It’s not that the Jaguars are a bad team. I think it would be more accurate to say they’re an incomplete team.

“We have a plan in this organization,” Head Coach Mike Mularkey said Sunday after the 27-10 loss to Cincinnati at home, “And we’ll stick to that plan. We’ll have to take our lumps, and we have, but we have to chip our way back. We have a lot of football to go.”

All of that is accurate, but it doesn’t make it any easier to take. There are no moral victories in professional sports and a loss is just that, a loss.

There’s been a lot of talk about whether the Jaguars have enough talent to win. When I asked Mularkey that question two weeks ago, he said, “It’s on tape, we’ve seen our guys have success. We can sustain drives. We can get off the field on defense. It’s not about changing things or changing players, it’s about playing better.”

I believe that in a lot of areas and the Jaguars have shown flashes of being able to compete. But inconsistency is what beats you in the NFL and the Jaguars are about as inconsistent as they come. Long drives are followed by several 3 and outs. That won’t work long term.

So how do you get more consistent?

“We have great practices,” Quarterback Blaine Gabbert said in his post-game comments Sunday, “But we’re not executing in the games. It’s as simple as that.”

The team believes they can win and I’d agree, they’re a pretty good practice team. But when they get in games, one thing here and one thing there that don’t go right add up to a bunch of things not going right and getting beat.

There are two areas where the team needs improvement right away if they want to win some games: Quarterback and pass rush. Gabbert is right when it comes to executing. He has to execute better, quicker and with more authority. Two weeks in a row we’ve seen young quarterbacks in Andrew Luck and Andy Dalton and both seem more comfortable running an offense than Gabbert. He has some flashes, and Gabbert has as good of an arm as anybody in the league. But his decision-making in the pocket is just a split second slow, leading to sacks and in completions.

Mularkey says he’s a young player still learning and progressing, but it’s hard to be patient with a quarterback who’s not getting it done when you look around at comparable QB’s who are. I think Gabbert can and will be better, but it’s taking longer than anybody would like. Just a little dump off here or a quick throw there will go a long way to keeping drives alive and getting a rhythm on offense.

Pass rush is a different story. Teams that win Super Bowls have a front four that can pressure the opposing quarterback without any blitz help. The NY Giants are the best example of this. The Jaguars don’t have that. While Jeremy Mincey is about the hardest working guy you’ve ever seen on the field, he’s not a sack specialist from his DE position. Tyson Alualu was drafted to rush the QB up the middle to neutralize Peyton Manning. Alualu isn’t getting to the quarterback and his specialty isn’t stopping the run at the point of attack. I don’t know that he’s big enough in today’s NFL to do that. So move him to DE and work on some other guys at DT.

Mularkey knew this was a building job when he took it and that it would take some time. But his players aren’t helping by playing below their own standard. If they can execute, get the same kind of results during games that they do on the practice field, then they have a chance. Otherwise, they’ll have to blow it up and start over again.

Sometimes you are the sum total of your parts. While I’m not one of those ready to make the jump from RJ Soward, Reggie Williams and Matt Jones directly to Justin Blackmon, his recent history is painting a picture of inconsistency that is, frankly, inconsistent with what the Jaguars found out when they vetted their first round pick and behavior that is at best, not consistent with success and at worst, self-destructive.

Blackmon’s recent arrest for “aggravated DUI” is alarming not just because of his willingness to drink and drive but the level at which he was allegedly intoxicated. If your blood alcohol level is above .15, the “aggravated” level of DUI is implemented, usually a felony. Blackmon reportedly measured at .24, three times the legal limit. At over six feet and 200 lbs, to get to .24, Blackmon had to be drinking for quite a while. And while his judgment might have been impaired by his drinking, the judgment of his friends has to also be in question based on them allowing him to get behind the wheel.

Does he have a drinking problem? That’s such a subjective definition but the fact that he’s a two-time offender should give him, his family, the Jaguars and his teammates at least a reason to ask that question. While he was in Jacksonville for the OTA’s, there were numerous sightings at local beach bars, but no incidents were reported. It is interesting that Head Coach Mike Mularkey said last week that when Blackmon, “knows the play, he’s very good. When he doesn’t he’s lost.” I thought that was a bit curious that the lauded first round pick could have as much practice time as he has but still not be fully aware of the playbook. Is that a sign that he was carousing a bit much while here instead of putting his nose in the book? When asked about his previous DUI at his introductory press conference here Blackmon called it an “isolated incident. I’ve grown from it. I’m a stronger person.” That’s the answer he gave the Jaguars during their investigation of his character before they drafted him. And they believed it. Why shouldn’t they? Everybody they talked to from Blackmon’s friends, family and coaches all said he was a great person. Interested in charity. Hard worker. Great teammate. And all of that could be true but now Blackmon’s credibility can be called into question.

Jail time is unlikely for his current charge, scheduled for a court appearance on July 24th, three days before Jaguars training camp is scheduled to start. Whether the Jaguars or the league can or will take any disciplinary action is unclear although he could be forced into the NFL’s substance abuse program as a first-time offender. (A second offense means a 4-game suspension).

If you’re wondering, “How could he do this at such a critical time?” drug and alcohol experts say this is exactly the time those with abuse problems act out and “fall again into the abyss.” Several times the night before the Super Bowl, important players in the NFL have succumbed to either the pressure or the temptation at one of the most important junctures of their lives.

From the top down, the Jaguars organization at this point won’t put up with bad behavior. Shad Khan wants a team he can be proud of. Gene Smith and Mike Mularkey are very involved in what kind of person each of their players are before putting them in black and teal. So they’ll deal with it and Blackmon will have a chance not only to get his life straight but probably be a star in the NFL.

If he wants to be.

RJ Soward was much more interested in his lifestyle than playing in the NFL. The team used to send a limo to his house to bring him to practice. And he still couldn’t make it. Reggie Williams thought he was a gangsta instead of a football player while Matt Jones didn’t realize that hard work makes you better and allows you to flourish as a player and a person.

Blackmon doesn’t strike me as having any of those personality traits but at this point, it’s all a question mark.

Who’d have thought that Mike Mularkey’s first test would have come before one football was snapped with him as the Head Coach of the Jaguars? Mularkey, along with the rest of the coaching staff and the personnel department had their feet held to the fire for a couple of days this week as Tim Tebow was made available.

Tebow is the most polarizing figure currently in sports. There’s no middle ground. Either you want him on your team as a starter because he’s going to take you to a championship or you don’t think he can play a lick. All of the other stuff surrounding Tim, his religious beliefs, his goodness, his winning record in high school and college, his ability to sell seats (or not) don’t matter. Everybody, especially in Jacksonville, has an opinion. Mularkey didn’t think this would be an issue when he took the job with the Jaguars. Tebow was the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, and in fact, much of Mike’s pre-hiring discussions centered on Blaine Gabbert, the Jaguars second-year quarterback.

