After placing second year quarterback Blaine Gabbert on injured reserve earlier in the week, the 1-9 Jacksonville Jaguars finally experienced a change in fortune.

Backup Chad Henne hadn’t started a game in more than a calendar year, but in the end he gave the team and its fans a reason to smile on Sunday, as he led the Jags and their 29th ranked scoring offense to their first home win of the season, a 24-19 victory over the Tennessee Titans (4-7).

“Hopefully this builds confidence for everybody throughout these next five games, builds new life,” said Henne, who threw for 261 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Henne provided a spark off the bench last week in Houston when he replaced the injured Gabbert and finished against with 354 passing yards and four touchdowns against an elite Texans defense. The Jaguars went on to lose a tough one in overtime, 43-37, but Henne helped them put up a valiant effort against a team that was 8-1 at the time and has established itself as one of the league’s powerhouses.

After Jake Locker’s six yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kenny Britt cut Jacksonville’s lead to 21-19 with 4:52 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars quickly went three and out and punted the ball right back to the Titans. Jaguars safety Dwight Lowery came up huge on the second play of the possession, intercepting Locker on a tipped ball at the Jacksonville 43 yard line with just under three minutes left to go.

For Lowery, who was sidelined the previous five games, it was his first pick of the season.

“It was nice to get a timely play that put us in position to win,” said linebacker Russell Allen, who assisted Lowery on the interception with the deflection. “It’s something we pride ourselves on: If we’re a position to win with our defense on the field, that’s right where we want to be. Today we were able to put it away.”

Locker had 261 yards through the air, two interceptions and one touchdown.

Five rushes by running back Rashad Jennings allowed kicker Josh Scobee to knock through a 41 yard field goal with only 24 seconds left, extending the Jags lead to 24-19 and virtually ending the game.

The defense forced another takeaway when cornerback Mike Harris then intercepted Locker at the Jaguars 42 to seal the team’s first home win since 2011.

Jacksonville never trailed after falling behind 3-0 on the game’s opening possession. Jennings’ one yard touchdown run late in the first put the Jaguars ahead 7-3. Cecil Shorts’ 59 yard touchdown reception added to the advantage at 14-6 at the 8:40 mark of the third quarter. Justin Blackmon’s seven yard touchdown catch kept it a two possession game, 21-12, a little more than halfway through the fourth.

“It’s good to have something good happen, really good,” said Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey. “They needed that. A lot of people needed that. It was well earned.”

Image Courtesy : Jacksonville Jaguars

The article Henne Provides Lift as Jacksonville Holds On Against Tennessee appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9) weren’t supposed to present any sort of problem for the Houston Texans (9-1) on Sunday. With polar opposite seasons taking place for the two AFC South representatives, the consensus was that the Texans would glide past the Jags with utmost ease.

Instead, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak and his men let out a huge sigh of relief as Andre Johnson turned a screen pass into a 48 yard trip to the end zone to win the game in overtime, 43-37.

“All the good teams find a way to win, no matter if it’s ugly, pretty or whatever,” said Johnson, who finished the day with the lone touchdown and career highs of 14 receptions and 273 yards. “In the win column, it either says ‘W’ or ‘L.’ They don’t ask how you got it done.”

But he was not the only one with video-game like numbers. Matt Schaub threw for 527 yards – second most all-time – and tossed five touchdown passes, two of which came in the fourth quarter during a string of 16 consecutive completions that got the Texans even after trailing 34-20 with 12:33 left to go in regulation.

It was not the first time that a Houston quarterback put up 527 yards through the air. Hall of Famer Warren Moon also did it back in 1990 with the Houston Oilers, who eventually went on to become the current-day Tennessee Titans.

After witnessing a tie just last week between the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers – the NFL’s first since 2008 – this matchup was not far from producing yet another. A 33 yard Jaguars field goal deadlocked the two sides at 37 in overtime with 4:21 remaining following a 25 yarder made by Houston around the eight minute mark.

“I told them afterwards, we didn’t come here for a tie,” said Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey. “We had some chances. We just did not make some of the plays that we haven’t made throughout the year.”

Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert was unable to return to the game after taking a sack from Houston safey Danieal Manning and injuring his elbow on the play. Backup Chad Henne played the rest of the way and had an excellent performance with 354 yards and four touchdowns.

“You’ve just got to always be prepared and ready to go in,” Henne said. “I’ve been preparing these last couple weeks like I’ve got to be the starter, and any time he (Gabbert) goes down, just jump in and hopefully not lose a step.”

Jaguars rookie receiver Justin Blackmon played a significant role in Henne’s success, hauling in a touchdown and 236 yards on seven receptions.

But as far as wide receivers were concerned, it was Johnson’s day from start to finish.

“I don’t know if that one will ever be touched,” said Kubiak. “That was special from the Texans standpoint.”

Image Courtesy : Jacksonville Jaguars

The article Jaguars Give Texans Fits, But Houston Escapes in Overtime appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Indianapolis Colts had to find a way to keep their emotions in check on Thursday night following such an emotional victory just four days prior.

Mission accomplished and then some.

