JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars released veteran quarterback David Garrard on Tuesday, a stunning move that will save the franchise $9 million this season.

Whether it saves coach Jack Del Rio’s job remains to be seen. Team owner Wayne Weaver has said Jacksonville needs to make the playoffs for Del Rio to stick around for a 10th season. Del Rio made it clear late last season that he had grown tired of Garrard’s inconsistent ways, but the coach remained steadfast through training camp and the preseason that Garrard was his starter.

That changed Tuesday, when the Jaguars scheduled an afternoon news conference to discuss their decision.

Del Rio will turn the starting job over to Luke McCown, who outplayed Garrard and rookie Blaine Gabbert in the preseason. But McCown played mostly with and against second- and third-teamers. McCown completed 12 of 18 passes for 133 yards, with two touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks.

Garrard missed the preseason opener because of a sore back, but started the final three games. He completed 50 percent of his passes for 216 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. He was sacked three times.

Del Rio’s quarterback swap is similar to what he did in 2007, when he released Byron Leftwich in favor of Garrard after the preseason. Garrard played well that season, throwing 18 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.

He has been average since, with 53 TDs and 38 INTs over the last three seasons. He also has been sacked 117 times in that span.

His performance late last season was one of the final straws.

With running back Maurice Jones-Drew sitting out against Washington, the Jaguars put the game on Garrard’s shoulders and he struggled to handle the load. He struggled to read Washington’s cloaked defensive schemes and nearly ended the day with five turnovers.

The Jaguars responded by drafting Gabbert with the 10th pick in April’s draft. Gabbert might have had a chance to win the starting job, but the NFL lockout denied him a a summer filled with meetings, film work and organized team activities.

Gabbert was dropped to third on the depth chart last week.

McCown moved up to second, although no one knew he was actually auditioning for the starting job.

Garrard was hit repeatedly in last week’s preseason finale against St. Louis and had an animated exchange with his offensive line on the sideline.

That, too, had become an issue inside the facility, with Garrard pointing the finger more often than taking the blame. He blamed an interception against Atlanta on receiver Mike Thomas and then ripped the line for Thursday’s problems.

Del Rio called Garrard a middle-tier quarterback after the 2009 season, and Weaver challenged the quarterback to do more with teammates that offseason.

Garrard did.

He responded by setting the franchise record for touchdown passes in a season (23), enjoyed five of the best eight games of his career, and led the Jaguars to several late wins. But he struggled down the stretch.

It became clear Monday how teammates felt about Garrard. They declined to vote Garrard a team captain, instead choosing Jones-Drew and tight end Marcedes Lewis as offensive captains.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams look ready for the regular season. David Garrard and the  Jacksonville Jaguars still have work to do.

MORE: Jacksonville Jaguars 
 
Bradford completed 7 of 11 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, a perfectly thrown fade route to Lance Kendricks, and the Rams beat the Jaguars 24-17 in the preseason finale Thursday night.
 
Garrard, on the other hand, was hit repeatedly in two series and appeared to be pleading with his offensive linemen for protection. Garrard completed 1 of 5 passes for 11 yards.
 
Among the bright spots for Jacksonville were the preseason debuts of running back Maurice Jones-Drew and defensive end Aaron Kampman. Both played about 10 snaps. Jones-Drew had a 14-yard run off the left edge, but finished with 14 yards on five carries.

Associated Press

By Bradley Woodrum

– Editor

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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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The Jacksonville Jaguars have never won the AFC South and haven’t won a division title, period, since they were kittens in 1999. But there’s a belief in Duval County that this could be the year these mature cats finally dethrone the mighty Indianapolis Colts.

Jack Del Rio’s team hasn’t been to the playoffs in four years, but their win total has increased in three consecutive seasons. This year, after an offseason with little turnover save for a few potential defensive upgrades and no changes to the coaching staff, a sneaky-dangerous team with one of the league’s premier offensive weapons has a chance to make a run at the top spot in a wide-open division.

2010 in a nutshell: A 7-3 mid-season run is crippled by a 1-2 start and an 0-3 finish. Despite threatening to steal the division from the Colts, they settle for second place and an 8-8 record.

Three predictions for 2011:

1. Blaine Gabbert will get a chance to start: It’s obvious that the passing game is the problem on offense. And although that’s not entirely David Garrard’s fault, the Jags drafted Gabbert in the first round because they’re clearly looking for some more sizzle under center. The team continues to insist that Garrard is the starting quarterback, but Gabbert appears to be applying pressure in training camp. While Garrard’s numbers weren’t all that bad last year, he’s been known to have a stinker once every few weeks. If he hits a speed bump and the Jags go into crisis mood early this season, I’d expect Gabbert to get his shot. The real problem won’t be who’s starting under center; it’ll be who Garrard and Gabbert have to throw to. I have no idea why the Jags didn’t address the receiver position in the offseason.

2. The defense will be better: This is a D that surrendered 26.2 points per game and a league-high 6.3 yards per play in 2010. They finished the season ranked 28th overall and couldn’t stop anybody on third downs. But Paul Posluszny, Clint Session and Dawan Landry are upgrades over Kirk Morrison, Justin Durant and Sean Considine. If Tyson Alualu can take a leap forward in his second season and Aaron Kampman can stay healthy, those numbers could improve quite substantially.

3. A pathetic pass rush will cost them: But the biggest problem on defense is the lack of a pass rush. Yes, Kampman’s return should help and Alualu will be relied upon to help create pressure. Defensive end Matt Roth, who they signed as a free agent, might be good for a half-dozen sacks, too. But in the offseason, the Jags needed to make bigger changes to a pass rush that has registered an NFL-low 40 sacks over the last two seasons. There isn’t a player on this roster who had more than five sacks in 2010, and the team has yet to register a sack in two preseason games. Unless some guys take off, this will be a major problem once again in 2011.

The final word(s): I think they’re a step behind the Colts and Texans. It isn’t a big step, so it wouldn’t shock me if they finally broke through. But it’s a step, and I’m giving them another 8-8 record and leaving them out of the playoffs once again.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have never won the AFC South and haven’t won a division title, period, since they were kittens in 1999. But there’s a belief in Duval County that this could be the year these mature cats finally dethrone the mighty Indianapolis Colts.

Jack Del Rio’s team hasn’t been to the playoffs in four years, but their win total has increased in three consecutive seasons. This year, after an offseason with little turnover save for a few potential defensive upgrades and no changes to the coaching staff, a sneaky-dangerous team with one of the league’s premier offensive weapons has a chance to make a run at the top spot in a wide-open division.

2010 in a nutshell: A 7-3 mid-season run is crippled by a 1-2 start and an 0-3 finish. Despite threatening to steal the division from the Colts, they settle for second place and an 8-8 record.

Three predictions for 2011:

1. Blaine Gabbert will get a chance to start: It’s obvious that the passing game is the problem on offense. And although that’s not entirely David Garrard’s fault, the Jags drafted Gabbert in the first round because they’re clearly looking for some more sizzle under center. The team continues to insist that Garrard is the starting quarterback, but Gabbert appears to be applying pressure in training camp. While Garrard’s numbers weren’t all that bad last year, he’s been known to have a stinker once every few weeks. If he hits a speed bump and the Jags go into crisis mood early this season, I’d expect Gabbert to get his shot. The real problem won’t be who’s starting under center; it’ll be who Garrard and Gabbert have to throw to. I have no idea why the Jags didn’t address the receiver position in the offseason.

2. The defense will be better: This is a D that surrendered 26.2 points per game and a league-high 6.3 yards per play in 2010. They finished the season ranked 28th overall and couldn’t stop anybody on third downs. But Paul Posluszny, Clint Session and Dawan Landry are upgrades over Kirk Morrison, Justin Durant and Sean Considine. If Tyson Alualu can take a leap forward in his second season and Aaron Kampman can stay healthy, those numbers could improve quite substantially.

3. A pathetic pass rush will cost them: But the biggest problem on defense is the lack of a pass rush. Yes, Kampman’s return should help and Alualu will be relied upon to help create pressure. Defensive end Matt Roth, who they signed as a free agent, might be good for a half-dozen sacks, too. But in the offseason, the Jags needed to make bigger changes to a pass rush that has registered an NFL-low 40 sacks over the last two seasons. There isn’t a player on this roster who had more than five sacks in 2010, and the team has yet to register a sack in two preseason games. Unless some guys take off, this will be a major problem once again in 2011.

