Jacksonville Jaguars interim coach Mel Tucker spent part of the
season using crutches and an electric scooter. Nowadays, he has
recovered enough from a torn quadriceps muscle to be limping
around.

His defense has been even more banged up.

The Jaguars (3-8) have three defensive starters on injured
reserve, including both starting cornerbacks, and have been without
several other key players on that side of the ball in recent weeks.
There’s hasn’t been a noticeable drop-off, a credit to what Tucker
has accomplished in his first season in control of the unit.

In short, Tucker has convinced the Jaguars he is one of the
NFL’s young, ascending coaches. What he does over the next five
games, beginning Monday night against reeling San Diego, will
determine whether he will replace fired coach Jack Del Rio on a
permanent basis.

“I think Mel has been one of the bright spots of our football
team this year, taking charge of the defense and calling the
defensive plays,” owner Wayne Weaver said. “I was very explicit
with Mel that it’s an interim position, that at the end of the
season we’re going to conduct … a very extensive coaching search
to make sure that we bring in someone that can help us really build
this franchise and return to what we expect _ into a winning
franchise.

“I did assure Mel that he would have an opportunity to be
interviewed for the job, and I think he certainly deserves that and
he’s earned that.”

Tucker’s promotion was welcomed news in Jacksonville’s locker
room on an otherwise tough day Tuesday, with players praising him
for his attention to detail and his no-nonsense attitude.

“What you see with him and what he says, that’s him,” linebacker
Paul Posluszny said. “He’s very true to that. He doesn’t try to put
on a show or an act of anything like that. He’s very true with the
way he presents himself and the things that he says.”

Del Rio hired Tucker as his defensive coordinator in 2009, but
Del Rio mostly handled the calls during Tucker’s first two years.
That changed in January, when Weaver told Del Rio to give
play-calling duties.

The defense hasn’t been the same since.

The unit was one of the worst in the league the last two
seasons, failing to pressure quarterbacks and struggling to slow
down anyone on the back end.

The turnaround wasn’t all Tucker’s doing.

The Jaguars spent more than $100 million in free agency to
upgrade a defense that ranked 28th in the league last season and
allowed a franchise record 419 points. They signed Posluszny,
fellow linebacker Clint Session, defensive end Matt Roth,
cornerback Drew Coleman and safety Dewan Landry. They also traded
for safety Dwight Lowery.

Tucker had little time to get them to gel, but he made it work
better than anyone expected.

Jacksonville’s defense has held seven of its 11 opponents under
300 yards, giving the offensively challenged team a chance to win
every game. The unit, which ranks fourth in the league in total
defense, has forced at least one turnover in five consecutive
games. Recently, they have remained stout despite losing Rashean
Mathis, Derek Cox and Session for the season, and playing without
Roth and fellow defensive linemen Terrance Knighton and Aaron
Kampman.

“Good players make a good coach,” Tucker said. “I believe in
keeping it simple, simple enough where we can line up and play fast
and we can be relentless and we can be aggressive. But we have
enough where we can be confident in regards to covering whatever we
need to cover, whatever offenses throw at us, multiple sets, things
like that.

“The thing that you’ll see when you watch our defense is that
they play with great technique and fundamentals. They play hard,
they’re relentless, they play through the echo of the whistle and
those are things we believe in and those are things we emphasize
every day, and you get what you emphasize.”

Tucker, 39, began his coaching career as a a graduate assistant
at Michigan State under Nick Saban in 1997. He coached defensive
backs at Miami (Ohio), LSU and Ohio State before moving to the NFL
with the Cleveland Browns in 2005. He was Cleveland’s secondary
coach for three years before getting promoted to defensive
coordinator.

Having never been a head coach, Tucker doesn’t plan on getting
overly involved with the offense.

After all, the last time he stepped out of his realm, he
painfully injured his leg while playfully fielding punts in
practice.

Nonetheless, he knows this is a big opportunity.

“I’m always motivated to do the best that I can, and right now,
my focus is on these next five weeks to do everything that I
possibly can to get this team prepared to play,” Tucker said.
“There’s a certain brand of football that we need to show out
there. It’s relentless, it’s attention to detail, it’s high effort,
it’s high energy, it’s high impact. Those are things that we’re
going to work on.

“In terms of my future as a head coach, that’s for another day.
… Only time will tell what opportunities I will have in the
future, but I am confident and comfortable where I am right
now.”

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Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars (8:30 p.m. ET, TSN)

 

 

On paper, this projects to be a blowout, even though the Jaguars are at home.

Baltimore is a legit Super Bowl contender, mixing a perennially strong defence with standout running back Ray Rice and an in-form Joe Flacco.

Rice has been putting up obscene all-purpose numbers and is a major threat catching the ball as well as rushing with it. That has opened things up for Flacco, who is playing well.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville’s offence is plodding along under rookie Blaine Gabbert, who has struggled to adapt to the NFL.

Maurice Jones-Drew is having a fine campaign, despite Gabbert’s slow learning curve, but expect Jacksonville’s weak lines to have all kinds of troubles with the Ravens on both sides of the ball.

If Jones-Drew gets handled, this game could get mighty ugly, barring an unforeseen turnaround from Gabbert.

Jacksonville’s only chance might be if the defensive line can step up and get to Flacco.

That has been the knock on 4-1 Baltimore, which already has allowed Flacco to be sacked 10 times. The Jaguars have not been able to stop the run this season and likely won’t do any better against Rice.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Paul Spicer to a one-day contract on Wednesday so the defensive end could retire as a member of the team.

Jacksonville, FL (Sports Network) – The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Paul Spicer to a one-day contract on Wednesday so the defensive end could retire as a member of the team.

Spicer ranks fourth on the Jaguars’ all-time sacks list with 28 1/2 following nine seasons with the club.

After going undrafted out of Saginaw Valley State, Spicer began his career with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders before catching on with the Detroit Lions in 1999.

He signed with the Jags as a free agent the next season and became a staple in their defensive unit, starting 63 of 115 games with the club.

“I can’t thank the Jaguars’ organization and the Jacksonville community enough for giving me an opportunity,” Spicer said. “My heart will always be here and I will always be a Jaguar. It was very important for me to end my career here where it started.”

Spicer, who was part of the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl winning team two seasons ago, finished his career with 349 tackles, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and one interception.

© 2011 The Sports Network

Read More: Bob Sanders (DB – IND), Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported this morning that recently released S Bob Sanders will be meeting with the Jacksonville Jaguars later today:

Former Colts S Bob Sanders is in Jacksonville, visiting Jags today. As a released player, Sanders is free to sign w/ a team until March 3.

The Jaguars are obviously very familiar with what a healthy Sanders can do on the field, being in the same division as the Colts. This could be the first of 3 stops inside the AFC South for Sanders, as all could be potential landing spots for the former Defensive Player of the Year.