After seeing head coach Chuck Pagano in the stadium on Sunday for the first time since he was diagnosed with leukemia early this season – and after listening to the powerful motivational speech he gave following their victory – the Colts (6-3) travelled to Jacksonville and coasted to their fourth straight win with a 27-10 wire-to-wire victory over the Jaguars (1-8).

In a sign of support for Pagano, Colts players shaved their heads during the week as he began the second phase of the treatment process.

Andrew Luck threw for 227 yards, an interception, no touchdowns, and lost a fumble, but his legs were responsible for the Colts two second quarter scores, as he ran five yards into the end zone at the 13:44 mark to extend Indianapolis’ lead to 10-0 and snuck in for a controversial one yard touchdown to make it 17-0 with 7:39 remaining in the half.

“This win was huge,” Luck said. “We wanted to keep our winning streak going. Jacksonville got us earlier this year. We didn’t want to go 0-2 against a team. This is a good step in the right direction, but no one looks back at the fact that you were 6-3 in the middle of the season. It’s what we do at the end of the season.”

On Luck’s second touchdown, the ball appeared to pushed backward, making it unclear whether or not it ever crossed the plane of the end zone. Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey was livid once replay did not overturn the original call, and he flipped his headset and playbook to the ground as made his way onto the field to argue with the officials. He was immediately hit with a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I lost my composure because of it,” Mularkey said. “I knew it was going to be reviewed. I certainly thought the review would see what everybody else saw.”

Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert had 209 passing yards and was unable to put together a consistent drive. The lowest point of his night came in the third quarter when Indianapolis cornerback Darius Butler jumped a route on a pass toward the right sideline, picked it off and scampered 11 yards into the end zone.

“We’re so close but so far at the same time,” said Gabbert. “We get drives going and we have to make a play and we haven’t done that. We definitely didn’t do that tonight.”

Gabbert would be replaced by former Miami Dolphins starter and his backup, Chad Henne, after sustaining a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Henne completed 10 passes for 121 yards, one of which included a four yard touchdown pass to receiver Cecil Shorts to cut the lead to 24-10 with 9:16 left to go.

Butler also intercepted Henne inside the two minute mark and returned it 51 yards to the Jaguars 13 yard line to seal it.

Image Courtesy : Jacksonville Jaguars

The article Colts Win Fourth Straight with 27-10 Victory Over Jaguars appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Detroit Lions improved to 4-4, after their 31-14 victory on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Lions were led by running back, Mikel Leshoure who had 16 carries for 70 yards and three touchdowns. All three of Leshoure’s touchdowns came inside the 10 yard-line in the second quarter to give the Lions an early 21-0 lead. His three touchdowns was the first time the young back punched in multiple touchdown runs.

Running back, Joique Bell also had an effective game running the ball, with 13 carries for 73 yards and one touchdown. Bell’s 10 yard touchdown run was in the fourth quarter, solidifying the victory.

Quarterback, Matthew Stafford completed 22-of-33 passes for 285 yards. Stafford was held without a touchdown pass for the second time this season, meanwhile he threw at least one touchdown pass in each game he played in last season.

Stafford and star wideout Calvin Johnson were able to connect seven times for 129 yards. Johnson has surpassed the 100 yard mark four times this season, but still only has one touchdown. His seven receptions this week was his best since his 10 catches against Tennessee earlier in the year.

Jaguar quarterback, Blaine Gabbert completed 27-of-38 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Gabbert’s first touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter to wideout Michael Spurlock. Spurlock’s five yard touchdown was his first of the year. He finished off the game with five receptions for 35 yards along with his touchdown.

Gabbert’s second touchdown pass was in the fourth quarter to rookie wideout Justin Blackmon. Blackmon, also caught five passes for 32 yards along with his touchdown. Wide receiver, Laurent Robinson returned from a concussion catching six passes for 41 yards.

Running back, Rashard Jennings continues to be Jacksonville’s number one back after Maurice Jones-Drew’s injury. Jennings carried the ball 12 times for 45 yards and also had three receptions for seven yards. The Jaguars are still unaware about when Jones-Drew will return from the foot injury.

The 1-7 Jaguars remain winless at home and will be back in action on short rest on Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts. As for the Lions, they will have a tough match-up on the road against divisional rivals the Minnesota Vikings.

Image Courtesy : Detroit Lions

The article Lions Bounce Back To .500 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Green Bay Packers surprisingly struggled against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but were able to hang on to earn themselves a 24-15 victory and improve to 5-3 on the season.

The Packers were without number one and two wideouts Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Jennings will miss about six weeks after opting for surgery on his groin. As for Nelson, he was inactive because of a hamstring injury. Lets not forget all of the injury woes the Packers are facing on the defensive side.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 22-of-35 for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers has thrown at least two touchdowns in the last five games for the Packers. Rodgers connected with wideout Randall Cobb on a five yard touchdown pass in the 1st quarter and veteran wideout Donald Driver in the 4th quarter.

James Jones led the Packers receiving core with seven receptions and 78 yards. Cobb continues to make a name for himself after catching his 4th touchdown pass of the year, already three more than last season. Cobb has already surpassed last seasons yards and receptions totals.