The final word(s): I think they’re a step behind the Colts and Texans. It isn’t a big step, so it wouldn’t shock me if they finally broke through. But it’s a step, and I’m giving them another 8-8 record and leaving them out of the playoffs once again.

By Sean Keeley

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Aug 23, 2011 – On Tuesday, Jack Del Rio confirmed that David Garrard, not Blaine Gabbert, will be the starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first game of the season. And the head coach wishes you were paying attention to him all spring.

That said, Del Rio made it clear he expects more out of his long-time starter in choosing him over the rookie.

“We need more efficiency offensively and certainly the trigger man plays a large role in that,” he continued. “I think it all ties together. You know how I feel about it being a team game that we play and the timing of the routes with the receivers and the protection up front and the quarterback making good decisions delivering the ball. It all comes together and then you’re able to do things offensively, where you’re a beat off here or a beat off there and the play breaks down and when you have that timing it looks beautiful. So we’re doing some things better and we’ve been in camp long enough.

For more on the Jaguars, visit Big Cat Country.

Read More: David Garrard (QB – JAC), Blaine Gabbert (QB – JAC), Jacksonville Jaguars

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Jacksonville, FL —  Two games into the preseason and the Jacksonville Jaguars offense has only scored one touchdown.

The touchdown came in the 4th quarter of the Jaguars 15-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons last Friday night.

Quarterback David Garrard says part of the problem is they don’t have any rhythm, can’t convert 3rd downs consistently, and they’ve turned the ball over killing scoring drives.

Garrard also says he and Receiver Mike Thomas are still trying to get on the same page.

Thomas, who’s in his third season with the team says he and Garrard are about 90-95 percent there.

Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio says they’ve been playing together and in the same system for too long not to be on the same page.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Maurice Jones-Drew is running full speed, making sharp cuts and testing his surgically repaired knee as often as the Jacksonville Jaguars will allow during training camp.

The biggest hurdle that remains for the star running back is getting hit hard for the first time.

It might not happen until the season opener.

Coach Jack Del Rio ruled Jones-Drew out of Friday’s pre-season game against Atlanta, saying he wants to control Jones-Drew’s contact. Jones-Drew could get a few carries in Jacksonville’s third exhibition, but Del Rio wouldn’t commit to any timetables.

“We have a plan,” Del Rio said Monday. “He’s fully compliant and understands that we’ve got to have a plan. We’ve got to execute that plan, and part of that is getting him to the season as healthy and prepared as possible. He does need to have some contact, but we’d like that contact to be controlled as long as we can. That’s why he won’t be playing this week.”

Jones-Drew played most of last season with torn meniscus in his right knee, saying there were days when he would wake up and not be able to walk. He learned the severity of the injury during training camp — he basically had bone scraping against bone — but kept it hidden because he didn’t want opponents taking shots at his knee.

The injury became more painful after his sixth consecutive 100-yard game, but he still tried to play at Indianapolis on Dec. 19 — a game in which Jacksonville could have clinched the AFC South. After that, and with the team no longer in control of its post-season chances, Jones-Drew shut it down.

He was inactive the final two games, both losses. Those were the first games he’d missed because of injury in his career. Jones-Drew finished the year with 1,324 yards rushing, 317 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He had arthroscopic knee surgery in January and has been working his way back since.

“I feel totally different,” he said. “There’s just no pain at all. I think that’s the biggest thing. No matter how tough it is or how sharp the pain is or dull the pain is, it’s pain. This year, there is no pain. It’s just going out there playing like I’ve been playing the first couple of years without it. I guess you can pretty much say they got me a new knee off of eBay. Pretty cool.”

Jones-Drew wants to give his “new knee” the ultimate test — full contact. But it’s not his call.

The Jaguars are bringing him along slowly. They held him out of 11-on-11 drills the first two weeks of camp, but cleared him for limited contact Sunday.

He lined up with the first-team offence, took a handoff and got his first real taste of football in more than eight months.