But then Tebow because available (“We’re are talking about Peyton Manning,” Tim said to John Elway when informed he’d be traded) and the Jaguars seemed like a logical destination: for some. Hometown hero, Gator, winner, fill the stadium, etc, etc. Apparently it was only a question of how much the Jaguars wanted him. For some, no price was too high. For others, any price was too high.

“Don’t believe everything you hear or read in the media,” Mularkey said at the “Meet the Coaches” event on Thursday night. “It’s hard not to want a guy like that. We wouldn’t have tried to trade for him if we didn’t feel like we didn’t want to have him here. There were a lot of things that went into this thing to try to get Tim to come here.

“In the long run, it did not work out. But if you do not want a player, you don’t even get involved with it.”

We might not know much about Mike Mularkey, but one thing about his reputation precedes him: his honesty. He’ll tell the truth and live with the consequences, good or bad. He left the head-coaching job with the Buffalo Bills when the job changed around him, knowing he might never get another shot in the NFL. So when he says the Jaguars were in the hunt for Tim and wanted him, believe him.

The Jaguars matched the Jets offer of a 4th rounder and a couple of throw in’s for Tim but in the end, Tebow picked the Jets. Not even a hint of Shad Khan’s money for the Tebow foundation and other “accouterments” could turn his head. For some fans, that wasn’t good enough. They should have outbid New York no matter what.

So why not up the ante?

“That’s confidential,” Mularkey said. “The draft is how you build a football team and that’s what we’re going to continue to do. That’s been the philosophy of this franchise. That’s my philosophy. You’ve got to be very careful what you start doing with draft picks and we feel strongly about the draft.”

The day after the trade, the Jets said Tebow would be a situational player, coming in on third down, short yardage and in the red zone, much like I suggested earlier in the week on how the Jaguars could make it work. Apparently they discussed that, but also talked internally about how Tim might fit in as the back-up quarterback.

“Some of that’s confidential to talk about, but we talked about all scenarios as far as the backup quarterback,” Mularkey said. “He has some rare ability to do some things and all of that was discussed.”

There are reports that Tebow picked the Jets because he thought it was a better chance to compete for the starting job. I’m sure that’s news to Mark Sanchez and his new contract extension. But with Tony Sporano as the offensive coordinator in New York, Tim will get some special packages and maybe 10-15 plays a game.

And as far as Tim’s star status is concerned, well, it is New York after all. Endorsements, fund-raising, it’s all right at his feet. I know Tim’s a solid guy but I’m sure you’ve seen him at the Oscar’s after-parties and walking Taylor Swift to her car. He has big time star status, and it’ll only be enhanced in New York.

True to his form, Mularkey kept Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne in the loop while all the talk about Tim Tebow was swirling.

“I wanted to make sure they were updated with where things are and where they aren’t, and that what we told them from the beginning had not changed,” Mularkey said. “We wanted to reconfirm it. We hadn’t been in contact with (Blaine) for a number of weeks because of the way the new CBA is, but I just thought with the way things were going down it was important he heard from me and my belief in him and that why we brought him here had not changed.”

Mike talked a lot on Thursday night about doing things “the right way.” Jaguars fans can only hope that his belief in Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne, and everybody else’s in the stadium, is rewarded.

Here’s the only way Tim Tebow ends up on the Jaguars: Shad Khan says make it happen.

Khan hasn’t stood over Gene Smith’s shoulder when it comes to any of the football decisions he’s made. He let Smith cull through the coaching prospects before he brought Mike Mularkey to the table. And Khan hasn’t been a part of the process of signing free-agents.

While Tebow might be a different story from a business standpoint, he’s not what the Jaguars are looking for when it comes to their quarterback of the future. Smith, Mularkey and Offensive Coordinator Bob Bratkowski want a successful Blaine Gabbert. Tall, strong armed, mobile enough to get away quarterback who emerges as the passing threat to compliment Maurice Jones Drew and the running game.

Agree or not, that’s what they’re looking for and Tim brings an entirely different skill set to the quarterback position.

Khan has said he would have told his “people” to get it done when asked about drafting Tebow out of college, but he’s never said, “with the 10th pick.” That was the dilemma the Jaguars faced at the time. Now, Tebow would be available via trade, probably for a mid-round pick but what to do with him on the roster?

Signing Chad Henne give the Jaguars a viable backup and a legitimate starter at the position if Gabbert fails.

When Wayne Weaver owned the team, he commissioned research to see how many season tickets Tim Tebow would sell if the Jaguars drafted him. The number they came up with was 6,000 in the first year, even if he stood on the sidelines and wore a had and carried a clipboard. That didn’t warrant a business decision overriding a football decision so the Jaguars passed on him, hoping to get back into the bottom of the first round and draft Tim nonetheless. Denver jumped in front of them and that was that.

From a political standpoint, Weaver didn’t want fans screaming for Tebow after David Garrard threw his first interception. I don’t think that’s a consideration now, but time will tell. I just don’t think it’s in the cards.

The Jaguars will win the Super Bowl.

That’s right, they’re going to win it. I don’t know when and I don’t know if it’ll be under the new head coach, but they’re going to win the Super Bowl. Shad Khan won’t accept anything less. Getting to the playoffs will be the first step. Winning in the post-season, the second. Playing in the big game the third and finally winning it will be the goal achieved.

How can I say that?

Because Khan is going to make it happen.

Wayne Weaver obviously tried. He spent money and twice the Jaguars were close to playing on Super Bowl Sunday. But even by his own admission, Weaver knew what he didn’t know and was a little too patient with making personnel changes that could have produced more wins and maybe even a championship season.

Khan doesn’t have any of the encumbrances that Weaver faced. If he needs to make a change, he will and he’ll do it without looking back. While I’ve said he’s a thoughtful, patient and measured businessman (and appears that personally as well) he will take action when necessary.

Weaver said his biggest regret was firing Tom Coughlin when he did. Coughlin didn’t appear to be ready to relinquish the personnel, GM part of the job as he did later in the New York. I don’t know if Weaver asked him, but that might have been the best move at the time. Coughlin has had multiple playoff wins and a Super Bowl Championship since then. Weaver also said he was a bit “too patient” with some of the people working for him making the football decisions. Wayne was respectful of his “football people” to a fault. In retrospect he hung with James “Shack” Harris and Jack Del Rio too long. He gave David Garrard a new deal when he didn’t deserve it.