Green Bays running game continues to be non-existent and the absence of Cedric Benson continues to hurt them week after week. Alex Green carried the ball 22 times for an unproductive 54 yards. Green Bays rushing high of the season is held by Benson with 84 yards. Since he went down with a season ending injury, there has not been a single back to run for more than 65 yards.

In the 2nd quarter, Green Bay’s special teams came up with an enormous punt block that was recovered in the end-zone to help put seven points on the board.

Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw a career high 303 yards and tossed one touchdown pass in the defeat. Wideout Cecil Shorts led the receivers eight receptions for 116 yards.

The Jaguars lost star running back Maurice Jones-Drew to a foot injury last week, therefore promoting Rashard Jennings as the starting back. Jennings carried the ball 17 times for 59 yards, including six receptions for 56 yards. Jacksonville will face another NFC North opponent, the Detroit Lions, next week at home.

Green Bay’s victory is their third straight this season, and they have won 16 of their last 17 games at Lambeau Field. The Packers are now tied for second with the Minnesota Vikings. They will be welcoming the Arizona Cardinals to Lambeau next week as they look for a 4th straight win.

Image Courtesy of  Green Bay Packers

The article Packers Escape Close Game appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

If you were told before this season’s opening kickoff that only one AFC division would sport at least a .500 total record amongst its four teams going into the Sunday afternoon of Week 6, wouldn’t you assume in an almost reflexive manner that it would most certainly have to be either the AFC North or AFC East?

No one would blame you for thinking that. Unfortunately, however, you’d be sadly mistaken.

The AFC North, boasting mainstays such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, actually have just a 9-11 combined mark at this point in the season. The AFC East, with the defending conference champion New England Patriots and three other tough-nosed teams right behind them in the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, also have a total of nine wins and eleven losses on the year.

Then there is the AFC West, which, at 7-12, finds itself underachieving yet again, meaning that the only AFC division that currently is not under the .500 plateau – and also has the best record in the conference – is the AFC South at 10-10.

A late win by the Tennessee Titans over the Steelers on Thursday night is the only reason that the AFC South sits in this current position, as opposed to the AFC North, but they’ll take the recognition nonetheless.

If you’re going to talk AFC South and success, the Houston Texans have to be mentioned immediately. Better yet, the Texans should always be mentioned when discussing successful teams in general. After all, they are only one of two teams – the Atlanta Falcons being the other – who is still undefeated at 5-0.

Responsible for half of their division’s overall wins, the Texans are not surprised at all by what they’ve accomplished thus far. They did receive a scare from the New York Jets last Monday night when they were able to hold them off late for a 23-17 victory, but that and the 31-25 Week 3 win in Denver against Peyton Manning and the Broncos have been the only two matchups to have caused the Texans to break a true sweat.

With Arian Foster maintaining his status as one of the top running backs in the league, a defensive unit that ranks fourth overall with only 73 total points surrendered and the third-best scoring offense at 29.8 points per game, the Texans’ Super Bowl aspirations are, and will continue to be, more than realistic.

Then there are the Indianapolis Colts, who, conversely to the Texans, actually have surprised many, including their own fans, with a 2-2 record going into Week 6. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Indianapolis with changes at general manager, head coach, and quarterback in Ryan Grigson, Chuck Pagano and rookie Andrew Luck, respectively.

Pagano will not coach for the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a form of adult leukemia during the team’s Week 4 bye, but expect the Colts every week to fight as hard as they can just for him. That never-say-die attitude manifested itself into the ultimate storybook come-from-behind win last Sunday over the Green Bay Packers, which owner Jim Irsay guaranteed after initially announcing Pagano’s illness to the media.

Luck has shown fantastic poise late in games, and the Colts could actually be sitting pretty at 3-1 had it not been for an 80 yard game-winning touchdown pass by Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert towards the end of the teams’ Week 3 showdown. If Indianapolis continues to play the way that they have demonstrated they’re capable of, they could definitely find themselves competing for one of the conference’s two Wild Card slots.

Finally, there are the Titans and Jaguars, who are struggling just as much as they were expected to. Despite pulling off a very inspirational victory over the Steelers this past Thursday, the Titans find themselves at just 2-4 and in next-to-last place in the AFC South. Second year quarterback Jake Locker is set to return next week after injuring his shoulder in a Week 4 loss to the Texans and sitting out the last game. Locker has only thrown for less than 800 yards in four starts this season.

The Jaguars (1-4) aren’t giving the people of Jacksonville any reason to pray that their team won’t pick up and leave for Los Angeles within the next few years, as has been rumored. Jacksonville ranks dead last in scoring and 24^th in points allowed. There have been those occurrences where Gabbert shows flashes of brilliance, but more often than not he looks overmatches out there.

Neither the Jaguars nor the Titans should be .500 teams at season’s conclusion, but make sure to keep a close eye on what the Texans and Colts are up to. Those two make the AFC South worth watching.

Image Courtesy of  daveynin

The article The AFC South and Where It Stands appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

After a 3-3 halftime stalemate, a 38 point second half Chicago Bears scoring eruption led the Bears to a crushing 41-3 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler completed 23-of-39 passes for 292 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win. Cutler connected with rookie Alshon Jeffery for the first offensive touchdown of the game in the 3rd quarter. Jeffery had two receptions for 20 yards along with the touchdown catch. Brandon Marshall led the Bears receiving core with a season high 12 receptions, 144 yards and a 4th quarter touchdown.