“I got thudded, not tackled,” he said. “I know my knee is stable and strong. It’s kind of like your first year of football. You don’t know what to expect. I haven’t got hit in almost nine months. … Getting tackled to the ground is a feeling you want to feel, so hopefully the coaches will be confident enough to let me do it in pre-season. If not, then Week 1 it will be. It’s not a big deal.”

Teammates know better, saying Jones-Drew is eager for more — more repetitions, more contact, more confidence in his knee.

Jones-Drew and quarterback David Garrard spent last week rehabbing together, essentially riding stationary bikes during practice and longing to return to the field.

“He is definitely itching to get back out here,” Garrard said. “But he’s been in the league long enough now to know that he needs to be fully healthy before he gets out there and starts getting pounded. You know him; he doesn’t pass up any chances to run somebody over. He will run right through you. He knows he has to be completely healthy, and we want him to be completely healthy.”

Jones-Drew joked about being last on the depth chart, even behind undrafted rookies Richard Murphy and DuJuan Harris. But he promised to work his way back to the top before the opener — with or without hard hits.

“I’m last on the depth chart right now,” he said. “I was talking to all of the running backs, even those rookie free agents. I’m taking everybody’s job one day at a time.”

Maurice Jones-Drew is running full speed, making sharp cuts and testing his surgically repaired knee as often as the Jacksonville Jaguars will allow during training camp.

The biggest hurdle that remains for the star running back is getting hit hard for the first time.

It might not happen until the season opener.

Coach Jack Del Rio ruled Jones-Drew out of Friday’s preseason game against Atlanta, saying he wants to control Jones-Drew’s contact. Jones-Drew could get a few carries in Jacksonville’s third exhibition, but Del Rio wouldn’t commit to any timetables.

“We have a plan,” Del Rio said Monday. “He’s fully compliant and understands that we’ve got to have a plan. We’ve got to execute that plan, and part of that is getting him to the season as healthy and prepared as possible. He does need to have some contact, but we’d like that contact to be controlled as long as we can. That’s why he won’t be playing this week.”

Jones-Drew played most of last season with torn meniscus in his right knee, saying there were days when he would wake up and not be able to walk. He learned the severity of the injury during training camp — he basically had bone scraping against bone — but kept it hidden because he didn’t want opponents taking shots at his knee.

The injury became more painful after his sixth consecutive 100-yard game, but he still tried to play at Indianapolis on Dec. 19 — a game in which Jacksonville could have clinched the AFC South. After that, and with the team no longer in control of its postseason chances, Jones-Drew shut it down.

He was inactive the final two games, both losses. Those were the first games he’d missed because of injury in his career. Jones-Drew finished the year with 1,324 yards rushing, 317 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He had arthroscopic knee surgery in January and has been working his way back since.

“I feel totally different,” he said. “There’s just no pain at all. I think that’s the biggest thing. No matter how tough it is or how sharp the pain is or dull the pain is, it’s pain. This year, there is no pain. It’s just going out there playing like I’ve been playing the first couple of years without it. I guess you can pretty much say they got me a new knee off of eBay. Pretty cool.”

Jones-Drew wants to give his “new knee” the ultimate test — full contact. But it’s not his call.

The Jaguars are bringing him along slowly. They held him out of 11-on-11 drills the first two weeks of camp, but cleared him for limited contact Sunday.

He lined up with the first-team offense, took a handoff and got his first real taste of football in more than eight months.

“I got thudded, not tackled,” he said. “I know my knee is stable and strong. It’s kind of like your first year of football. You don’t know what to expect. I haven’t got hit in almost nine months. … Getting tackled to the ground is a feeling you want to feel, so hopefully the coaches will be confident enough to let me do it in preseason. If not, then Week 1 it will be. It’s not a big deal.”

Teammates know better, saying Jones-Drew is eager for more — more repetitions, more contact, more confidence in his knee.

Jones-Drew and quarterback David Garrard spent last week rehabbing together, essentially riding stationary bikes during practice and longing to return to the field.

“He is definitely itching to get back out here,” Garrard said. “But he’s been in the league long enough now to know that he needs to be fully healthy before he gets out there and starts getting pounded. You know him; he doesn’t pass up any chances to run somebody over. He will run right through you. He knows he has to be completely healthy, and we want him to be completely healthy.”

