Game one news and note...put em here

[Captain Morgan]

imagine being a rookie running back who only played in one preseason game, and having to face the Panthers front 7 in the first game.

 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon battled a hand injury and played in only one game during the preseason, but he's in line to be the Week 1 starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13607407/tj-yeldon-no-1-depth-chart-jacksonville-jaguars

[*FreeFua*]

As far as I know Cyrprien who broke his hand early in the preseason and sat out practice yesterday is still suppose to start Sunday. Even though he's my favorite safety in the league sure would be nice to see him give his hand another week to heal.

[Captain Morgan]

 

 

D. Newton's pick for the game

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13, at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.

Even without Benjamin, the Panthers simply are more talented. These teams came into the league together in 1995, but as I said in May, the Jaguars still are playing like an expansion team. Carolina simply is too strong on defense for this to be a game without making mistakes. Score: Panthers 24, Jaguars 9. Record: 1-0. 

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/15356/2015-carolina-panthers-game-by-game-predictions

 

 

 

[nctarheel0619]

Jaguars website like Cat Scratch Reader put out an article about stopping Kony Ealy.  

[Your GFs favorite huddler]

I'm a fan of his, but he's in for a rude wlecome Sunday! 

[the butch]

Anyone have any info on Star as far as his evaluation following practices this week?

[Captain Morgan]

 

 

their ESPN reporter thinks they will win

 

• 
  Mike DiRocco, ESPN Staff Writer

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Way back in April, before the NFL draft and training camps and the preseason, I picked the Jacksonville Jaguars to go 7-9 in 2015.

One of the qualifiers I put on that record was that quarterback Blake Bortlesmake progress from what was, statistically, anyway, a pretty poor rookie season: 11 touchdown passes, 17 interceptions and a quarterback rating that ranked 33rd.

Based on what we've seen in training camp and the preseason, there's no reason to back off on the 7-9 prediction. There's also no reason to bump it up.

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13, Carolina, 1 p.m.

I picked the Jaguars to win this game in April, and I feel even better about their chances now that the Panthers won't have WR Kelvin Benjamin (torn ACL). Carolina won the NFC South last season, but they were 7-8-1 in the worst division and had a playoff victory over an Arizona team that was without its starting running back and was on its fourth quarterback. Jaguars 27, Panthers 24. Record: 1-0.

http://espn.go.com/blog/jacksonville-jaguars/post/_/id/14155/2015-jacksonville-jaguars-game-by-game-predictions

[Captain Morgan]

 

Jags appear to have problems at R DE

Jacksonville Jaguars: Despite the fact the players had Friday-Sunday off, they will have Tuesday off as well as the team segues into a normal game-week schedule. One thing the coaches will be working on Tuesday will be trying to determine how to spread out the snaps at the leo (pass-rushing defensive end) spot for Sunday's game against Carolina. Chris Smithlikely will be the starter and play on first and second down but after that is the question. -- Mike DiRocco

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13605564/next-jason-pierre-paul-new-york-giants-tuesday-nfl-preview

 

 

same writer on the Jags in his season preview for them

One season after finishing sixth in the league in sacks, the pass rush is again a huge concern. No Dante Fowler Jr. (torn ACL), which means the team is relying on Chris Clemons (who turns 34 in October) and Andre Branch, a former second-round pick who has 10 sacks in three seasons, to be the team's top two pass-rushers. As mentioned above, the offense will be better - but it was one of the worst in the league in 2014 (31st overall, 21st rushing, 31st passing). It would be unrealistic to expect a jump into the top 15, and it's hard to win games with an average offense unless you have a lights-out defense, which the Jaguars don't have.

 

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13561005/no-31-jacksonville-jaguars

 

 

 

 

[Captain Morgan]

Grantland painting a pretty gloomy picture of the Jags

 

The Jags have what they believe to be a franchise quarterback in Blake Bortles, and to both aid Bortles’s development and accelerate Jacksonville’s run toward contention, general manager Dave Caldwell has invested heavily in free agency. As many as six Caldwell signings from this offseason will start for the Jags at home against Carolina on September 13.

If you’re looking for a reason to start being pessimistic about the Jaguars, you can start with the fact that the number I just mentioned won’t hit seven. Caldwell’s two most prominent additions won’t be suiting up anytime soon for Gus Bradley. Star tight end Julius Thomas, who was expected to be the primary weapon for a team that was 31st in points per red zone trip last year, is out for the first month with a broken finger. And Jacksonville’s top draft pick, edge rusher Dante Fowler, is done for the year after tearing his ACL on the opening day of rookie minicamp. It’s not exactly an ideal start.

also

 

It’s fair to wonder whether Bortles was so beaten down by the steady pressure that he defaulted to panicking on every play. To that end, in an attempt to get the ball out quicker and make more accurate passes, Bortles reportedly rebuilt his mechanics this offseason, and there have been promising returns during a sterling preseason. The only problem with that argument is that Bortles was arguably better last preseason; he hasn’t been sacked as frequently, but his numbers were every bit as good and he received equally rave reviews last August:

 

 

https://grantland.com/the-triangle/nfl-2015-season-predictions-part-1-the-cellar-dwellers/   

 

 

 

[Snake]

Terrible offense and a avg defense yet they put up 27 on us to win?  I want what that guy is smoking. 

[caatfan]

If the Jags put up 27 pts. on us then we'll be lucky to win 4 games. I don't see any way our defense is that leaky, even in game one, even against the great Bortles and his All Pro receivers.

 

[CarolinaNCSU]

If the Jags put up 27, it's because there were some special teams' points or pick 6's.  Or the defense should be made to walk home. 

[UpstatePanther]

If the Jags put up 27, it's because there were some special teams' points or pick 6's.  Or the defense should be made to walk home. 

neither of which the jags are dry good at doing

[KB_fan]

In case it's of interest in prep for Game 1, earlier this week I posted a summary of the Panthers and the Jaguars preseason statistics and rankings.  You can find it here: