by Bill Young
The Jacksonville Jaguars grabbed the division lead after defeating the Tennessee Titans 17-6. The question is whether they can maintain their lead. This team has a lot of momentum having beaten each division rival. In addition, they seem to be a team of destiny after beating the Texans on that last-second Hail Mary pass.
How could this possibly go wrong? Unfortunately for the Jaguars, a lot can go wrong. The offense relies heavily on the ability of All-Pro running back Maurice Jones-Drew who has quietly made himself into the offensive threat that can dominate any game. Without him, the Jaguars have a very limited offense because he catches a lot of short passes and is a dynamic runner. Quarterback David Garrard hasn't exactly impressed people most seasons. Some still wonder if getting rid of Byron Leftwich was the right move. Until the quarterback play improves, the offense won't be good enough to do damage in the playoffs even if Jones-Drew stays healthy. If Jones-Drew gets injured next week, their playoff hopes look grim.
Another issue for the Jaguars is the defense. The win over Tennessee is not indicative of the defenses capability because even the Redskins and their league worst defense held Tennessee to 16 points. Stopping the run has been an issue at times. Also, while Rashean Mathis has had a decent year, the secondary other than Mathis has been suspect.
Finally, the Colts always have a chance of putting a winning streak together. Peyton Manning will not continue to play as badly as he has the last few weeks. The Colts just got LB Gary Bracket back from injury and should be able to stop the run more often now. That may be all the Colts need to win their remaining games.
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