Jaguars Control Clock, Broncos for Second Straight Win

The Jaguars play in the same division as Peyton Manning. That's worth noting because the game plan they executed to perfection today is the same one teams have been trying, to no avail, against the Colts for years. Keep the offense on the sideline watching while you grind out long drives that end with points, the saying goes, and you can beat the most powerful of offenses.

The Jags held the ball for 39 minutes and held Denver's high-octane offense to just 265 yards in a 23-14 win that could serve as a case study for the above strategy.

The only way you can pull off such a scheme is with a quarterback who doesn't beat himself and David Garrard is quickly proving to be such a signal caller. He's completed 64% of his throws and has no interceptions through three games, leaving little doubt that Jack Del Rio made the right move when he dumped Byron Leftwich before the season.

Garrard also ran for 52 yards today proving that he doesn't just make the right throws, he knows when not to make any throw at all.

Garrard's impressive play made him the winner in a duel with one of the hottest quarterbacking names of the season's first two weeks. Jay Cutler had another strong outing, 222 yards and a touchdown, but when Garrard made his only mistake of the day, he couldn't make anything of it.

Elvis Dumervil, a pass-rushing demon, sacked and stripped Garrard to set up the Broncos in Jacksonville territory down 20-7 in the third quarter. Cutler led the Broncs to a first down on the Jags 12 but came away with no points on four plays. Inability to get the ball in the end zone had been a secondary story to Cutler's comebacks and today's lack of yardage made it a more acute problem. Even without John Henderson, the Jags were able to hold Travis Henry to just 35 yards. The problems moving the football on Sunday were probably not the focus of Mike Shanahan's anger after the game, though.

Facing 4th-and-five from their own nine with four-plus minutes to play, Shanahan chose to go for it and Daniel Graham dropped a pass from Cutler. Carney hit another field goal and extended the lead to 23-14. Most coaches would punt there and rely on their defense to get them the ball back with one last chance to win the game. Shanahan chose to go for it which is hard to argue with when you take another look at that Jacksonville time of possession.

Shanahan's decision is a pretty clear sign that he doesn't believe in his defense. Jacksonville hadn't run the ball at all in the first two games but piled up 186 yards today because they beat up the Broncos. The Bronco offense also got manhandled for much of the game, that third quarter drive is an example as are the two lost fumbles and the inability to run the ball. Denver has the talent to contend in the AFC but they lack the toughness that separates good teams from the pack.

Jacksonville, on the other hand, doesn't have nearly as much talent as the Broncos. But they are playing with more grit and don't make as many mistakes, two mighty fine ways to level the playing field. Not sexy, perhaps, but it gets the job done. Garrard's athleticism adds a little excitement to the mix but it is his efficiency that is going to make them a playoff contender.