But that’s all in the past.

Shad Khan won’t be a patient but he won’t fly off the handle either. “You know, fans want to shoot first and ask questions later,” he said last week when talking about a new head coach and Gene Smith’s future. Khan wants to be proactive but do the right thing. “Paralysis by analysis,” is something he said won’t happen.

Smith is working on kind of an “audition phase” of his tenure with the Jaguars. That sounds crazy after a career of working with the same team from the bottom up but with a three-year extension on his contract, Smith has a chance to show Khan what he’s all about.

So far, Khan has been very complimentary of Smith’s knowledge of the league and what needs to be done when it comes to hiring a head coach. You could say Gene has “institutional knowledge” when it comes to the NFL. “I’ll always be a scout at heart,” Gene has told me several times. But he’s going to have to be much more than that to be Shad Khan’s General Manager. Khan wants leadership, decision-making and results.

Smith has a tepid track record so far as the sole personnel decision maker for the Jaguars. His first round picks, Tyson Alualu and Eugene Monroe have been solid but not great based on their draft position. Nobody knows about Blaine Gabbert although he certainly has the physical tools to be an NFL quarterback. Clearly that’s what Smith saw in him and is, by necessity, his biggest fan. If Gabbert isn’t a “franchise quarterback” Smith’s tenure with the Jaguars under Khan could be short.

His role in picking the new head coach will also go a long way in determining his future with the Jaguars. Last time he recommended Mike McCarthy. Weaver hired Jack Del Rio. Jack’s out of a job, McCarthy has arguably the best team in the league and already one of those “gaudy rings” as Wayne described it on his finger.

But the Jaguars are going to win a Super Bowl. And they’ll do it in Jacksonville. Khan’s a big thinker with big ideas he can make happen. So when things start rolling, look at the guy at the top. He’ll be the one with the big smile under that moustache.

We’ve had some good luck as a city to have people in critical decision-making positions at critical times who turned out to be the right people at the right time. Mayor Jake Godbold served as “best Friend of the city” at a time that luring an NFL franchise was a complete pipe dream: to everybody but Godbold and the citizens of Jacksonville.

When that became a reality in 1993 we were again fortunate to have an owner step forward who was committed to Jacksonville as if he was a native. Asked by the NFL to consider taking over the St. Louis bid, a place he had lived and had ties to, Wayne Weaver declined, and instead cast his lot with the longest shot in the field.

But we were used to that.

And as Tom mentioned earlier, Wayne’s brother Ron reminded us over and over, “what my brother goes after, he usually gets.”

During the expansion process, Jacksonville was always considered an also-ran, once again except in the minds of Wayne Weaver and the people who lived here. It was a painful process to be ready to do whatever it took to get a team, and still be put off several times as the league, and other cities fortified their expansion bids.

In October of 1993, when Charlotte was awarded a franchise and Jacksonville was told to cool their heels while the league considered their options, I spent a lot of time with Wayne in Chicago and he was flat out hot. We stood outside of the NFL’s makeshift office at the Hyatt Regency, just the two of us, waiting for Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to explain to Weaver what was going on.

As the door opened, I asked Wayne, “what are you going to ask him?” Weaver stopped, turned to me with a locked jaw and fire in his eyes and said, “i’m going to ask him why we don’t have a football team. I didn’t come here to fool around.”

And with that he walked off to give Tagliabue a piece of his mind.

I saw a determination in Weaver that I’d never seen outside of a sports competition. Thirty days later, Jacksonville became the 30th franchise in the NFL, against all odds. And we owe that to Wayne Weaver. His determination, his professionalism, and maybe most importantly his charm and vision convinced the NFL membership that he should be part of their club. They invited him in, and we went along for the ride.

He wanted to win in the worst way. He paid players, changed coaches, tried to do whatever it took. And that’s why he says it’s bittersweet selling the team having never brought a championship home.

We’re indebted to Wayne and his wife Delores for how they’ve transformed our town. Knowing Wayne all he’d ever expect is a simple thanks.

So thanks Wayne.

Shahid Kahn has big shoes to fill.

There are many cliche’s involving sports and life.

“Sports doesn’t build character, it reveals it.”

“Sports imitates life.”

But perhaps the truth is how sports gives us a chance to gain perspective on what might be going on around you.

As the tragedy at Penn State continues to unfold, it’s much more a story about responsibility, accountability and how an organization works (or doesn’t) as it is about sports. The time-honored ideas of loyalty and leadership, so valued in a sports oriented situation, play a big part in what happened and how it was handled in State College.

Here in the state of Florida, we’ve been lucky to witness the domination of college football by Miami, FSU and Florida in the last 20 years. If one of those teams didn’t win or play for a National Championship, they had some say on who did. It’s heady stuff, knowing your team is going to be good year after year.

There’s a whole generation of fans who don’t know anything but winning when it comes to their teams. That shapes your thinking, shapes your actions and especially shapes your expectations. But somewhere along the way, that changes, leaving fans with a couple of choices going forward.

Do I now hate my own team? Do I chastise them for letting me down? Do I affix blame from the ownership on down and demand they all be fired?

How fans react in those situations is a pretty good indicator as to how they’ll react when it really counts.

Fans of the “U” used to have a swagger that bordered on the absurd. Now they’ve been forced to retreat from that stance, as Miami is a mid-level team in their own conference.

FSU’s fall from grace forced Seminole fans to make their own decisions about their icon, Bobby Bowden. How they reacted to that will give them a future lesson on a changing of the guard in their own lives.

We often joke that the most important three words in the University of Florida football media guide are “Since Nineteen Ninety.” A great many Gator fans don’t even know what you mean when you allude to the one-time rallying cry of “Wait ’till next year!” Nonetheless, while the 2011 season seems like only a bump in the road, it is giving a lot of Gators a taste of how it felt to their opponents in the last twenty years with the Orange and Blue were on the other side of the line.

While the Jaguars, Bucs and Dolphins have had their moments of excitement, it’s been a test of patience for their fans all over the state recently.

Some people can probably learn a lot about themselves by reflecting on what kind of fan they are. Loyal, fickle, fair-weather whatever.

What’s that say about you?

There’s lots of chatter about the Jaguars win over the Colts in Indianapolis Sunday afternoon, most of it somehow discounting it as a victory, because Indy is winless this year. Tell that to the Chiefs last week who got spanked by a previously winless Miami Dolphin team. A win in the NFL counts no matter which one of the other 31 teams you beat.

While it’s easy to look past this one and criticize the Jaguars shortcomings even in victory, I’m going the other way. This is one that would have been easy to let slip away.