As for the Bears rushing attack, Matt Forte led the pack with 107 yards on 22 carries. Forte also caught two passes for 20 yards. This was Forte’s first 100+ yard rushing game of the 2012 season. In addition, running back Armando Allen scored the first NFL touchdown of his career on a 46 yard breakout touchdown.

The Bears offense finished off the game with 501 total yards, compared to the Jaguars 189 yards. Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert struggled completing 17-of-33 passes for 142 yards, was sacked three times and threw two interceptions. This was Gabbert’s first week held without throwing a touchdown pass. Cecil Shorts led the receivers with two receptions for 43 yards.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball 12 times for 56 yards. Jones-Drew has been held under 100 yards in four of this year’s five games.

The Bears defense continues to make opposing quarterbacks and offenses struggle. In the 3rd quarter, cornerback Charles Tillman picked off Gabbert for a 36 yard interception return for a touchdown. Linebacker Lance Briggs also picked off Gabbert for a 36 yard interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Tillman and Briggs have returned interceptions for touchdowns in two consecutive games. The Bears defense have scored four defensive touchdowns in the past two games.

Chicago improved to 4-1 on the season, and is on a three game winning streak heading into their bye week. The Bears will be back in action against divisional rivals Detroit Lions on Monday night, October 22. Jacksonville will also be on their bye week, and will be back in action Sunday, October 21 against the Oakland Raiders.

For additional player or game statistics click here. 

Image Courtesy of  Chicago Bears

The article Second Half Explosion Earns Bears Victory appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Adam Vinatieri made a field goal to put the Indianapolis Colts ahead by one point with 56 seconds left in the fourth. Given Blaine Gabbert’s tremendous struggles all afternoon long, virtually everyone in the building thought it was over.

To no surprise, that may have even included a number of his Jacksonville Jaguars teammates, as well.

In an AFC South showdown that the Colts (1-2) were less than a minute away from winning, the Jaguars (1-2) instead ended up leaving Lucas Oil Stadium with a 22-17 victory that completely shattered the hearts of Andrew Luck along with the rest of Indianapolis.

Only eleven seconds after the snap of the first play from scrimmage following Vinatieri’s clutch field goal, which just barely snuck through the left upright, Cecil Shorts III had just dove across the goal line while being tackled, finishing off an 80 yard catch and run up the middle of the field to give the Jags the eventual winning score.

“I told the guys going out onto the field, ‘We’re going to win. Right here, right now,’” said Gabbert. “We happened to get the right look for the play that was called. We just went with it.”

By the time the play was over the venue had instantly gone from jubilant to punched-in-the-stomach shocked. No one donning royal blue was able to process what had just taken place.

The game-winning touchdown pass was Gabbert’s only scoring throw of the game, and also just his tenth and final completion. He netted only 155 yards through the air on the day.

“This one’s going to sit in the pit of their stomachs for quite some time,” said Colts head coach Chuck Pagano of his players. “Obviously, we’re going to have to get over it and move on and get better from here.”

Pro start number three was another success for Luck, with the exception of how the final score turned out. Luck threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns. His interception with less than seven minutes remaining in the third quarter would set up a 47 yard field goal by Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee that cut the Indianapolis lead to 14-13 a few minutes later.

After taking an early 3-0 lead on the game’s opening possession, the Jags did not find themselves back in the driver’s seat until the 11:02 mark of the fourth quarter thanks to a 26 yard field goal by Scobee.

Two first half touchdown passes by Luck – a 40 yarder toward the right sideline to rookie receiver T.Y. Hilton and a 4 yard slant to running back Mewelde Moore helped the Colts establish a 14-3 advantage going into halftime.

Maurice Jones-Drew broke a 59 yard untouched rush to the right and took it all the way for the score early in the third to bring Jacksonville within four. He had an unstoppable day, recording 177 yards on 28 carries.

On the ensuing Colts possession, receiver Austin Collie, who suffered a concussion in the preseason and has had three in total dating back to the 2010 regular season, took a hard hit over the middle after making his first catch of the season and then had to be carted off the field with a knee injury.

Trailing 16-14 inside of five minutes to go in the fourth, Vinatieri just missed a 36 yard field goal wide left following an inexplicable delay of game penalty that appeared to make all the difference on the attempt.

The Colts found themselves on their own 35 with no timeouts at their disposal shortly after Shorts III’s late touchdown. Luck was able to get them all the way down to the Jacksonville 26 yard line, but a final jump ball for Reggie Wayne in the end zone was knocked away to conclude the ball game.

No matter how wild it was, Jacksonville will certainly take the win.

“This win is close to the top,” said Jaguars cornerback Rashean Mathis. “That was pretty much a ‘Hail Mary’, but it was great.”

Image Courtesy of   Jacksonville Jaguars

The article Jags Stun Colts with Late Touchdown, 22-17 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Unlike the case in their season opener last week, the Houston Texans (2-0) had no problem whatsoever getting off to a quick start. Houston relentlessly imposed their will on their AFC South rival – the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) – throughout a 27-7 Week 2 victory on Sunday down in North Florida.

