play. The Broncos learned that it may just be best to not let teams return kicks at all.    

Jaguars - The Jags actually have the best kickoff coverage in the league, so the Broncos may not have much of an opportunity to score there. The Jags could take advantage of a weak Broncos’ kickoff coverage because they are ranked 6th in the league in returns. Brian Witherspoon is averaging 28.6 yards on returns and he had a 51 yard break away this season. Field goal kicker Josh Scobee is 10 for 11 on the season and he’s made all of his extra point attempts.  

Coaching

Broncos - Mike Shanahan continued to tell the media that the defense would come around, and he was right. Now, if he can get the offense and defense on the same page starting with the Jacksonville game, he will be my hero. The coaching staff’s play calling makes opposing teams think they’re in Las Vegas with all of the guessing that they have to do just to get a stop. Shanahan and staff have got this team figured out for the most part, and they’re exposing their strengths and masking their weaknesses.  

Jaguars - Jack Del Rio is trying to pound the fundamentals into his players’ heads. He says that they’re not sharp and it shows because they can’t close out games, and they can’t convert or get stops on third downs. Wearing a suit and tie during the game won’t solve those problems, and Del Rio knows that if they can’t win in Denver, their season is virtually over. 

GO BRONCOS!!!