The Broncos have the Jacksonville Jaguars on tap for this weekend. The Jags come to Denver with a 2-3 record on the season but the Broncos know that Jacksonville has played all five of its opponents close this season. Denver realizes that it is up against a talented football team, regardless of what its record may be coming in.
“The average fan looks at them and they see a 2-3 record and they don’t see the football team,” Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. “That’s usually indicative of most people. You are looking at the record and not how they have been playing. Our football team is well aware of that and we will be ready to play.”
Brandon Stokley agreed with his coach and said the Broncos are focusing on the fact that Jacksonville is a dangerous football team despite its record.
“They have got a lot of talent there,” he said. “They are always well coached. You can’t look at records in the NFL. You just have to worry about the team and what they do and prepare yourself for them and go out and execute — that is the bottom line — execution.”
Jacksonville is a good football team and its wins over the past five seasons is a testament to that. The Jaguars have the NFL’s seventh best win-loss record since 2004 at 42-27. The Broncos have the fifth best at 43-26.
Head Coach Mike Shanahan said that kind of consistency hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“They know how to win,” he said. “They have been very consistent, being 11-5 last year, beating Pittsburgh on the road (in the playoffs), playing New England very well at their place (playoffs) and they have the same football team basically back. Our hands are full and we are looking forward to the contest. They manhandled us last year.”
Shanahan was referring to Jacksonville’s 23-14 win at Denver last season. The Jaguars ball control kept the football out of the hands of the Broncos offense. Jacksonville owned a 38:42 to 21:18 time of possession advantage over the Broncos in that contest.
The Jaguars, like the Broncos, are known for their ability to run the ball. Since 2003 the Jags are the fourth most productive running team in the league at 133.3 yards per contest. The Broncos are second with 143.5
Jacksonville had that same kind of production last season against Denver, rushing the ball for 186 yards and a touchdown.
Shanahan said his team is up for a good test against the Jaguars’ running game.
“We have given up a number of big plays with our rushing defense,” he said. “It’s a challenge to our team. I know they are going to come in here and run the football just like they did last year. It will be a great challenge to our defense to slow them down.”
The Jaguars are the Broncos’ second straight home opponent in as many weeks and both Shanahan and quarterback Jay Cutler said it is always nice to have home field advantage on your side when facing a tough opponent.
“The second half of the season we are on the road a lot,” Cutler said. “We had to take advantage of the first half of the schedule being at home. It is tough to go on the road and win. I don’t care where you go or what your record is, it is tough and we learned that in Kansas City.”
Shanahan said the fans’ presence made a difference last week against Tampa and he expects it will once again against Jacksonville.
“We have always been good at home,” he said. “We have a great crowd that helps us with crowd noise. It was very indicative versus Tampa Bay. That was a big plus with a couple of check-offs that they couldn’t make. We got a couple of big plays with our crowd. Hopefully our crowd is into it just like they were against Tampa Bay, and we can take advantage of the home field advantage.”
One thing the Broncos do have working against them this weekend is injuries.
Running back Selvin Young and tight end Tony Scheffler are out against Jacksonville with left groin strains. Wide receiver Eddie Royal suffered a sprained ankle against Tampa and according to Shanahan his status is probable for Sunday.
Cutler said despite the fact that the team might be missing some pieces on Sunday; he has confidence that his teammates will step up.
“We will be fine, and we will get through this,” he said. “It is part of the NFL. You are going to lose guys, and you prepare for it throughout the season and throughout training camp getting guys reps. We feel good about it. ”
Stokley said injuries happen, and it is up to the team to adjust accordingly.
“That is life in the NFL,” he said. “Everyone has injuries, you know you are going to have injuries, and it is how you adapt to those injuries. You keep playing and keep moving forward and don’t become negative because of the injuries.”
The Broncos know that if they get caught up in looking at the big picture, a 4-1 team against a 2-3 team, it becomes much easier to lose sight of what they are ultimately working towards — putting their best football team on the field they can each and every week.