Quarterback Matt Schaub didn’t throw a touchdown and the defense only forced one turnover, but none of those factors prevented the Texans from putting up 10 points the first quarter, seven in the second and the third and three more in the fourth.

Domination on the ground propelled Houston from start to finish, as running back Arian Foster totaled 110 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries. As if that wasn’t enough, his backup, Ben Tate, complemented him with 12 attempts, 74 yards and two trips to the endzone of his own. Foster’s one yard touchdown run with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter capped off a six-play, 42-yard drive to extend the Texans 3-0 lead to 10-0. Tate’s first touchdown came from eight yards out a little more than halfway through the second quarter to make it a 17-0 Houston advantage. He would go on to add a two yard scoring rush late in the third, pushing the Texans further ahead, 24-7, following Jacksonville’s only points of the day, which came on a five yard touchdown pass by Blaine Gabbert to Maurice Jones-Drew.

Gabbert had a day he’d certainly like to forget, completing just seven of 19 passes. However, he made sure to hold his Jaguars teammates accountable as well. “We killed ourselves,” said Gabbert. “We were 0 for 9 on third down, just a lack of execution. Had a bunch of mental mistakes. We just shot ourselves in the foot. And you can’t win football games in the NFL by doing that.”

Jaguars first year head coach Mike Mularkey removed Gabbert in the fourth quarter for precautionary reasons due to a “strain in the back of his leg.” Jones-Drew, Jacksonville’s main offensive weapon and last year’s league rushing leader, finished with a mere 60 yards on 12 carries.

“All of it was weird,” Jaguars defensive end Jeremy Mincey said. “We’ve got to fight. We’re not in too big a hole. We’ve got to climb out of that hole and pull it together.”

Houston added a fourth quarter field goal to give themselves a 27-7 lead – the same score they would win by. The Texans dominated on both sides of the ball, outgaining Jacksonville 411 to 117 in yardage. “We were mad that we started slow last game so we came out here with a mission, a goal, to start fast,” said Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. “Two 20-point wins the first two weeks? That’s what you’re supposed to do. If we can just stay focused on our goals, we should be fine.”

Image Courtesy of    Houston Texans

The article Houston Texans Overpower Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-7 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Minnesota opened up their season with an overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-23. Viking fans were extremely excited to welcome back a healthy Adrian Peterson after he suffered a gruesome knee injury towards the end of last season.

Peterson made his presence known with his quick explosive cuts in and out of Jacksonville’s defense. Peterson had 17 carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings. Peterson punched in both of his touchdowns inside the Jaguars 5 yard-line.

Quarterback Christian Ponder ran the offense with much more authority compared to his rookie season. Although losing one fumble, Ponder completed 20 of 27 passes for 270 yards and had a 105.5 passer rating. Ponder connected with wideout Percy Harvin 6 times for 84 yards. Harvin was also featured at running back and had 5 carries for 20 yards.

As for the Jaguars, 2nd year quarterback Blaine Gabbert also stood behind center with the tons of confidence he lacked last season. Gabbert completed 23 of 39 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns, including one touchdown with 20 seconds left in the 4th to wideout Cecil Shorts that gave the Jaguars a short lived 23-20 lead. Gabbert also connected with tight end Marcedes Lewis for a one yard touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter. Lewis finished the game with 5 receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who sat out all preseason, was also effective offensively for the Jaguars. Jones carried the ball 19 times for 77 yards.

However, Vikings rookie kicker Blair Walsh, was definitely Sunday’s MVP. Walsh was 4/4 including a 55 yard bomb that tied the game 23-23 at the end of regulation to force overtime. Walsh was not done there: in overtime, Walsh hit a 38 yard field goal through the uprights to earn the Vikings the victory. Walsh’s other two field goals were from 20 yards and 42 yards out. Walsh was drafted in the 6th round out of the University of Georgia.

Defensively the Vikings were led by their linebacking core. Linebacker Chad Greenway led the team with 13 tackles, including 9 solo tackles. Linebacker Erin Henderson also had a great game grappling up 10 tackles, 6 which were solo, and one sack.

The Vikings will be back in action next Sunday, September 16 on the road against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.

For additional game and player stats click here. 

Image Courtesy of  Minnesota Vikings

The article Vikings Kick Their Way to Victory appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Judging by the fact that the 2011 Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) finished dead last in overall offensive yardage, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch pointing out that the 2012 squad has plenty of room to improve and then some.

Running the football was not really an issue last season, considering that Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew led the league’s rushers with 1,606 yards on the ground. After letting go of his desire to renegotiate the final two years of the front-loaded deal he signed five years ago, Jones-Drew officially ended his 38-day holdout on Sunday, only a week before the Jaguars season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

But despite having the number one rusher in the NFL, rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s tremendous struggles in 2011 plummeted the Jaguars offensive efficiency to rock bottom. The former University of Missouri quarterback’s 11 interceptions in 15 games was not an abysmal total, but with 12 touchdown passes, a 50.8 completion percentage, an average of only 147.6 passing yards per game, and a visible fear of hanging in the pocket and taking the big hit, the consensus was that Gabbert clearly was not prepared for the starting role just yet.

