Young QB must take heat off the defense

Updated: December 1, 2004, 11:54 AM ET
By Merril Hoge | ESPN Insider
The defensive success of the Jacksonville Jaguars can be explained pretty simply: They very seldom need eight guys in the box.

In a true pro formation, Jacksonville needs only seven, which allows those linebackers to be better and just flow and fly to the football. That has really been their foundation – what has helped them win games.

Byron Leftwich
Leftwich
The Jaguars' offense is still very inconsistent, but it's an offense that is still young and has an opportunity to get a lot better. To build on this 3-0 start, though, they must get better. They must start to match the output of that defense if they are going to consistently win throughout the rest of the year.

Byron Leftwich has to be more consistent, and the offense has to sustain drives better – they have to get points out of their drives. Until Leftwich and the passing game start hurting teams consistently through the air, this offense will continue to struggle. Teams are just saying, "Listen, beat us, Leftwich, if you can." Fred Taylor is a proven player, a big-time player, and teams know they can't give him a crack, so that is opponents' priority coming into these games – stop Taylor and the run.


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Merril Hoge

NFL
Former NFL fullback Merril Hoge is an analyst for a wide variety of NFL programs on television and ESPN Radio. An eight-year NFL veteran, Hoge spent 1987-93 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and joined ESPN in 1996.

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