NFL This Week
Jacksonville set to challenge Colts For a legitimate playoff contender, the Jacksonville Jaguars attract little notice. If they can do today what they did last season, they might draw some headlines.
That’s because they go to Indianapolis, where they beat the Colts 27-24 last Oct. 24. It didn’t stop the Colts from winning the AFC South and it didn’t prevent the Jaguars from missing the postseason despite a 9-7 record that would have made it in the NFC, but it sent a message to Indy.
“They’re a dangerous team,” coach Tony Dungy said.
The Jaguars’ defense was pretty successful against the Colts last season, holding a team that averaged almost 33 points a game to 24 in each meeting.
But the Colts’ defense, which has let them down in the past, seems much better this season. Last week, it shut down Baltimore in a 24-7 win and seems to have gotten a physical and psychological lift with the late signing of Corey Simon, one of the NFL’s better defensive tackles.
Simon was in for about 30 plays against the Ravens, but already has helped others. Larry Tripplett, the other defensive tackle, had two sacks after having just one in his previous three NFL seasons.
“Clearly he made a difference and I think the Ravens thought he did, too,” linebacker David Thornton said. “He’s a big body in the middle who allows linebackers to scrape a little more freely.”
Jacksonville had a good win, too, beating Seattle 26-14 as Byron Leftwich threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns to 36-year-old Jimmy Smith, who had seven catches for 130 yards. Ex-quarterback Matt Jones, the team’s first-round pick, became the NFL’s latest “slash,” running twice for 28 yards, completing a 6-yard pass and catching two for 22 yards.
But the key to the Jaguars is the defense, anchored by tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson. “They make you fight and scrap for every yard you get,” Dungy said.
Jacksonville might have to do the same against the Colts’ revived defense.
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In other games Sunday, Detroit is at Chicago; Baltimore at Tennessee; Pittsburgh at Houston; Buffalo at Tampa Bay; Minnesota at Cincinnati; New England at Carolina; San Francisco at Philadelphia; Atlanta at Seattle; St. Louis at Arizona; Miami at the New York Jets; Cleveland at Green Bay; San Diego at Denver; and Kansas City at Oakland.
The New Orleans Saints play their “home” opener at the New York Giants Monday night, and Washington is at Dallas an hour and a half later.
New England (1-0) at Carolina (0-1)
The first meeting between these two since New England won the 2004 Super Bowl 32-29, one of the more dramatic of those games.
The Patriots have continued to win; the Panthers continue to fall on hard times.
While New England was winning another title last season, Carolina fell to 7-9, in large part because of a string of injuries. This season has started the same way, with run-stuffing defensive tackle Kris Jenkins lost for the season with a knee injury in a 23-20 loss to New Orleans last week.
“I think there’s some familiarity with them,” Tom Brady said of the Panthers. “But the schemes change and the players change. We’re doing some different things and they’re doing some different things.”
Like winning and losing?
New Orleans (1-0) vs. New York Giants (1-0) at East Rutherford, N.J. (Monday)
The above is the official NFL designation of the Saints’ first “home” game. The oddsmakers, of course, know better, giving the Giants the three-point edge even if one end zone will be painted in Saints colors and New Orleans will wear home uniforms.
The Saints’ could have a more consistent season than the roller coaster that has marked Jim Haslett’s five-year tenure as coach. Somehow, the reality of a city devastated by the aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina seems to have put football in perspective for Haslett and his players. “It’s only a game,” is their watchword.
Washington (1-0) at Dallas (1-0) (Monday)
Jerry Jones isn’t happy that the ceremony placing Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor has been upstaged by the Giants and Saints. But a decade ago, he upstaged the Giants’ ceremony honoring Phil Simms by marching on the field for a commercial venture during halftime of a Monday night game at the Meadowlands.
Jones’ Cowboys, who have won 14 of their last 15 against Washington, beat San Diego in part because the Chargers hurt themselves by suspending Antonio Gates. This week, they face QB Mark Brunell after Joe Gibbs (6-13 against Bill Parcells) benched the less-experienced Patrick Ramsey during a 9-7 win over the Bears.
Atlanta (1-0) at Seattle (0-1)
How much did Atlanta leave on the field in its physical 14-10 Monday night win over Philadelphia? It’s a relevant question for a team going cross-country off a short week.
“We can’t control that we have to go to Seattle after a tough Monday night game, so we just have to keep plugging,” coach Jim Mora said.
They’ll meet a team motivated by a coach, Mike Holmgren, upset by three fourth-quarter turnovers in Jacksonville, where his club seemed to fade in the Florida heat. “He had some strong words for our offensive team and they were justified,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said.