Shanahan said he is happy with the maturity his squad has shown by not getting caught up in wins, losses and fast starts.
“These players know that this is a week-by-week business,” he said. “We have been through so many scenarios—teams that started out 0-3, 0-4 or 4-0—all the scenarios that occur; sometimes with injuries, sometimes just the mental state of the football team. That’s what we try to do. We don’t get caught up in the record. We try to go out there each day and improve and we really don’t care what people say about us because it’s what we do the next week or the next day that really counts. I think our football team is mature enough to understand that you have a chance to be successful if you take care of business on a day-to-day basis.”
-Jake Grilley, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Brandon Stokley, Eddie Royal, Injury, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jake Grilley, Jay Cutler, Mike Shanahan, Selvin Young, Tony Scheffler
Broncos lost 23-14 last year…score would have been 21-20 if Daniel Graham had held onto the ball on 4th down. Oh well, he seems to have much better hands this year and that’s all I care about!
REVENGE! GET SOME, BRONCOS!
There is to much talent to miss the playoffs. This is the time for our broncos to start playing their best.It doesn’t matter how they did it they are 4-1. This team must reclaim their AFC West dominance this year.This team is built for battle. They will battle injuries, heart-breaking losses, the winter cold. Then they will battle in the playoffs, and win. GO Broncos.
At least some peace of mind can fall upon all our Broncos that had to go through the Darrent Williams Loss. They finally caught the SOB that did it! Good job goes out to the Denver PD. Now, lets go out & slaughter some kitty cats!
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I couldn’t agree more with Shanahan. We can’t look at the records because they don’t tell us everything we need to know to be prepared to play against this team. We can’t do that with any team. It’s so easy for anyone to see that record and think okay they’re 2-3 so we should be able to run over ‘em pretty well. Does anyone remember what KC did to us just what, 2 weeks ago and they were 0-3!!!!!!!!!????
We can’t come into any game cocky and thinking like the Cowboys do – egos bigger than the universe. We are a VERY VERY talented young team with one heck of a QB to help lead us… we can win, we can run over them but with class and very well carried out plays on both sides of the ball. We have to play smart – outsmart the opponent and we’ll have this game. We are capable (and we’ve actually done this already this year) of playing very smart and clever football – let’s keep that going and keep this so far good season going.
And broncoholico, you better not be kidding about the guy who took D-Will from us. Is that really true and where did you here (or read) that??? I just want to make sure that what you said is true. Don’t be playing around with that kind of info.
If we play smart football, I see our score somewhere in the 40s. That would be awesome.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!
i just wish they would get better at rushing the ball. im getting nerves
Well, well it’s been a while since I last came on here…
So I’d like to say where is your Niko now!? On special teams that’s where he is. I told y’all he hadn’t done anything to win the Mike position so don’t automatically hand it to him like he was gonna come in here and be some great saviour, like he’s the missing piece or something. You guys talked him up so much, yet his hype was greater than his play. Score 1 Vinci.
On the young Jarvis Moss. Looks like he’s gonna get a few plays at the linebacker position. As I noted earlier this year they should be doing with him. For all you guys that said that was a stupid idea. Get smart!
At least coach is listening to some of my contributions haha!
No joke 07elway. The story was on cbs4denver.com – I know way better than to kid around with something such as that!
Broncoholico were did you hear that news do you have more details
what do you guys think about us getting lj? i personally would like to see denver get him as long as they dont have to give up to much, i think he is still a great back, and he would improve the offense tremendously!
The news about D. Williams was on espn and the nfl network. I believe the nfl network said it was that guy named Willie ?, pretty sure it was the guy they have been questioning all alone.
Vinci, you funny!
Have you guys heard that they indicted the man that killed D-Will….after all this time it about time they got his A##, hope he goes to Prison 4 Life….Its on ESPN.com go check it out. RIP D-Will 27
Willie Clark indicted on 39 counts including murder and attempted murder. Just came down on nfl network.