Jones-Drew joked about being last on the depth chart, even behind undrafted rookies Richard Murphy and DuJuan Harris. But he promised to work his way back to the top before the opener — with or without hard hits.

“I’m last on the depth chart right now,” he said. “I was talking to all of the running backs, even those rookie free agents. I’m taking everybody’s job one day at a time.”

It might not happen until the season opener.

Coach Jack Del Rio ruled Jones-Drew out of Friday’s preseason game against Atlanta, saying he wants to control Jones-Drew’s contact. Jones-Drew could get a few carries in Jacksonville’s third exhibition, but Del Rio wouldn’t commit to any timetables.

“We have a plan,” Del Rio said Monday. “He’s fully compliant and understands that we’ve got to have a plan. We’ve got to execute that plan, and part of that is getting him to the season as healthy and prepared as possible. He does need to have some contact, but we’d like that contact to be controlled as long as we can. That’s why he won’t be playing this week.”

Jones-Drew played most of last season with torn meniscus in his right knee, saying there were days when he would wake up and not be able to walk. He learned the severity of the injury during training camp — he basically had bone scraping against bone — but kept it hidden because he didn’t want opponents taking shots at his knee.

The injury became more painful after his sixth consecutive 100-yard game, but he still tried to play at Indianapolis on Dec. 19 — a game in which Jacksonville could have clinched the AFC South. After that, and with the team no longer in control of its postseason chances, Jones-Drew shut it down.

He was inactive the final two games, both losses. Those were the first games he’d missed because of injury in his career. Jones-Drew finished the year with 1,324 yards rushing, 317 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He had arthroscopic knee surgery in January and has been working his way back since.

“I feel totally different,” he said. “There’s just no pain at all. I think that’s the biggest thing. No matter how tough it is or how sharp the pain is or dull the pain is, it’s pain. This year, there is no pain. It’s just going out there playing like I’ve been playing the first couple of years without it. I guess you can pretty much say they got me a new knee off of eBay. Pretty cool.”

Jones-Drew wants to give his “new knee” the ultimate test — full contact. But it’s not his call.

The Jaguars are bringing him along slowly. They held him out of 11-on-11 drills the first two weeks of camp, but cleared him for limited contact Sunday.

He lined up with the first-team offense, took a handoff and got his first real taste of football in more than eight months.

“I got thudded, not tackled,” he said. “I know my knee is stable and strong. It’s kind of like your first year of football. You don’t know what to expect. I haven’t got hit in almost nine months. … Getting tackled to the ground is a feeling you want to feel, so hopefully the coaches will be confident enough to let me do it in preseason. If not, then Week 1 it will be. It’s not a big deal.”

Teammates know better, saying Jones-Drew is eager for more — more repetitions, more contact, more confidence in his knee.

Jones-Drew and quarterback David Garrard spent last week rehabbing together, essentially riding stationary bikes during practice and longing to return to the field.

“He is definitely itching to get back out here,” Garrard said. “But he’s been in the league long enough now to know that he needs to be fully healthy before he gets out there and starts getting pounded. You know him; he doesn’t pass up any chances to run somebody over. He will run right through you. He knows he has to be completely healthy, and we want him to be completely healthy.”

Jones-Drew joked about being last on the depth chart, even behind undrafted rookies Richard Murphy and DuJuan Harris. But he promised to work his way back to the top before the opener — with or without hard hits.

“I’m last on the depth chart right now,” he said. “I was talking to all of the running backs, even those rookie free agents. I’m taking everybody’s job one day at a time.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — David Garrard’s sore back is getting better. The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback even hopes to play in next week’s preseason game against Atlanta.

Garrard returned to the practice field Saturday after missing more than a week of training camp. He threw passes during the team’s morning walkthrough and was expected to take repetitions with the first-team offense Saturday evening.

“I’m tired of sitting around and watching,” Garrard said. “But I’m not going to try to overdo myself with too many extra things.”

The 33-year-old Garrard left practice Aug. 4 because of back pain and could barely walk the following day. He spent the past week working with team trainers, but sat out Thursday night’s preseason opener at New England. Rookie Blaine Gabbert started in his place and had an up-and-down debut.

