By Bradley Woodrum

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Aug 27, 2011 – Week 3 of the preseason is always the most important: Starters play the longest, so teams get one final chance to test their opening day regiment. For the Jags, however, Week 3 may be of even greater importance.

The Jacksonville Jaguars may be 1-1 this preseason, but their starters are essentially 0-2. Specifically, neither David Garrard — who started in his first game last week — nor Blaine Gabbert — who has looked very rookie-ish against both the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots — have inspired much confidence in Jags fans or locked down the starters’ job.

Frankly, given Blaine Gabbert’s rookie-like performances, the job is still very much David Garrard’s to lose — and he was quite possibly never in danger of losing it. But still, Gabbert represents a significant investment by the team and the cornerstone hope for future success. Which is why it’s particularly stinging that Luke McCown has thus far out-performed Gabbert’s statistics.

McCown, likely the team’s third string quarterback, is the only Jags QB to throw a touchdown this preseason. In his one game of action (playing against future roster cuts on the Atlanta Falcons) completed 8 of 9 for 86 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

The blame, however, does not fall solely on the Jacksonville quarterbacks. Gabbert (5) and Garrard (1) have been sacked a combined 6 times this preseason — a staggering amount considering they have played only a combined 1 and half games. Unfortunately, the offensive line his a huge concern for the Jaguars — especially in pass protection.

Add to that problem (a) the dropitis rampantly eating away at the receiving corps and (b) the shoddy defense thus-far displayed by the starters, the Jaguars have the makings of tough season ahead.

The Buffalo Bills may be 0-2 this preseason, but in Week 1, they were able to sack the Chicago Bears quarterbacks a whopping 9 times. Credit a healthy and fanatical Shawne Merriman, who sat out Week 2 when Kyle Orton and the Broncos torched the Bills. Merriman should play against the Jags, so the test will be on for the o-line.

Curtis Painter — who may be the opening day starter for the AFC South perennial playoff Colts — looked surprisingly good against the reigning Superbowl champion Green Bay Packers Friday night. If Peyton Manning cannot start Week 1 for the Colts, then Painter might need to fill in — possibly for a few weeks — which could give the Jaguars a chance to gain early ground in the division.

But, if the Jaguars cannot find a rhythm early – or, more importantly, a starting quarterback — their toughest challenge in the rapidly-equalizing AFC South won’t be beating the Colts; it will be staying out of last place.

Read More: Luke McCown (QB – JAC), David Garrard (QB – JAC), Peyton Manning (QB – IND), Shawne Merriman (LB – BUF), Kyle Orton (QB – DEN), Curtis Painter (QB – IND), Blaine Gabbert (QB – JAC), Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills, Aug 27, 2011 7:00 PM EDT

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Former Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders(notes) has visited with the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason to see if he can dig up a job and the New York Post reports that he did the same with the New York Jets yesterday.

The big test for the oft-injured Sanders, who was the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is if he can pass the physical. The paper reports that he has “apparently” done that for his previous two suitors this offseason.

Unfortunately, as the Post points out, since the 30-year-old won that award, Sanders has only “managed to play in nine regular-season games.” Last season he left the opener with a torn left biceps tendon and was done for the year.

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: New York Post

Related: Bob Sanders, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets

The Jacksonville Jaguars are prepared to make Mike Sheppard their next quarterbacks coach, a source with knowledge of the situation said Saturday.

For more on the Jacksonsville Jaguars, check out the latest from our bloggers.

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Sheppard has agreed to take the position and will be officially hired Monday, according to the source.

Sheppard spent the past four seasons serving as the Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receivers coach.

Sheppard has held two head-coaching positions in college (Long Beach State and New Mexico), as well as NFL offensive coordinator duties with the San Diego Chargers (1997-98), Buffalo Bills (2001) and New Orleans Saints (2005). He took his first NFL job in 1993 as tight ends coach for the Cleveland Browns.

Jacksonville’s quarterbacks coach position had become a hot potato of sorts in recent weeks. Todd Monken was promoted from receivers coach last month after Mike Shula left to take the Carolina Panthers’ quarterbacks coach job. However, Monken stepped down to take the offensive coordinator job at Oklahoma State earlier this week.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard will miss the season finale at Houston because of a finger injury.

