When Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio organized his charity golf tournament for the bye week, he figured his game would be affected by his team's success. So what should his playing partners expect after Jacksonville beat Denver on Sunday to win for the third time in four games? "That'll make my swing much more fluid, without question," Del Rio said. The victory could make the season much smoother for the Jaguars (3-3), too. Del Rio called it a "turning-point-type" game, the kind of win that could provide a big boost for a franchise trying to overcome a tragic shooting, an 0-2 start and some key injuries. "There is no question in my mind that this was an early season storm capable of ruining a team and a year a team could have," Del Rio said. "We've been able to survive it. I think 3-3 is surviving. We weren't dominant through it, we didn't flourish in that situation, but we didn't wilt or crumble in that situation, either." The Jaguars went 1-3 against teams that lead the four AFC divisions _ Tennessee, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Denver have a combined 17-4 record _ and are the only team in the league to have every game decided by seven points or fewer. Back in August, players and coaches expected more. But considering everything that transpired since, they will gladly take a .500 record now. "If you said before the season we'd be 3-3 at this point, we wouldn't have liked it," quarterback David Garrard said. "But right now, it feels pretty good." The Jaguars lost center Brad Meester during training camp, dealt with the shooting of backup offensive tackle Richard Collier just days before the opener and placed both starting guards on injured reserve a week later. Free agent Jerry Porter, who signed a $30 million contract to be the team's go-to receiver, missed the first three games because of a hamstring injury and has just one catch. First-round draft pick Derrick Harvey held out more than a month, missing all of training camp and most of the preseason, and has five tackles and no sacks through six games. Continued... |