Garrard made the trip and helped Gabbert from the sideline. Garrard wanted to play, especially since he missed the 2010 season finale because of a finger injury.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been out there under the lights with the fans yelling,” Garrard said. “It was frustrating to a certain extent, but it’s still preseason. I didn’t get too bent out of shape.”

Garrard said he has a disc injury, more serious than muscle tightness. Nonetheless, he felt he could have played with a painkilling shot. However, that’s something he hopes to avoid this season and down the road.

“That’s such a scary thing to shoot yourself up and numb the pain so you can go out there,” Garrard said. “I don’t want to be like some of these guys you see that are retired and come back and can barely stand up straight.”

Garrard said team doctors told him his back X-rays looked like those of some offensive linemen, guys who take constant pounding in the trenches. Garrard has been sacked 117 times the past three seasons and been knocked down countless more times between running plays and pocket pressure.

Garrard has dealt with back pain throughout his career, but nothing this severe. He first started feeling pain during summer workouts. It settled down, so he didn’t visit a massage therapist or a chiropractor. His back tightened up significantly last week, forcing him to leave practice on a golf cart.

Coach Jack Del Rio stopped short of declaring Garrard ready for games.

“I know he’s getting better,” Del Rio said. “I’m going to stick to seeing is believing and we’re hopeful. So we’ll let those things play out. I’m not going to get into predicting when things may occur.”

Garrard, though, expects to be ready for next Friday’s game.

“If I’m out here practicing, then I bet I’m playing,” he said. “That’s kind of my thoughts.”

Read More: Tom Brady (QB – NEP), Brian Hoyer (QB – NEP), New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots fans who came out to see the team play the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t get a chance to see QB Tom Brady. He was in uniform on the field but didn’t participate as QB Brian Hoyer took his place.

Hoyer has some solid numbers through the first half hitting on 15-of-21 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown in the first half. With those numbers, I don’t think Brady needed to play.

The Patriots lead the Jaguars, 19-9, at halftime in Gillette Stadium.

The other story line in this game is the play of QB Blaine Gabbert. He was the Jaguars first round pick in the 2011 NFL draft and, with QB David Garrard dinged up, Gabbert got the nod on Thursday night. He hasn’t had the night Hoyer has but completed 9-of-16 passes for 85 yards and no touchdowns in the first half.

Check out Pats Pulpit and Big Cat Country for live commentary during the game.

By Bradley Woodrum

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Aug 10, 2011 – The Jacksonville Jaguars finished with a disappointing 8-8 record last year, losing four straight to end the season. Although they improved on their 2009 record of 7-9, the Jags were certainly hoping for more. Now the team is in an unusual in-between stage: Star running back Maurice Jones-Drew is in his prime, starting quarterback David Garrard is entering the sunset of his career, while rookie quarterback and first round draft pick Blaine Gabbert starts the season has a huge unknown.

Winning means nothing for the preseason, but these early games do offer vital glimpses into the makeup of the Jags roster. Here are some stories to keep on eye on:

• The Quarterback Battle - Can David Garrard stay healthy and perform well enough to start one more year? More importantly, does Blaine Gabbert show early promise? Starting the year as a backup, Gabbert will receive a hefty portion of playing time during the preseason. Hopefully for Jags fans, he can dice up any second-string defense sent against him.
• The RB’s Health - The great Maurice Jones-Drew can take over a game on his own, but last year, he sustained a knee injury that cost him the final two games. If he shows any ill affects from the injury, the Jaguars offense will likely struggle mightily.
• The Defense - According to Football Outsiders’ Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) statistic, the Jaguars had the league’s worst defense in 2010. That’s not good.

  According to Big Cat Country contributor Brad Hill, the Jags may have the defensive lineman necessary to start that turnaround. Hill names DE Austen Lane, DT Tyson Alualu, and DE Aaron Morgan as players on the rise. Terrible in both run stopping and pass rushing in 2010, the 2011 Jaguars need a lot of everything on defense, and that starts with the line.

The Jaguars and New England Patriots kick off the preseason Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.

For all things Jaguars, head over to Big Cat Country.

Read More: David Garrard (QB – JAC), Maurice Jones-Drew (RB – JAC), Blaine Gabbert (QB – JAC), New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots, Aug 11, 2011 7:30 PM EDT

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