Jaguars improved in allowing big plays
--One of the keys to Jacksonville's No. 6 ranking on defense in 2011, a vast improvement from its 28th place ranking the year before, was the team's ability to eliminate the big play by opponents. The Jaguars permitted just 51 plays of 20-plus yards by their opponents, the third lowest figure in the league. They permitted just 43 pass completions of 20-plus yards, second lowest in the league.
--The Jaguars' offense struggled to score points throughout the 2011 season, but there was some reason for optimism in the final four games when the team scored 17, 19 and 41 points in three of those games. After scoring more than 17 points in just one game - a 20-point effort in a loss to Cincinnati - it was an indication that the offense might be improving.
The 41-point effort in a win over Tampa Bay was especially significant. It was more points than the Jaguars had scored combined in their three previous games. They tied a franchise-record in the game when they scored 28 points in the second quarter, matching the previous team-best ever when they scored 28 points on Nov. 1, 1998 at Baltimore in the second quarter.
For rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the youngest player (21) in the history of the NFL to have started at least 14 games in a season, it was a learning experience that continued to get better.
"I learned a lot. I've got a year under my belt now," he said. "I started 14 games so a lot of experience comes with that.
"I'm excited with where this team is going. Like I said, we're very close. Just get a few more pieces to the puzzle and we'll be a team that's playing very good football."
--Maurice Jones-Drew accounted for a franchise-record 47.7 percent of the Jaguars offense in 2011, the highest percentage in the NFL. In 12 of the 16 games, he accounted for at least 40 percent of the club's offense and at least 50 percent in eight games. No other NFL player accounted for more than 40 percent of his team's offense in 2011.
But don't worry about Jones-Drew being over-worked or that it will cut down on his carries in the future. He doesn't want to hear any of that.
"I don't know what that is," Jones-Drew replied when asked about the shelf-life of a running back. "Remember, when I first got here, I wasn't even suppose to play running back. I was a returner.
"When I got here, I talked to (former Jaguars standout) Fred [Taylor] about taking care of my body and staying as fresh as I can. It's been working out so far, so we'll see. I might be able to play forever. You never know."
--The Jaguars defense forced 57 three-and-outs by their opponents in 2011, the second -most in the NFL. Only Cincinnati with 61 had more than Jacksonville.
-- The Jaguars led the NFL with 23 players on injured reserve including five starters, four of them on defense. The defense was decimated by injuries in the second half of the season as the unit lost its starting cornerbacks (Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox), starting linebacker Clint Session and starting defensive end Matt Roth in consecutive weeks to season-ending injuries. The Jaguars had 17 players on their roster at the end of the season who were not on the 53-man roster on opening weekend.
Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, who served as interim coach the final five weeks of the season, said it took a total team effort, with a number of backups stepping up at the right time.
"We talked about the 'next man up' mantra, so to speak," Tucker said. "Guys going down and other guys having to step in and fill roles. I commend these guys on this team. We had a lot of injuries but there was never an excuse, never an explanation of why we couldn't do something or couldn't get something done.
"It was just guys staying focused, staying after it, doing the best they could do. I think that's something that can be built upon in the future because that's really what it takes to get the job done in football and in life."
QUOTE TO NOTE
"You rarely ever see him get knocked back and for sure, no one individual is ever going to knock him back. So every time he goes down, he's going towards the goal line and I think that's an important asset because every inch in this game is important." - Jacksonville's newly hired running backs coach Sylvester Croom talking about the Jaguars Pro Bowl runner Maurice Jones-Drew.
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