Tied at 3 at halftime and after a three and out on their first possession of the third quarter, the momentum was starting to build for the home team. But despite their paltry production in the passing game, the Jaguars were still in the game. Their defense was stout, giving up a field goal early but controlling the Colts, stopping the run and not giving up the big play.

When your offense is struggling to score points, it’s not an easy thing to drag yourself back out their on defense and put the clamps on your opponent. But this defensive group seems to have a work ethic and a willingness to carry the team as far as they can.

Against the Ravens the defense came to life and gave the team an identity. It’s carried on now for three weeks. They’re willing to be the face of the team. Now when you hear anybody talking about the Jaguars the first thing you hear is, “Well, their defense is great.”

After that it’s about how their rookie quarterback, Blaine Gabbert is struggling. And that’s exactly right. The Jaguars aren’t going to outscore anybody. They can’t get into a shootout because they can’t score enough points. But an “ugly win” is worth as much as any other kind.

A decision about Gabbert’s effectiveness long term is still a long time away. Right now he’s erratic and even regressing occasionally. But Maurice Jones Drew and the running game should be able to keep the ball enough to keep the Jaguars in most games.

The next four games fall in the Jaguars favor starting with a road game against an equally struggling Cleveland Browns. The next three are at home against Houston, a Monday nighter against the erratic Chargers followed by the up and down Tampa Bay Bucs coming to town.

It’s hard to project that they’ll get back into the playoff race, but at least it now appears their defense will show up every week, ready to go to work.

I’m sure you know what Tony Boselli, Fred Taylor, David Garrard, Kyle Brady, Mike Peterson and even Byron Leftwich have in common. All were either unceremoniously cut or dumped from the Jaguars when they seemed to have some productive years left in their NFL careers. Stars at one point while playing in Jacksonville, they all were considered expendable and sent on their way.

Boselli was exposed to the expansion draft, they didn’t think Taylor could be a back up so they cut him; Garrard was shoved out by a first round pick. Brady fell out of favor with the coaching staff and ended up on a Super Bowl team in New England. Mike P questioned Jack Del Rio and was allowed to move on. He is still starting for the Falcons. Leftwich wasn’t cutting it according to the coaching staff and wouldn’t react well to a demotion.

Whether their assessment of a player’s skills was correct or not, when a team is done with you, they’re done. No niceties in this business. It’s pretty cut and dried when they call you in and tell you you’re services are no longer needed. Sometimes it’s a classic “Coach wants to see you and bring your playbook.” Sometimes they grab you after a meeting or after practice and tell you you’re gone. It’s not a long process and it can be a combustible situation.

There are stories about the player taking a swing at a coach. Or verbally dressing him down. I came across the Jaguars player personnel guy in his office once with a player signing his “separation” papers at his desk. With security standing guard outside the hall just in case and to provide an escort out of the building.

When you look at that short list of players, you could make an argument that most were done and spent the last few years of their careers just hanging on. How they cut Garrard was pretty harsh, and not right, just 5 days before the season. Same thing with Leftwich just before the opener. But it underscores the harsh nature of professional sports. You’re in it until somebody else says you’re not. And when you’re out, you’re gone.

It’s no wonder the players are so focused and intent on keeping their jobs. They know they’re one play away from it being over.

Have you ever been fired? I have, and it’s no fun no matter how they handle it. Recently in radio I was fired via text! That’s not harsh, that’s just cowardly. In pro sports they’ll look you in the eye at least and tell you you’re done. But when they’re done with you, they’re done.

For years, my friend Keith has said, “When July 4th comes around, summer is over.” I always laughed at that, because when we were kids, the 4th of July marked the beginning of summer! But alas, now he’s right, as seasons have expanded, once the holiday is finished, it seems all eyes turn to football.

In the south anyway.

High School football, college football, pro football: they all grab fans attention in the heat of the summer. Magazines, meetings television networks, they all focus on football. Of course the old joke is there are two seasons in Florida (and Texas): Football season, and spring football season.

This year has been a little quieter across the board. The NFL lockout has kept the league and pro football in the news, but not in the way fans want to hear about it. Coverage of the legal proceedings has created excitement about the smallest thing, giving hope even when there was none. Of course, ESPN has always painted the best face on the movement because they have skin in the game. They need the NFL to play so you always have to watch their coverage with that in mind. If the league is playing games, ESPN is making money.

Florida fans haven’t be quite as vociferous as in the past. A new coach and not a single player on the pre-season All SEC first team has Gator fans wondering how their team will fare in 2011. A trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game has been penciled in as part of the season for Florida fans for quite a while. This year there’s a lot of grumbling. Not quite the “Wait ’till next year!” cry of a quarter century ago, but certainly not the swagger they’ve carried through three National Championships in the last 15 years.

Georgia is supposed to be good, but then again, they were better than Florida last year but couldn’t beat the Gators in the annual dust up here when it counted. All predictions have Florida State returning to the national stage as a player when it comes to who’s going to win the title but with a new quarterback, who knows?

And that’s what makes it fun.

Even if it’s summer!

The question all week was “Can we beat the Colts.” The answer was easy. “If they play like they have been, they can win.” The problem is, they didn’t play anything like they’re capable of playing.

Indianapolis had been struggling on both offense and defense. Peyton Manning didn’t have all of his regulars and even his new star, Austin Collie was just returning from a concussion. Manning likes to play the Jaguars, particularly when their defense is ranked 29th against the pass. So it wasn’t much of a surprise when he marched the Colts downfield on their first possession, hitting Collie in the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

The Jaguars responded with a field goal, but that’s never enough against Indy. You have to score TD’s when you have a chance. So when Manning hit Collie again for a TD, wide open down the middle seam, the Colts lead 14-3.

Indianapolis clearly was concentrating on stopping the run, the Jaguars bread and butter and did just that, holding Maurice Jones Drew for under 100 yards (actually 46. his lowest ever against the Colts) and ran the ball themselves. They’d be averaging just 80 yards a game on the ground, this week they ground out 155 against the Jaguars.

Mike Thomas returned a punt 78-yards for a TD to cut the lead to four, 14-10 and it seemed the momentum was changing. (Some Colts claimed Thomas signaled for a fair catch but the officials said no).

That’s when Jack Del Rio made a move that could be debated for a long time as the game-changing, season-changing call. On 4th and 1 from their own 39-yard line, Del Rio said go for it. I don’t mind the bravado that comes along with that call or the confidence it shows in his team. That’s Jack. He’s been making that call ever since he became a head coach. But I hated the call, a toss-sweep that gives the defense a chance to adjust. That leaves a chance for too many guys to make a play and that’s just what happened. MJD was hit behind the line, mis-handled the toss and fumbled the ball. The Jaguars turn it over on downs and the Colts do just what the Colts always do, they took advantage of the situation. Donald Brown ripped off a 40 yard TD run to give the Colts a 21-10.