The other side of the football was a much different story for Jacksonville. Defense was a strong-suit in 2011, as they allowed an average of just 20.6 points per game, which was good enough for the 11th rank in the league.

However, a great running attack and defensive unit was not enough to allow former head coach Jack Del Rio to keep his job. Management decided to move on, firing him on November 29th. Del Rio held the title of Jaguars head coach dating back to the 2003 season.

In now is Mike Mularkey, a long-time former NFL assistant coach and also Buffalo Bills head coach from 2004-2005. The team is under new ownership and has begun its rebuilding phase. Their key personnel losses this offseason include defensive linemen Matt Roth, Aaron Kampman and Leger Douzable. Among the significant additions are veteran wide receivers Laurent Robinson and Lee Evans, a quality cornerback in Aaron Ross and former Miami Dolphins starting quarterback, Chad Henne. Because of Gabbert’s youth, many believe Henne will take control of the starting position under center at one point or another this season.

Rookie wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who the Jaguars selected with the fifth overall pick in this summer’s draft out of Oklahoma State, is projected to become their primary target for the foreseeable future.

With all that being said, the Jaguars compete in the AFC South, which will likely be run away with by the Houston Texans for a second straight year. In this first season of the next stage for this Jacksonville franchise a realistic goal would be somewhere between six and eight wins.

Image Courtesy of  Jacksonville Jaguars

The article Jacksonville Jaguars Season Preview appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

It’s almost as if the Buccaneers never recovered from the long flight to London to play the Bears in Week 7.

Tampa Bay’s 4-2 record upon their arrival to England is now a distant memory after dropping their seventh consecutive game with a 41-14 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.

There haven’t been any major changes made to the roster, so the continuous losing following a 10-6 season last year remains a head-scratcher.

Things looked more than promising out of the gate for the Bucs. After missing last week’s game with a shoulder injury Josh Freeman opened up the game by leading his team on an 80 yard scoring drive. A one yard LeGarrette Blount touchdown run gave them a quick 7-0 lead.

The defense held 10^th overall pick Blaine Gabbert, league rushing leader Maurice Jones-Drew, and the rest of the Jacksonville offense completely in check throughout the first quarter.

A Ronde Barber interception late in the first immediately erased the threat of a scoring drive for the Jags. Barber recorded the 43^rd interception of his career with a pick off Gabbert that he returned to his own 48.

Freeman would turn the takeaway into six after a 13 yard touchdown rush to give the Bucs a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

The Jaguars then suddenly woke up, and they did so with a bang.

Montell Owens crushed Buccaneers punt returner Preston Parker on the Tampa Bay 20. The ball came flying out and was recovered, and returned eight yards into the end zone by Jacksonville’s Colin Cloherty. The Jags had unexpectedly cut the deficit in half at 14-7.

However, the Bucs still believed that they were in good shape, as they were still containing the Jaguar offense.

But Gabbert’s day completely turned around on the next drive after completing a 62 yard throw down field to tight end Mercedes Lewis. He was just 2-7 for 9 yards prior to the throw, but went 17-23 for 208 yards after. It was clear that he gained a new found confidence from it.

Maurice Jones-Drew then punched home a one yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 2:05 remaining in the half.

Tampa Bay tried to remain composed, but a sack of Freeman near the end zone ruined that plan. Nate Collins recovered the ball in the end zone for the Jags to give them their first lead of the day.

And the Jags would not lose that aggression. An Ashton Youboty interception at the Tampa Bay 49 eventually set up five yard touchdown throw to Jones-Drew with just four seconds left in the quarter.

The touchdown was Jones-Drew’s 71^st of his career, passing Fred Taylor for number one on the Jags all-time touchdown list. He reached the end zone four times before the clock hit triple zero.

“It means a lot,” said Jones-Drew. “To break a record that Fred set, it means a bunch. Words can’t explain how excited I am to have a guy that mentored me the whole time, taught me how to play this game the right way, how to take care of my body and do those things.”

The record-breaking touchdown capped a less than eight minute span in which the Jaguars put 28 points on the board.

“I can’t remember a quarter like that,” said interim Jags head coach Mel Tucker. “When you’re playing like that, that’s fun. That was good for us to have that feeling, to experience that. That’s what it takes to win consistently at a high level in this league. We got a taste of that today.”

Turnovers were a major contributor to the huge scoring output by the Jags. Giving the ball away seven times gave Tampa Bay no shot at victory.

“Yeah, once again, turnovers,” said Freeman. “It seems every time we started to get something going, we’d shoot ourselves in the foot. It makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to win a football game when you turn the ball over like we did.”

The Bucs offense was unable to put anything together throughout the entire second half, and 13 fourth quarter points sealed a comfortable victory for the Jags.

Jaguars fans enjoyed watching their fourth win of the season, but this one was different for the team. This was their first victory under Tucker.