San Francisco (1-0) at Philadelphia (0-1)
Things that will change quickly:
– Philadelphia’s last-place standing in the NFC East; it was the only team in the division to lose its opener. It’s out of first for the first time in 24 weeks, or since the 11th week of the 2003 season, but almost surely will be back soon enough.
– San Francisco’s standing atop the NFC West; it was the only team in the division to win its opener. The 49ers’ 28-25 upset of the Rams in Mike Nolan’s first game as a head coach got them halfway to last season’s victory total. They might get beyond that, but not by a lot.
Donovan McNabb didn’t practice at midweek, but said he will play despite the chest bruise sustained in the Atlanta game.
Buffalo (1-0) at Tampa Bay (1-0)
The Bills may be close on defense to the old Bucs of Sapp, Brooks, Rice, Lynch, et. al. Buffalo held Houston, which has some offensive weapons, to 120 yards last week in a 22-7 victory.
One good omen for Tampa Bay, which upset Minnesota in the Metrodome last week: Jacksonville and Miami won last week in Florida against opponents not used to the oppressive late-summer heat.
Miami (1-0) at New York Jets (0-1)
The Nick Saban era couldn’t have started better (Florida heat). The Jets’ season couldn’t have started in a worse way as Chad Pennington fumbled six times, losing two, in a 27-7 loss in Kansas City.
This is a game the Jets really need in a division that could be the NFL’s toughest. It starts with New England at the top, but Buffalo has been impressive and Saban has the Dolphins looking like a team that can cause trouble.
Minnesota (0-1) at Cincinnati (1-0)
Marvin Lewis is on a mission to obliterate the 1-4 starts of his first two seasons as Bengals coach and cracked down this week on Odell Thurman, the trash-talking rookie linebacker who played well in the win in Cleveland. Thurman now knows that rookies should shut up.
This is a big game for the Vikings, who didn’t score an offensive touchdown in the 24-13 home loss to Tampa Bay last week. They usually start fast and finish badly, but might have to reverse that trend to do anything this season.
Kansas City (1-0) at Oakland (0-1)
An opportunity for the Chiefs to get an early jump in the AFC West against a team that didn’t look that bad on opening night in Foxborough. One negative: Larry Johnson, who rushed for 110 yards against the Jets last week, became the latest in a line of Chiefs to be arrested, in his case, for domestic abuse assault.
It’s probably too late in an 11-year career for Kerry Collins to learn to take a sack rather than risk a turnover, but that’s what he has to do against a defense that made life difficult last week for Chad Pennington. If Collins is protected, he and Randy Moss are always dangerous.
San Diego (0-1) at Denver (0-1)
The Chargers get back tight end Antonio Gates, who might have helped them beat Dallas if Chargers management hadn’t been so quick to put him on its suspended list during their contract dispute.
The Broncos often are assumed to be good, but haven’t won a playoff game since John Elway retired after the 1998 season. So did they lose 34-10 in Miami because of the heat or because they’re not very good?
St. Louis (0-1) at Arizona (0-1)
Two teams unprepared for their openers had better be prepared for each other.
The Rams were upset in San Francisco because of a series of special teams gaffes and perhaps because they took a win for granted against a team that was 2-14 last season.
The Cardinals, who were supposed to be coming on, were outscored 35-6 by the Giants in the second half last week and had special teams problems of their own – a punt and a kickoff returned for TDs against them.
Detroit (1-0) at Chicago (0-1)
This is not a place to stumble for the Lions, who have a decent shot at winning the NFC North, if only because no one else in the division appears strong. One good sign: first-round pick Mike Williams demonstrated how dangerous he is in the end zone by engulfing a 3-yard TD pass last week.
The Chicago defense will probably win a few games this year, but that is all the Bears will get with rookie Kyle Orton at quarterback by default.
Baltimore (0-1) at Tennessee (0-1)
Anthony Wright starts at quarterback for the injured Kyle Boller, who wasn’t very impressive against the Colts before he got hurt last week. If Wright performs decently, there could be a QB controversy when Boller’s foot is healthy, despite what coach Brian Billick claims.
Fortunately for the Titans, QB is one of the positions where they have an edge on the Ravens. Offseason salary cap cuts will make it a long season for Steve McNair.
Cleveland (0-1) at Green Bay (0-1)
The only game this week featuring quarterbacks who have won Super Bowls, which is about the only thing good that can be said about this Trent Dilfer-Brett Favre matchup.
At least the Browns have the excuse of rebuilding.
The Packers don’t and have the additional burden of losing WR Javon Walker for the season with a torn knee ligament.