Jaguars Journal
by Sam Kouvaris
January 03, 2010
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(Post Browns Game)
I laughed out loud when Gus Johnson the play-by-play announcer for CBS started talking about Mike Holmgren taking over the Cleveland Browns as President. "They have such great fans here" Johnson started to gush. At the same time, they were showing a shot of the stadium from ground level and there's nobody there. I mean nobody. Of course that won't be part of the story line and if it is it'll be blamed on the cold weather, but if that were the case in Jacksonville it would be the lead.
On the field both teams are running the football somewhat effectively. The Browns hit the edges in the second quarter and scored a touchdown out of the wildcat formation to make it 10-3. David Garrard had another pass sail on him into triple coverage for an easy interception. Bad decision by David who stared down Mike Sims Walker and let the ball get away from him. It's the same pass we've seen him miss in the last three weeks.
A good stand by the defense held the Browns to a field goal to make it 13-3.
In the stats it'll show the Jaguars move the football right before halftime. But with the clock winding down they put the ball in the middle of the field and the Browns let them have it and time expired.
The Jaguars have had too many drops and the Browns are playing like they want it more.
"I'll find out who on my team wants to play," Jack Del Rio told the media before the game. What he'll find out is some do, some don't.
Still nobody at the game. "Oh, it's cold," somebody might say. Yeah, well it's hot in other places in the summer but that never counts an excuse.
Cleveland scored again and the Jaguars responded with a nice drive of their own to trail 20-10 in the fourth quarter
Now all the Browns have to do is chew some clock and all the Jaguars have to do is stop them. In this case, Cleveland won the battle on their way to winning the game chewing up the clock and kicking a field goal.
23-10 Cleveland.
Lots of talk about Mike Holmgren during this game taking over the Browns. I think the Jaguars need that kind of person in their organization. If the coach is not going to be the "face" 'of the team and a if Wayne Weaver is reluctant to be out front as well, they need a Holmgren or a Bill Polian to keep the fans and the corporate community in the loop. That's a big part of the connection and it's not happening.
There will be plenty of time to talk about the changes and the future but for now the season is over.
7-9 is just what it is, about below average.
With as many questions about the future as answers.
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