So they just had to celebrate by giving him a classic Gatorade bath on the sideline.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

The article Jacksonville Beatdown Hands Bucs Seventh Straight Loss appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

It’s been months since the last football game and finally, the players are back on the field. At 7.30 pm tonight, the Jags will take on the Patriots in Foxborough.

It will be interesting to see how the teams are coming along after a long lockout. Unlike regular season games, preseason is a lot about getting the team back together, improving weak areas, and testing out new players. New England Patriots have obtained quite a few valuable players for both their offense and defense. Good thing is the Pats is the team of the 2000s.

For the past ten years, they won three super bowl titles and only missed two playoffs and for this reason, I have not seen an unhappy new Patriot’s member.

“Every players want to win, and joining a team with such a winning momentum pushes them even harder” said an ESPN analyze.

Take Ochocinqo for example; during a press conference last season while he was still with the Cincinnati Bengals, he expressed an interest in becoming a Patriot. Months later with a new signed deal, a guy will such character is now willing to do it in the Bill Belichick’s way.

Now, let’s get to the point: who will come off with a win tonight?

With one of the best offenses in the league, no team can stop them from scoring. The only weakness about the Pats is their young defense. It would be interesting to see adjustments Belichick made to the team and if the veterans Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis would assist the Pats at all with the receiving game.

Jacksonville Jaguars, on the other hand, is not a bad team. Last season, they were 8-8. Even though this is a preseason game and anything can happen, I still don’t think the Jags would surprise the Pats.

Moreover, as a result of QB David Garrard’s injury rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert will start for the team, which means there’s still room for error. Most might say rookies will push to the limit to prove themselves. I agree but the “want” and the “experience” are two very different things, though when combined, can create an outstanding player. He will be great. Everyone takes time.

My final verdict: the Patriots.

The article NFL Preseason: New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The 2010-2011 NFL season showed fans a slew of teams that found themselves on the cusp of taking the reigns of their respective divisions. The AFC South in particular has seen the Indianapolis Colts dominate Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee over the past decade en route to perennial top seeded playoff positions. Though they are still considered a serious threat around the league, last year for the first time they showed that they too have flaws and seem to be a bit vulnerable. Father time seems to have caught up with a few of their dominant players, and young talent across the division may be too much to handle for Indianapolis moving forward. Let’s break down the AFC South down team-by-team and see who really has the best chance to dethrone the Super Bowl XLI Champions.

Tennessee Titans: The Titans have probably been the most inconsistent team in the division over the past few years. They were always able to fall back on having one of the most well-renowned coaches in the NFL in years past. Now that the Jeff Fisher era is behind us, we will see what this team really is made of. Also, owner Bud Adams seems to have finally given up on Vince Young and his off-field antics. The hope is that new coach, former Houston Oilers guard, Mike Munchak will be able to form a nice report with first-round draft pick Jake Locker (QB, Washington), and mold him into a leader on the field. They undoubtedly have some other nice pieces in place with electrifying running back Chris Johnson alongside receivers Kenny Britt and Justin Gage running the offense. Their defense has shown promise over the past few seasons, and though Tennessee is in somewhat of a rebuilding time, they might just have enough firepower to make noise in the division.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Though the Jaguars picked after the Titans in the first-round of the draft, they got the quarterback that everyone else seemed to want more than Locker in Blaine Gabbert (QB, Missouri). Jacksonville is taking the safer, and probably smarter route in developing Gabbert over time since they still have David Garrard to man the helm and mentor the rookie for a few years. They always seem to be a tough team to beat at home, and when you possess one of the best runners in the league, defenses are never going to be excited about playing you. Maurice Jones-Drew has racked up over 1,300 yards in each of his past two seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. Look for them to feature MJD even more this season amidst all of the quarterback confusion. The Jags can be expected to round out the bottom of the division this season, but if Jones-Drew has another career year, ninth year head coach Jack Del Rio just might be able to coax them into a successful season.

Houston Texans: This is where we come to the bread and butter of the AFC South. Last season the Texans showed real promise at the beginning of the season knocking off the Colts at home in week one and making everyone wonder whether 2010 was finally their year. It wasn’t. They finished a disappointing 6-10 and showed serious problems on the defensive side of the ball. I remember seeing their offense torch a prolific New York Jets defense last season, only to watch their corner backs fail to cover simple slant routes on consecutive plays to lead the Jets into the end-zone and blow yet another game for Houston. Everybody knows that the Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson connection is one of the best in the business. Unfortunately, they also know that they can routinely throw down field on one of the worst secondaries in the league. Everyone in Houston is hoping that newly hired defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will be able to turn their struggles around and finally snatch the division away from Indianapolis. The Texans are my sleeper this year, and if the Colts aren’t careful, they might find themselves having to compete for a wild-card spot in 2011.

Indianapolis Colts: So what do we know about the Colts? Well, offensive guru Tom Moore is gone, they caught the injury bug in the worst way last season, and Peyton Manning is coming off of two neck surgeries. Nobody is doubting what Manning has done, and probably still will do in the future at quarterback in Indianapolis. In fact, I would have to say that he’s the best I’ve ever seen play the game at that position. The problem is, he’s 35 years old going into this season, and not everyone can last as long as Brett Favre and John Elway. He finally, for the first time, showed signs of the slowing down last season when he was plagued by a string of interceptions midway through the year. Of course, even with all of the injuries, the Colts still went 10-6 to win the division, but failed to show off their prolific offense in the playoffs and were bounced quickly. I’m not doubting what this team can do with a future hall-of-fame quarterback leading them, but I will say that if they don’t make some changes and improvements from last season, their time in the spotlight of the AFC South may be coming to and end sooner than some people may think.

