Behind a suffocating defense, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked like a sure thing for the playoffs last season. The Jags ended up losing their last three games while giving up 27.7 points per game. Sportsbook.com has posted the Jacksonville Jaguars betting odds to win Super Bowl XLII at 13 to 1.
“Some people may have been surprised when they cut Byron Leftwich but I wasn't. David Garrard is a better fit for them behind center and he should be an upgrade,” stated Point-Spreads.com NFL Expert Brad Marchetti . “The Jags D is formidable but 13 to 1 superbowl betting odds is too slim to play.”
It looks as if there will be a quarterback controversy in Jacksonville to start the season. Starter Byron Leftwich has had a very difficult time staying on the field dating back to his college days. Unlike his college days, he has been pretty average when able to play. Backup David Garrard was very uninspiring in his 10 starts last season but the athletic QB seems to be the crowd favorite. Whoever ends up starting at QB will be throwing to a couple of former 1st rounders that has yet to live up to their draft status.
Although each has potential, Matt Jones and Reggie Williams combined for just 1259 yards and 8 scores. The top running back tandem in the NFL makes this offense tick. In his 10th season, Fred Taylor keeps churning out the yards; coming off a season in which he rushed for 1146 yards, 5 touchdowns and 5.0 YPC. Rookie Maurice Jones-Drew was outstanding in his first year, going off for 941 yards on just 166 carries (5.7 YPC) and 15 total scores.
With an abundance of talent, the defense should be among the best in the NFL yet again. The defensive line is anchored by heavyweights John Henderson and Marcus Stroud. The linebacking corp. is headed by a couple of up and coming youngsters in Daryl Smith and Clint Ingram. The LB’s will get an extra boost if Mike Peterson returns strong from a knee injury that kept him out for most of the season.
The defensive backfield is led by CB Rashean Mathis and his 8 interceptions. Rookie Safety Reggie Nelson will most likely be in the starting secondary from day one.