Garrard will have surgery on the middle finger of his right hand Thursday. Trent Edwards is likely to start in Garrard’s place, essentially giving the former Buffalo Bills starter an audition with Jacksonville.

Garrard injured his finger when he hit it on an opposing player’s helmet at Indianapolis on Dec. 19. He threw a crucial interception late in the that game, and threw two more picks in a 20-17 overtime loss to Washington on Sunday. He also fumbled twice.

Garrard likely would miss a first-round playoff game if the Jaguars (8-7) make the postseason. Jacksonville needs to beat Houston and have Tennessee upset Indianapolis to win the AFC South.

Making that even more improbable, the Jaguars likely will be without star running back Maurice Jones-Drew. He missed his fourth consecutive practice Wednesday because of an injured right knee that probably will need offseason surgery.

Garrard set the franchise record for touchdown passes in a season, enjoyed five of the best eight games of his nine-year career and led the team to several late wins. But his final two games, which included two costly turnovers late, had fans calling for a quarterback change.

Garrard’s injury probably might not do much to dampen those feelings. After all, he’s just 39-37 as a starter and has one playoff victory.

This season was one of his best, though. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 2,734 yards, with 23 TD passes and 15 interceptions and a passer rating of 90.8.

He led the team to late wins against Indianapolis, Buffalo, Houston and Cleveland. But he showed more inconsistency in losses to San Diego, Philadelphia, Tennessee, the New York Giants and Washington.

The Jaguars claimed Edwards off waivers in late September, picking him off after he was benched and later released by the Bills. Edwards has played in one game with Jacksonville, completing 14 of 24 passes for 140 yards and two interceptions.

Edwards replaced Garrard when he left a Monday night game against the Titans in mid-October with a concussion. Garrard missed the following week’s game at Kansas City, but Edwards was unavailable because of a thumb injury, so journeyman Todd Bouman got the start.

Bouman likely will serve as the backup this week against the Texans.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard will miss the season finale at Houston because of a finger injury.

Garrard will have surgery on the middle finger of his right hand Thursday. Trent Edwards is likely to start in Garrard’s place, essentially giving the former Buffalo Bills starter an audition with Jacksonville.

Garrard injured his finger when he hit it on an opposing player’s helmet at Indianapolis on Dec. 19. He threw a crucial interception late in the that game, and threw two more picks in a 20-17 overtime loss to Washington on Sunday. He also fumbled twice.

Garrard likely would miss a first-round playoff game if the Jaguars (8-7) make the postseason. Jacksonville needs to beat Houston and have Tennessee upset Indianapolis to win the AFC South.

Making that even more improbable, the Jaguars likely will be without star running back Maurice Jones-Drew. He missed his fourth consecutive practice Wednesday because of an injured right knee that probably will need offseason surgery.

Garrard set the franchise record for touchdown passes in a season, enjoyed five of the best eight games of his nine-year career and led the team to several late wins. But his final two games, which included two costly turnovers late, had fans calling for a quarterback change.

Garrard’s injury probably might not do much to dampen those feelings. After all, he’s just 39-37 as a starter and has one playoff victory.

This season was one of his best, though. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 2,734 yards, with 23 TD passes and 15 interceptions and a passer rating of 90.8.

He led the team to late wins against Indianapolis, Buffalo, Houston and Cleveland. But he showed more inconsistency in losses to San Diego, Philadelphia, Tennessee, the New York Giants and Washington.

The Jaguars claimed Edwards off waivers in late September, picking him off after he was benched and later released by the Bills. Edwards has played in one game with Jacksonville, completing 14 of 24 passes for 140 yards and two interceptions.

Edwards replaced Garrard when he left a Monday night game against the Titans in mid-October with a concussion. Garrard missed the following week’s game at Kansas City, but Edwards was unavailable because of a thumb injury, so journeyman Todd Bouman got the start.

Bouman likely will serve as the backup this week against the Texans.

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