Does anyone know when Aldridge can come back?
We’re a better Team than the last time we met the Jags. They do have one of the biggest offensive lines in the NFL. They try to run the ball down opponents throats, to set up play action.
Local news reported there has been an indictment handed down for a Willie Clark re: D-Will’s death. Denver PD held a news conference in the late afternoon today.
I really did believe you broncoholico, it was just some big news to just come upon and I wanted to be sure it was true. And I just now saw a news story video on it and I actually saw that little punk’s face that did such a heartless thing. I’m so glad that they finally caught him and I hope he spends the rest of pitiful life behind bars… he doesn’t deserve to walk the streets plus they said he is (or was) a very well known gang member and he doesn’t need to be out in public anymore anyway. His days are over… see how he likes it!!!
After this, don’t tell me prayers aren’t answered and that God doesn’t exist. Thank God for this miracle finding… there were times I really didn’t think the guy would be caught because very rarely are people caught for this kind of stuff (especially gang members). All I can say is THANK GOD and a thank you to the Denver PD for doing their jobs.
GO BRONCOS!!!!
The Broncos are prepared for the Jags. Thus, I have no doubt that we’ll win this game. A focused Mike Shanahan team is difficult to beat and in all due respect to the Jags’, with the exception of Rashean Mathis, their pass defense SUCKS. Carve them up like a jack o’lantern, Jay! Let’s crush the Jaguars, sending them back to the Atlantic coast 2-4 sounds awfully nice to me! I’m with elway 07, God does indeed exist and loves his Broncos!
Mike I think you should draft another posession wide receiver, and bring in another reciever tight end in this years draft. Tony Sheffler is a good player when he is healthy but he stays hurt alot. I think you should look at the tight end from Colorado State he has the size and height of 6’5″. I believe if we draft him he will be a nice safe pick to put in the game when Sheffler gets injured.
The broncos will farewell as long as they control the clock and keep the jaguars offense off the field and when they do get on the field press the recievers and play some smash mouth football in the trenches the d line needs to play strong so our line backers can be free to smash the two headed monster of jones drew and taylor keep the jaguars in third and long situations and then put pressure on garrard and we win the game 24-17
This is going to be the game that make or break us, Sports is a mine game and if we win this game our team will fill that they are ready to take it to the next level,
if we lose, it may work on our mine set, I fill very strongly that we are going to win this game and go on and do something special,
Broncos win 41 17!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Smashmouth is right. This game is a bigger test for our defense than Tampa for sure. The Jags are a strong running team and rely on this to win games. Unfortuately, we are not the toughest run D in the league and have our hands full! D-Line needs to have their best game of the year so far in order for us to win. Offensively I would like to see Nate Jackson at tight end on Sheffler downs and maintain a balanced attack. We are deep at running back but I can’t believe I have not heard a lot about loosing Selvin Young for this game. That dude is a great running back for us. GO BRONCOS!!!!!
To bradjamesbroncofan and the rest of the broncos fan. yes yall have a good pass offense, but if our defense sucks so bad, which i do admit has not been the greatest so far this year, what would you call your defense? the jags are 15th and 26th while the broncos are 25th and 30th in the league on the run and pass, respectively. oh by the way that is with us missing both our starting safety, reggie nelson, and cornerback drayton florence for the last two weeks as well as one of our starting linebackers, justin durant recognized as our best pass coverage linebacker, the same week as well. i think the major key to the game the broncos O-line versus our D-line. If we can get any pressure on Cutler, than the broncos will have a major problem, but if we cant, then i fear it could be a long day for us. By getting pressure we can get the broncos offense off the field. I also feel, however, that if your defense doesnt have another good performance this week, then the Jaguars offense can keep the broncos offense off the field, thus keeping the broncos strength and the jaguars early season weakness a non factor. I predict it will be a 30 – 27 jaguars win. A lot of points is probable. Should be an exciting game!!!