But showing their resiliency, the Jaguars started marching right down the field looking to make a game of it. That’s when Garrard sailed one over Jason Hill’s head and into the arms of Antone Bethea for an interception and a field goal for the Colts going the other way, 24-10. That’s the throw that makes the difference in the game. A completion and it’s for 20 yards, a first down and keeps the Colts on their heels. Instead it changes the momentum of the game and keeps Indy in control. Garrard just flat out has to make that throw. He picked the right guy, he made the right read, but he just didn’t get the job done at THE most critical time.

Maybe that’s harsh but Garrard is one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league. He’s paid at that level to make that play.

But he didn’t.

Yes they hung in there and kept it close but the outcome seemed inevitable from that point on. The on-side kick returned for a TD sealed it, 34-14.

It’s disappointing for Jaguars fans because they were hoping to get excited about this team. It’s an easy team to like from a personality standpoint but the up and down nature of their performances are enough to drive people crazy. They have two games left, at home against Washington and then on the road to finish the year against the Texans. Wins there and a 10-6 record isn’t bad, but might not make the playoffs.

So all is not lost, but that opportunity to establish themselves as a contender instead of pretenders is gone. As Jack said, “if we’re going to beat these guys, we’ve got to be able to get that one tough yard. We had two chances at that today and didn’t get it done.”

Amen.

“Accountability” was the theme Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver brought to the press conference this week. He rarely sits down in front of the media and cameras and answer questions “en masse” but Weaver thought it was important to do so after all of the speculation regarding his Head Coach Jack Del Rio.

Don’t get me wrong, Wayne never hides, but he doesn’t like to get in front of the camera and he likes to stay in the background. That’s one of the reason the fraternity of NFL owners picked him to head up the Jacksonville franchise. He fits their mold. But he’s always good in that situation and this week he was better than ever.

Weaver is a solid guy, self-made and very earnest when it comes to getting things right. I spent a lot of time with him during the run-up to getting a team (we went for a run in Chicago together the morning of the announcement) and he’s always been very straightforward. So when he talked about being “self-critical” and being accountable, I’m sure people sat up and listened. I know I did.

Weaver had taken more than a week to go through his organization to see what could be fixed. “The last seven years have been average,” he said. “And average is not acceptable.”

I tried to extrapolate that out to the conversation he had with Del Rio that morning (“all morning” according to Weaver) and came up with Wayne asking Jack to look around, be introspective and see what he personally could do better to get the team back on the way toward a championship. “I believe Jack is the right man to take us to the elite level,” Wayne said. “Fans will just have to trust my judgment when it comes to this decision.”

So I asked Wayne if he was talking about “accountability” that perhaps he could get Jack out there to talk to us. “Jack has a full schedule today,” was Wayne’s response. I pressed him a bit but it was obvious Del Rio was going to make himself available when he was ready. (Apparently he did talk to the Jaguars news partner, Channel 47 that evening, but with all due respect, their audience doesn’t encompass a big part of the Jacksonville community.)

So Del Rio wasn’t going to be around, the story still was Wayne’s vote of confidence in Jack and Weaver’s denial that money played any part in it. I was very surprised when Weaver said the USC job “never came up,” and pressed that issue saying that it had been reported that the process had gotten so far as Southern Cal sending Jack a contract. “I can assure you, he’s not going to Southern Cal,” was Weavers terse response. (It was funny that the Trojans moved directly to Lane Kiffin right after Wayne said Jack wasn’t available.)

So I went to the “Team Teal” event on Tuesday night at the stadium wondering what was next. Weaver was there, Carl Cannon, the head of the new Touchdown Jacksonville, Jaguars GM Gene Smith, local businessman Ed Burr and Mayor John Peyton. As the evening developed (a lot of fans stayed in the Bud Zone because it was a chilly night) I started to think that the whole thing might be a setup. Wayne was going to stop in the middle of his speech and re-introduce Jack as the man who was going to “take us to the elite level.”

But that didn’t happen.

Del Rio was nowhere to be found and if that wasn’t a big mistake it at best was a missed opportunity.

Del Rio’s popularity might be at an all time low here in town and he had a chance to come out and show his commitment, thank the fans and give a rallying cry for the upcoming season.

But that didn’t happen either.

I still can’t find the reasoning for Jack not showing up. I know the Jaguars communications staff was really pushing for Jack to do some kind of presser or at least make an appearance. But he refused. It’d be nice to give Jack the benefit of the doubt here, but without any information from him, besides some stonewalling and vanilla gloss-over, he shouldn’t get much of a pass here.

Pouting?

Unacceptable.

Angry?

Bite your lip and put on a happy face for five minutes.

Busy?

Make time.

Didn’t think it was important?

Arrogant and misinformed.

Sometimes you’ve just got to trust the people around you to help you make decisions that are important. Jack didn’t do that.

And it cost him.

Again.

Right now, it’s bad.

I’ve been around this team since their first day of practice in 1995 and it’s bad. Maybe worse than their first expansion team.

As much as I liked what I saw last week, this week was a step backwards. As in back in time. They were listless and unfocused. They couldn’t execute. Penalties caused stopped the smallest of drives. Fumbles gave the Cardinals the ball. They’re not disciplined. Each time it looked like something might be happening, the Jaguars created their own problems.

And, oh by the way, Arizona went to the Super Bowl last year and played like the defending NFC Champions. Kurt Warner threw on time and with accuracy. (24-26 223) Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin caught everything thrown in their direction. (In fact Warner tied a club record for consecutive completions at the beginning of the game.)

I knew they’d take their lumps this year. Starting four rookies including two rookie tackles on offense was supposed to be the start of a rebuilding process. But this was not good. Arizona looked like a professional football team contending for a division title and perhaps a championship.

The Jaguars looked lost.

There are lots of reasons this stuff can happen but it starts at the top, especially with the head coach. Wayne Weaver is a competitive guy and a good owner when it comes to trying to win. But I think it’s time to really take a hard look at what Jack Del Rio is doing as the head coach of this club.

The penalties the Jaguars incurred in the first half were the product of sloppy play, undisciplined actions and a lack of focus. As John Madden used to say, “Discipline isn’t wearing ties on the plane, it’s not jumping off sides when it’s third and 4.”

Del Rio has adopted this “cool” personality and it’s rubbed off on his team.