The AFC South is definitely no longer a one horse race as it has been for majority of the past decade. There are some real star-players all the way across the division, and seemingly more to come out of the first-round draft picks selected in this years draft. There will be battles throughout the year between all four of these teams, and don’t be surprised if we see two AFC South representatives in the playoffs next season…if there is a season of course.

Anthony Correia / Shutterstock.com

The article Balance of Power: AFC South appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The perennial position on any NFL team is the man under center, the quarterback of course. With the draft approaching and a lack of elite quarterback prospects, teams will have to decide whether they should go for broke, drafting a quarterback high, or play it safe and take a position where busts are less likely. Virtually every team in the top five has a need at quarterback but exactly what type of talents are they looking at and how urgent are their needs?

The Teams

The Panthers at No. 1 took a chance on Jimmy Clausen last season but it looks as if they have lost interest in the young quarterback. The problem though is that this is one of the weaker quarterback classes when it comes to star power. Giving Clausen another season to develop may be the best option for the Panthers who could draft a beast like Auburn Defensive Lineman Nick Fairley instead. If the Panthers do decide to draft a quarterback though to try to make a splash and please the fans the decision of who may, not be an easy one to make. In years past the No. 1 pick overall was already known well before the draft began, but not this year.

The Broncos at No. 2 might be glancing at the quarterback position out of the corner of their eye, but John Elway realizes no one in this draft will replicate him and the Broncos could stay pat with Kyle Orton and their investment in Tim Tebow. It wouldn’t be shocking though to see a quarterback taken especially if Elway likes a quarterback enough to develop behind Orton, trusting Tebow is not the long-term solution.

The Bills seem to be a favorite every year to take a quarterback in the first round to build their franchise around, but every pick has seemed to falter. As the third pick, the Bills will have to see what happens in front of them as to whether another quarterback gamble will pay off or not. Ryan Fitzpatrick did prove to be capable last season and seems like he could hold down this position for now.

The Bengals are on the verge of rebuilding or staying competitive. It looks like Carson Palmer will not be their quarterback next season and, with no replacement in sight, the Bengals will likely look to fill the void through the draft. Carson’s brother Jordan and Dan LeFevour are the only other options for the Bengals, and the Bengals likely won’t put their future behind either of their arms.

The Cardinals hold the fifth pick in the draft and they too have needs at the quarterback position. Matt Leinart never panned out and John Skelton started their last four games of the season but was unimpressive, totaling only two touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 62.3. Their other quarterbacks Max Hall and Derek Anderson, who played the bulk of the games, also had miserable seasons and are not the future for the Cardinals.

The Players

Blaine Gabbert: This quarterback from Missouri has skyrocketed up the draft board for most experts. He has great size at 6-5, and NFL-ready accuracy and arm strength. Gabbert is described as a great leader with the intangibles and his toughness is unmatched. He did however play in a spread offense, and could have difficulty adjusting to being under center for the majority of his NFL snaps.

Cam Newton: The reigning Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn has a dynamic combination of speed and arm strength. He also has great size at 6-5, and with a 250 lb. frame he makes it difficult for defenders to bring him down. Newton, like Gabbert, played in a spread offense in college and the adjustment to an NFL system may be a difficult transition. There have also been questions about what type of a person Newton is, and the fact that he has only played at a high level for one year could scare some potential drafters away.

Ryan Mallett: Another quarterback who decided to leave early for the draft, Mallett, from Arkansas, has great size at 6-7, and can make all the NFL throws. He is more suited to make the transition to an NFL offense, and does a good job reading defenses. Mallett lacks mobility and is strictly a pocket-passer which could scare teams who are trying to revamp or rebuild their offensive lines. His mental toughness and attitude are two of the things that have lowered his draft stock, but his potential is through the roof.

Jake Locker: A senior from Washington, Locker is smaller than the other top prospects at his position. Locker, at 6-2, has worked in an NFL-style offense and has a ton of experience. He has an NFL-capable arm, good speed, and leadership abilities. The knock on Locker has been his steady decline in performance, his accuracy problems, and problems with his mechanics. He did have a shaky line at Washington though, and as a top prospect in 2010, he does have all the capabilities for an NFL team willing to give him a shot.

Christian Ponder: This senior quarterback from Florida State has decent size at 6-3, and is an accurate passer and intelligent player. He has the ability to run with the ball and does a good job of reading his progressions. He doesn’t have a great arm though, which is something that really awes teams. Ponder is a solid quarterback, however, and could be a good, safe pick for a team that needs a franchise quarterback.

The potential is there, although unlikely that all of the top five teams could take a quarterback to fulfill their needs. With so many teams in need, this could be an interesting draft full of tough decisions for NFL teams already facing a difficult future.

The article NFL Quarterbacks, Five for Five? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.