2011 Week 1: Jacksonville Jaguars Players To Watch

via static.nfl.com

ASIDE: I was unable to get the New Orleans post up last week because of the effects of Hurricane Irene.  I apologise to you, the reader, for any inconvenience that I may have caused to you last weekend. 

So, kickoff week is finally here!  The Titans looked good in the preseason and will hope to continue that momentum into the regular season.  Our Titans will be playing a divisional game this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have struggled mightily in the preseason and they will look to get out of their funk by starting this year off with a win.  So, without further adieu, here are the three players that our Titans will have to concentrate on in order to win this game.

Maurice Jones-Drew

MJD has been the workhorse for the Jaguars for the past two seasons and will likely be this biggest offensive threat the Jaguars can throw at our defense.  He has put up consecutive +1,300 yard seasons and added 20 touchdowns on the ground in the past two years.  Many of us know exactly how dangerous MJD can be as he has torched our defense for most of his career.  What makes MJD a constant threat is his advantage in the leverage game, there is not a better back in the NFL at getting underneath the defenders' pads than MJD.  People compare his running style to trying to tackle a bowling ball.  A major advantage that MJD has over most NFL half backs is his breakaway speed.  He wont just run over your best linebacker but he can also outrun your entire secondary in the same play!  MJD will likely be the focal point of the Jaguars offensive attack this week due to the recent release of David Garrard.  So it is imperative to stop the Jaguars rushing attack so we can force Luke McCown to have to win the game by throwing.

Mercedes Lewis

The safety net for the Jaguars is particularly important to the Jaguars offense this week because, the Jaguars will be featuring Luke McCown at starting QB this weekend.  Lewis has really broken out this past season, and he has become the feature target in the Jaguar offense.  With the recent cutting of David Garrard, Lewis will be facing an uphill climb as far as stats go, due to the Jaguars lack of talent at the QB position.  Lewis has power forward-like ability to win the battles for the ball in the air.  Lewis is a strong blocker and is a key part to, not only the Jaguars passing game, but the Jaguars running game as well.  Lewis can run like a gazelle, which helps him create match up problems for our defense.  The Titans will have to shut down Lewis to, not only prove to us that we can cover a TE, but our opponents as well.  Also, by taking away the Jaguars biggest offensive threat in Lewis, McCown will have no choice to throw at the sub-par Jaguar receivers which should create opportunities for our D to create turnovers and give the ball to our offense.

Luke McCown

Luke is an interesting player going into this Sunday, McCown can't be nearly as bad as he seems.  After all, the Jaguars did go with him over David Garrard.  McCown will be a vital piece to the Jaguars offensive puzzle when we play them this Sunday.  McCown comes into this game with little experience at the professional level so it will be important for the Titans to get after McCown early and often.  Our Titans will have to shake McCown's confidence in his offensive line and as a result, his timing will be disrupted and he will try to force plays to happen thus causing turnovers.  If Jerry Gray blitzes early and often, we should have no problem disrupting the Jaguars offense; provided we get good pressure.