This week Torry Holt said when asked how to get going in the right direction that this team needed to figure out what they wanted. “Do you just want to say you’re in the NFL, that you play for the Jaguars or the Cardinals? Or do you want to try and be great? It’s an all the time thing. You can’t just turn it on and off. It has to start when you wake up in the morning.”

I was pretty concerned when heard those comments. While he didn’t call anybody out individually, he left the impression that this team was fairly “cool” toward their objective. If that’s the case, something drastic has to change.

With the game in reach and the breaks going their way, the Jaguars did just about everything they could to back away from success.

I’m also concerned about Garrard. He’s a big trigger shy, a little late on just about every throw. He should be made to watch Warner operate his offense, looking like he knows where the ball’s going before the ball is snapped. Garrard isn’t anything like that. And what’s disappointing is how he’s ‘regressed from the player he was in 2007.

So they have multiple problems, with none looking like they’re going to be solved in the next couple of weeks in the division at Houston and at home against Tennessee.

0-4 doesn’t look like any fun.

Nice sendoff for Fred Taylor sponsored by the Downtown Rotary on Monday.

Taylor was released by the Jaguars a couple of weeks ago but some of the members of Downtown Rotary didn’t think he was given a proper farewell. So the Monday lunch meeting was dedicated to celebrating Taylor’s career here in town. “I’m not bitter,” Fred said afterwards. “I really love Jacksonville, the fans, the city. I’ll retire a Jaguar.”

Taylor will be playing for the New England Patriots this season and said he’ll be keeping an eye on the Jaguars. “I’ll be rooting for Jacksonville every week, except when they come to New England this year.” The Jaguars will be on the road at Foxboro this season. The exact schedule hasn’t ‘been set yet.

I did think it was interesting that Taylor had some of his friends there, including former teammates Jimmy Smith and Rashean Mathis. Smith was moved to tears when Taylor choked up giving a few farewell remarks. It just made me think of Smith’s retirement announcement and how abrupt it was in comparison.

The Jaguars brass flew to South Florida to talk with Fred and make the decision. Smith’s retirement was announced in a last-minute press conference at the stadium. It fueled speculation that Smith was stepping aside instead of facing a drug suspension for a failed test.

But Fred’s situation was different. He is a beloved player here in town and as strange as it seems that he would get a sendoff, isn’t that what’s supposed to happen? When a guy spends his career in town, stays out of trouble, says the right things and is a part of the community, shouldn’t there be some kind of a celebration of his career?

Isn’t this what’s supposed to happen?

I think so and by Fred’s emotional reaction, he appreciated it.

Obviously, this doesn’t happen enough. Certainly the players and free agency play a part, but sometimes there’s so much business involved that teams forget the emotional connection that’s created between fans and players. The organization might reap the benefits but the fans have the connection, the memories, and the memorabilia and feel ownership.

I just thought it was nice.

Maybe the Jaguars were paying attention.

“A player’s coach,” is either the best thing a coach can be called or the worst. “Disciplinarian” and “Old School” fit into that same category. Obviously, somewhere in between is where you find success as a coach, especially in the NFL.

Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio has been described as a “Players coach.” By players it’s been a big compliment. Otherwise it’s a derisive term for

“soft.”

Del Rio hates soft.

But when you look at how he handled the 2008 team, that’s what they were. Soft.

His “Hollywood” demeanor allowed the team to skate through the off-season, training camp and the preseason, with Jack figuring he had put together a collection of players who would be ready when the bell rang. But instead of jumping at the chance to prove themselves, the Jaguars danced around, said, “We’ll be all right,” and started sinking.

From the opening game loss to Tennessee through the final disappointment in Baltimore, the Jaguars didn’t do the little things, didn’t get that one big play that could change the game. They were a little soft.

And Jack recognizes that.

And that’s why he’s getting back to what he believes in. “Smart, tough football, with players who like to play the game and care for each other,” is how he put it in his year-end press conference. If Del Rio’s going down, he’s going down doing the things he believes in.

“You can’t assume that because something was one way last year that it’s going to be the same the next season. Good or bad,” Jack elaborated.

And that’s what he bought into after 2007.

It’s a good team. Motivated, tight and just missing a few pieces. So fill those holes and you have a championship caliber team. But it didn’t happen.

“It’s disappointing, embarrassing to have such high expectations and not fulfill your dreams. There’s too much work going into it to not have people around who want to get involved.”

Del Rio and the rest of the Jaguars staff and administration fell in love with a couple of free agents and some guys who might have been an inch taller and a tenth of a second quicker. But they weren’t better football players.

Jimmy Kennedy for Grady Jackson? Drayton Florence for Sammy Knight? Jerry Porter for Ernest Wilford? Every time the Jaguars made a change it flopped.

“We swung and missed on a couple of free agents this year,” Jack admitted. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t get back into the batters box,” he added, saying the team isn’t going to be shy when it comes to free agency.

I specifically asked Jack who was going to set the tone for the off-season and the coming year. “I am,” he quickly responded. “We’re going to have a tough off-season and I’m anxious to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”

It’s the exact answer any fan was looking for. The Head Coach shouldering the blame, taking charge and winning or losing based on what he believes in. And when it comes to Del Rio’s beliefs, he wants tough players who “buy in” to his philosophy.

“If you want to play football the way it’s supposed to be played come to Jacksonville,” Maurice Jones Drew said in the locker room as he cleaned out his things. “If you don’t, then go somewhere else. Plain and simple.”

And it is plain and simple. If the team is going to be reflection of the coach and who he is, Del Rio is going back to what worked for him as a player: practice, hard work and sacrifice.

“No doubt there will be some changes in our off season and the camp for next year. There will be some edges that weren’t there in the past. There’s something to a group of men sweating, working hard together, being sore, hating me, doing it together that breeds the kind of player, the kind of team I’m looking for,” Jack said before he left. “That’s what we’ll have.”

Del Rio was asked about players working out, out of town instead of coming to the stadium to do their off-season conditioning. “Anybody who wants to be a Jaguar will work out here in the off-season.”

“What about Fred Taylor and others who have worked out in South Florida?”

“Anybody who wants to be a Jaguar will work out here in the off-season. I think it’s important.”

Jack also said he wasn’t firing any assistants, a real departure from the past. “That’s not to say they’re not going to have other opportunities, but I like my staff.”

So look for a little bit different version of the Jaguars starting right now. A little tougher, a little less celebrity oriented and little harder working.

Losing will do that to you.

With the post-season looking like something that’s on the other end of a wrong-side telescope, the Jaguars fans are looking at the current team and questioning how good they really are. Without a bunch of stars, (and if you look at the roster who’s really going to the Pro Bowl) the Jaguars have to play as a tight team to be a contender.

