Patriots prepare for two Jaguars' quarterbacks
It's sort of a two-headed monster," New England Patriots outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin said. "You've got to prepare, and whoever you get to see, you'll need to make an adjustment.
David Garrard closed the Jacksonville Jaguars' season by directing them to four wins in five games, finished the year as the NFL's second-most efficient quarterback in the fourth quarter (behind only Indianapolis' Peyton Manning) and hasn't throw an interception in his last 133 passes.
Of course, Garrard was only playing because Byron Leftwich, the Jaguars' Goliath-sized (6-5, 240-245 pounds) starter, was nursing a broken left ankle he suffered on the team's first offensive series in its 24-17 win at Arizona on Nov. 27. Size wise, Garrard is no Doug Flutie himself. He stands 6-1 and tips the scales at a healthy 244.
Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio has himself a quarterback option heading into Saturday night's postseason game at Gillette Stadium. Who will play?
Well, maybe both.
Listed on the team's injury report as probable, Leftwich, who is more of a threat to deliver the deep ball, has been tabbed the starter, but the feeling is Del Rio will have him on a short leash and Garrard, who brings more mobility to the position, could very well be summoned in relief.
"It's the NFL," said Patriots outside linebacker Willie McGinest. "You have to be ready for anything. It's the playoffs and they may change up a lot of different things … You have to do whatever it takes to win. So you don't ever know what's happening or what's coming. So you have to be ready for pretty much anything.
The two quarterbacks shared a bond before they both became Jaguars.
Completing 41 of 70 passes for 576 yards and four touchdowns, Leftwich rallied his Thundering Herd of Marshall University from a 38-8 halftime deficit to a 64-61 double-overtime win over Garrard and the Pirates of East Carolina in the highest-scoring bowl game in college football history, the 2001 GMAC Bowl.
With Mark Brunell, the franchise's starting quarterback since it's inaugural season, in his 30s, the Jaguars selected Garrard in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft. They chose Leftwich in the first round in 2003.
The two quarterbacks are similar.
I think there are times when you look at the film and it's 7 (Leftwich's number) and 9 (Garrard) and it's sort of hard to tell which guy is in there," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said. "There are a lot of similarities.
They're very similar as far as the way they take care of the football and the way they distribute it, inside linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "They both are extremely careful with the football and they're not going to turn it over. They move the offense.
The two of them are dissimilar.
I think that Garrard can give you a little bit more on the edge," said Vrabel, "where I think Leftwich stays in the pocket a little more.
"They're both good players. They run the offense, said Belichick. "Garrard maybe runs a little bit more. I mean what is he, their third leading rusher or something like that? They can both make the throws. They're both talented guys.
In going 8-3 as a starter this season, Leftwich completed 175 of 302 passes (57.9 percent) for 2,123 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions, compiling a passer rating of 89.3, and carried the ball 31 times for 67 yards (a 2.2-yard average) and a couple of scores during the regular season. In going 4-1, Garrard was 98-for-168 (58.3 percent) for 1,117 yards and four TDs with one interception, compiling a passer rating of 83.9, and carried 31 times for 172 yards (a 5.5-yard average) and three scores.
They both won a lot of games for their team, said Belichick. I'm sure they feel like they can win with either quarterback because they have.
source : enterprise.southofboston.com
David Garrard closed the Jacksonville Jaguars' season by directing them to four wins in five games, finished the year as the NFL's second-most efficient quarterback in the fourth quarter (behind only Indianapolis' Peyton Manning) and hasn't throw an interception in his last 133 passes.
Of course, Garrard was only playing because Byron Leftwich, the Jaguars' Goliath-sized (6-5, 240-245 pounds) starter, was nursing a broken left ankle he suffered on the team's first offensive series in its 24-17 win at Arizona on Nov. 27. Size wise, Garrard is no Doug Flutie himself. He stands 6-1 and tips the scales at a healthy 244.
Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio has himself a quarterback option heading into Saturday night's postseason game at Gillette Stadium. Who will play?
Well, maybe both.
Listed on the team's injury report as probable, Leftwich, who is more of a threat to deliver the deep ball, has been tabbed the starter, but the feeling is Del Rio will have him on a short leash and Garrard, who brings more mobility to the position, could very well be summoned in relief.
"It's the NFL," said Patriots outside linebacker Willie McGinest. "You have to be ready for anything. It's the playoffs and they may change up a lot of different things … You have to do whatever it takes to win. So you don't ever know what's happening or what's coming. So you have to be ready for pretty much anything.
The two quarterbacks shared a bond before they both became Jaguars.
Completing 41 of 70 passes for 576 yards and four touchdowns, Leftwich rallied his Thundering Herd of Marshall University from a 38-8 halftime deficit to a 64-61 double-overtime win over Garrard and the Pirates of East Carolina in the highest-scoring bowl game in college football history, the 2001 GMAC Bowl.
With Mark Brunell, the franchise's starting quarterback since it's inaugural season, in his 30s, the Jaguars selected Garrard in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft. They chose Leftwich in the first round in 2003.
The two quarterbacks are similar.
I think there are times when you look at the film and it's 7 (Leftwich's number) and 9 (Garrard) and it's sort of hard to tell which guy is in there," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said. "There are a lot of similarities.
They're very similar as far as the way they take care of the football and the way they distribute it, inside linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "They both are extremely careful with the football and they're not going to turn it over. They move the offense.
The two of them are dissimilar.
I think that Garrard can give you a little bit more on the edge," said Vrabel, "where I think Leftwich stays in the pocket a little more.
"They're both good players. They run the offense, said Belichick. "Garrard maybe runs a little bit more. I mean what is he, their third leading rusher or something like that? They can both make the throws. They're both talented guys.
In going 8-3 as a starter this season, Leftwich completed 175 of 302 passes (57.9 percent) for 2,123 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions, compiling a passer rating of 89.3, and carried the ball 31 times for 67 yards (a 2.2-yard average) and a couple of scores during the regular season. In going 4-1, Garrard was 98-for-168 (58.3 percent) for 1,117 yards and four TDs with one interception, compiling a passer rating of 83.9, and carried 31 times for 172 yards (a 5.5-yard average) and three scores.
They both won a lot of games for their team, said Belichick. I'm sure they feel like they can win with either quarterback because they have.
source : enterprise.southofboston.com
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