(07-04-2017, 08:55 AM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(07-04-2017, 08:43 AM)StitchJones Wrote: ...

...If we can't effectively and reliably pass the ball and are forced (in order to prevent turnovers) to lean heavily on a running game, we will lose to any team that has a passing game since they can put points on the scoreboard faster that we can. All our opponents have to do is 'stack the box' and dare us to pass. Unless there has been dramatic improvement in our passing game, we will defeat ourselves via turnovers, and low scoring production.

So if this line of logic is reasonable, then the odus of responsibility for how this season will go falls largely on our passing game. I view our emphasis on the running game as simply trying to compensate for the poor/unreliable performance of our passing game. You'll notice that I'm not specifically pointing out Blake Bortles when I talk about the passing game. That's because (while he is the single biggest factor) he is only one part of it; the receivers and the line have to do their jobs also or nothing will work.

I think this is the reason why Vegas has us at no better than 5.5 wins, and that's why I'm not holding my breath hoping for much better than that either. We didn't upgrade the single most key player on the offense...yet.

Upgrades to the Jags pass rush and secondary make the bolded phrase less than certain. This defense has the potential to hold the lesser quarterbacks to very low production.

Otherwise I agree.  I would add that the Jags passing game should only need to be marginally better to win several more games in 2017 than 2016. Especially if the run game indeed gets a boost from the revamped O-Line, FB and RB additions.
Those are still question marks - but expecting both aspects of the offense to improve marginally is not a very tall order.

But we don't know yet if those 'upgrades' to our pass rush really will be upgrades. Until I 'see it on the field' I'm not becoming too optimistic about the Jags anymore. Plus as I said, Vegas has (or had) us at only 5.5 wins this season. They aren't sold on the effectiveness of the defensive upgrades and they tend to be pretty good judges of what to expect.

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