This year, guys who were supposed to take the next step just didn’t. So it makes sense to review the personnel decisions made since Jack Del Rio took over for Tom Coughlin.

Here’s the list of first round picks:

• Byron Leftwich
• Reggie Williams
• Matt Jones
• Marcedes Lewis
• Reggie Nelson
• Derrick Harvey.

Do any of those guys scare anybody?

Leftwich is gone, Williams is a possession receiver at best. Jones has been a better player this year but not a world-beater by any means. Lewis is solid but as a first rounder people were thinking Tony Gonzalez. Nelson is a good athlete and a ball hawk but either can’t cover or can’t figure out how to play the defense that’s called. You can’t judge Harvey yet, but an impact player he’s not.

So who’s making these decisions?

You could say Maurice Jones Drew is the best draft pick they’ve made in the past six years. No matter because it hasn’t been hit and miss it’s been mostly miss when it comes to the draft picks.

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to building a team. Certainly Del Rio is a driving force in the decision-making. In fact, when he cut Leftwich, he moved to the front of the power structure as the lead decision maker.

James Harris is supposed to have an equal vote as the personnel director and Gene Smith as the lead scout has a lot of input. But there are assistant coaches, scouts, other personnel guys and even Wayne Weaver as part of the process on draft day so if you’re going to affix blame, you can point to the whole organization.

This year is a different story. While it might come down to talent, and the team doesn’t have a superstar to lean on, this team’s attitude from the beginning was a sense of entitlement.

“We went deep in the playoffs last year so we’ll be back this year,” was the over riding theme of training camp. And training camp wasn’t much. Not a lot of hitting, not a lot of stress on a team that Jack Del Rio thought would take the next step.

Maybe write this year off to experience. A learning process.

Del Rio now knows that he has to keep a firm hand on the wheel. The players should understand that nothing is given to you in this league.

Here’s the bottom line though: This team has to play as a team and it’s Del Rio’s job to get them together. If he can’t do that, it’ll be a long time before they contend again.

When he showed up at the End Zone, David Garrard had his family in tow (including in-laws) and was all smiles. And why not. The Jaguars had just beaten the Colts, thanks to a game winning drive engineered by Garrard. He has a new $60 million dollar contract, a beautiful wife and children and his health is good.

David was resplendent in a light grey-oatmeal suit, white suit and multi-colored white tie. His pocket square was perfect. In fact, a little too perfect. I’ve always liked David, so it’s kind of funny to see him change and try to get comfortable in his new role. He’s rich, he’s a starter and he’s considered a leader. So from back up to “the man,” Garrard is working is way through how to act.

He’s always been accessible. As the occasional starter, he was a quote machine, happy to oblige. He’s become a little “dodgy” in his current role, but generally cooperative. I’m sure now everybody wants a little piece of him, or a big piece.

He was willing to come on the End Zone, and believe me, a lot of players aren’t interested at all in giving up their Monday night to come by and talk football but Garrard stepped right up after the Jaguars first win. This might sound funny, but the advice he’s getting from his “stylist” is a little off. He’s got David wearing bow ties and chartreuse jackets, funny hats and occasionally an ascot.

Honest.

When David was wearing that chartreuse jacket I told him, “Prince called, he wants his coat back.” David didn’t think that was funny. I guess I’m being nitpicky, (and I’d rather this than a New York Knicks jersey and a platinum rope” but Garrard has a chance to own this town.

Not just be the quarterback and make some money but to own this town big time.

He’s smart and is talented. He knows what he can do and maybe more importantly, what he can’t. He’ll find his way; he’ll figure it out.

On the field, he’s starting to settle into the player he was at the end of next year. For the first two games of the season, David looked like he was trying to hit a home run every time he dropped back into the pocket. He wasn’t the efficient player he was that got the Jaguars a playoff win last year. He looked like he was trying to be a star.

In the game against the colts, he was much more himself and perhaps that will be the start of a run for the Jaguars. If not for an efficient quarterback, the game doesn’t work for the Jaguars. Garrard can be that guy who gets the job done and uses the personnel around him to do just that.

One more story about David. As I mentioned, even though he’s blown me off a couple of times, I guess that comes with the territory. But after the End Zone, I had arranged for Garrard and his family to slip out the back door with an escort so as to not be accosted by the fans in attendance (yes, that happens).

Garrard was all ready to go and leaned over to me and said “I’ll feel bad if I don’t stick around and sign a few things.”

And that’s just what he did.

Garrard sat down at the autograph line and signed for all of the kids in attendance. He left after about 10 minutes, but he did stop and sign, something a lot of other players (see Reggie Hayward, et al) blow off.

Garrard’s easy to root for. I hope he figures it out, on, and off the field.

I guess you could write this column every day. Athlete does something stupid, gets caught, pays a penalty, claims he didn’t realize it was a mistake, apologizes and moves on. I guess that’s accepted in today’s world and even expected. But I think fans have had just about enough. I know they have here in Jacksonville.

Marcus Stroud isn’t a rookie and isn’t a stupid guy either, but his use of a substance that contained a banned element is stupid because that doesn’t have to happen.

“The resources are there,” Rashean Mathis told me last week. “Anything you have that you want to take, you can ask the doctors or the trainer or you can get something from them.”

What did Marcus take? Who knows! He’s not saying except to give it the tired, “Must have been something tainted in the supplement,” answer. So he lets down his teammates and everybody in the organization and won’t play for the next four weeks. That’s Tennessee and Indianapolis, both division games and San Diego and Buffalo, both conference games.

He’s out ¼ of his salary because of the suspension and will have the specter of cheating over his career for as long as it lasts. Maybe he was taking something for his ankle. Maybe he was trying to put on/lose weight. Whatever it was, it’s a stupid decision when it comes to being a professional athlete and the fans aren’t taking it so well.

People ask me every day, “Why, aren’t they smarter than that?” So what’s the answer? I’d like to say they are, but their actions seem to prove the contrary.

Justin Durant and Richard Collier were both arrested last Friday night after leaving a nightclub near Bay meadows and Rte. 1. Alcohol was involved in both cases begging the question, “Why not just get a ride home?” I’m sure anybody who’s been charged with DUI has said that to themselves, but you’d figure with the resources at the player’s disposal as far as money or free rides, it should make that decision easier.

I remember being 22 and bulletproof and invisible and I’ve driven plenty of times when I shouldn’t have been behind the wheel, but at the time I didn’t have the resources in front of me that the players do. Nor the standing in the community or the support of a bunch of teammates. I often wonder why Brittany Spears doesn’t have a driver either!

Anyway, the Jaguars are playing with the emotions of the fans with their off-field actions and how they got beat by New Orleans. The rumors about the number of players at that nightclub in Baymeadows have spread around town and chip away at the credibility of the team and the players.

People really want to believe in professional athletes who represent their town, but they’re now to the point where bad behavior is kind of expected. Expected but not tolerated. The league and the Jaguars realize this and have taken the first steps to trying to fix that.

Wayne Weaver said he was “disgusted” with the players’ lack of discipline and knowing Wayne, he won’t put up with it. But who are the team “enforcers” on the Jaguars? Which guys in the locker room are the ones the other players are accountable to?

Jack Del Rio and James Harris have gotten rid of the middle year veteran players, perhaps because of money and the salary cap but it seems that those players are the ones who set the tone. Look at New England. The Patriots have a bunch of guys who don’t put up with anything and even said so when Randy Moss was on the horizon. That’s where the personal responsibility and accountability come into play. I don’t think it’s a goose that can lay golden eggs forever.

If the league and the Jaguars don’t get a firm handle on it, they’ll be fewer people watching on television and in person no matter how many blackouts there are.

Sitting there at the stadium, I was debating the pros and cons of what the Jaguars should do with their first round pick with a couple of other members of the local media. The team was on the clock and Brady Quinn had fallen to the 17th spot and was there for the taking.

“How many games does Reggie Nelson win for you this year,” I asked to no one in particular. “None,” was the collective answer. “And how many does Brady Quinn win for you this year? None,” I answered my own question.

“So, all things considered, and if you’re Jack (Del Rio) you have to know you’re on the hot seat. You take Quinn, you clear up the quarterback situation, you buy yourself another year, and you probably buy yourself another year or two to win,” I said with logic following my thought process. That’s when the Jaguars traded out of the 17th spot, picked up two more draft picks and took Denver’s position at 21.

“They still can get Quinn there,” we observed, “and probably Nelson too” The only player the Jaguars couldn’t get any longer who was on their radar was Jarvis Moss. That’s whom Denver wanted and moved up to get him. Nobody was going to jump in front of them at 21 to take Nelson, and it didn’t look like teams were that anxious to do that to get the Notre Dame quarterback either. So when their pick rolled around again, both Nelson and Quinn were still there.

“We had already made up our mind,” Jack Del Rio said later. “We don’t want to be making any decisions while we’re on the clock. Reggie was a combination of the best player available and he filled a need for us.”

But what about Brady Quinn?

“We decided that we weren’t going to take a quarterback at that spot and we’re excited about Reggie Nelson,” Jack said quickly in coach-speak.

Even though they had Nelson and Quinn rated nearly equally on the board, Nelson was the pick, despite the things that Quinn brought to the table outside of his ability as a quarterback. There is a reason he lasted until the second half of the first round. He was the “buzz” pick, the hype guy in this draft. Some teams rated him among the top three players available this year; others didn’t even have him in the first round.

Clearly the Jaguars were among the latter.

The questions about Quinn started with his accuracy, his ability to win big games and his decision-making process as a quarterback. If you’re not convinced he’s the guy for the future, then you pass on him and move on. But don’t expect to get a free pass because of it.

“I was really angry,” one fan told me on Saturday night. “I’m a Gator,” she explained, “and I like Reggie Nelson, but Brady Quinn! Come on! We get rid of Byron, we get a likable guy at quarterback, we have a player for the future and he’s better than what we have,” she went on to explain, voicing the opinion of a majority of fans in one sentence.

So the Jaguars passed on a golden PR opportunity, twice, in order to take a safety that might fill a need but doesn’t excite anybody. He’s not apiece to the puzzle that changes anybody’s opinions about a team that went 8-8 last year.

I was fascinated by the ESPN panel’s “Yeah, but,” assessment of last year’s Jaguars team. “Boy they have a great defense,” they kept saying “but they’re the ‘Yeah But” team. “They beat Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Dallas, “Yeah But Houston beat them twice.”

So that’s what everybody thinks about the Jaguars, and rightfully so. They need to hope that fans don’t translate that into this year as in, “They took Reggie Nelson. Yeah, but they passed on Brady Quinn.”

Ankle-gate took another turn on Saturday when the Jaguars announced that Quarterback Byron Leftwich would have surgery on his injured ankle and would return when his recovery was complete. Very unusual to make any kind of announcement on a Saturday and certainly not one a major as the quarterback was out indefinitely.

If you remember, the first we heard about the ankle was when Byron turned up on the injury report out of the blue. “You know when you wake up with a ‘crick’ in your neck,” Head Coach Jack Del Rio said when originally asked about it. “That’s the same thing here but with the ankle.”

He played against Houston and was fairly ineffective in a 27-7 loss. Did the ankle play a role? “It didn’t have anything to do with it,” Leftwich assured us after the game. “I don’t believe it was a factor,” Del Rio echoed in his Monday press conference. “Have you looked at the tape,” was the collective response from the assembled media.

To his credit, Del Rio came back on Wednesday and said the ankle was a factor and that Leftwich and David Garrard would split snaps in practice. Leftwich wasn’t happy and let everybody know through his body language and his locker room demeanor. “I was actually hurt in the Redskins game,” Leftwich revealed the next day. That was news to Del Rio who was clearly miffed when Leftwich changed his story.

On Thursday the media was in the locker room when Leftwich dropped his “I don’t know, but it’s not me” comment when asked about the starting QB situation. “Nobody’s said anything to me,” Garrard said. I asked to speak with Del Rio but was told he was “unavailable.” Very strange. So Garrard was named the starter and promptly played an efficient game against the Eagles and won.

“I’ve played on worse,” Byron kept up the patter and the pressure to get back in the lineup when asked about the ankle.

All of this was against the backdrop of rumors that Leftwich was taking pain pills just to get through practice and wasn’t telling anyone. Garrard started again, and won against Tennessee. Leftwich headed to Birmingham to see the famed Dr. James Andrews at the Andrews clinic, apparently hoping a second opinion on his ankle would force the Jaguars hand and have him back on the field soon. Andrews gave him the opposite diagnosis, saying he had to rest the ankle and get re-evaluated the following week.

And that surgery was an option.

Del Rio confirmed all of that in his weekly press conference, but when asked about it in the locker room, Leftwich gave a terse “I’m not talking about it” response.

Again, silly.

Then the announcement that Leftwich would have surgery this coming Tuesday. I know Byron’s ‘upset because he wanted to play all the time this year, be successful and signed a new contract extension. Without him in the lineup the Jaguars can make some decisions about the QB position into the future.

Is Leftwich done as a quarterback for the Jaguars after 08?

Is Garrard the guy of the future?

None of it has been clear and none is coming into focus any time soon.