Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Time: 1 PM ET, Sept 7, 2014
Spread: PHI -10.5
Total: 52.5
Betting odds courtesy of Bovada
The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering a new era. Long time backfield staple Maurice Jones-Drew is gone, and the Jags are looking to two rookies from the University of Central Florida to become eventual cornerstones of the offense.
Quarterback Blake Bortles and his running back Storm Johnson come to the Jags as 1st and 7th round picks, and while the Jags are years away from being playoff contenders, the fan base has some renewed hope after finishing the last of the Blaine Gabbert experience.
For the meantime, until Bortles is ready, the Jaguars still have to endure some more mediocrity. Chad Henne is owned in less ESPN fantasy leagues than Tim Tebow (Seriously, look it up), but he’s the starter in Jacksonville for at least the first few games. The Jaguars are hoping Toby Gerhart is up to the task of being a primary running back, since he’s going to get 300-plus carries. Johnson will eventually be a fine back, and he’s got a great ability to break tackles.
Denard Robinson is an interesting option, too, given his ability to dual as a receiver, and his outstanding athleticism makes him an very interesting prospect who can impact the game in a lot of ways.
The Jags have the worst Superbowl odds of any team on Bovada, though, and that’s largely due to the youth movement. The Jags will improve on last season, but that’s not really saying much from a team that finished near the bottom in major categories for offensive and defensive futility. The Jags tried to add some size up front to shore up the run defense, which ranked 29th, but with such a huge overhaul, it’s going to be difficult transitioning into an effective unit.
The Eagles will be the first to benefit from Jax’s defensive deficiencies. Philadelphia is listed as 10.5 point favorites according to NFL oddsmakers at Bovada, and given Philly’s offensive aptitude, the potential is there for the Eagles to rip this one open. Nick Foles is a talented QB with size that can’t be taught, and he seldom misreads a defense.
Foles’ 27:2 TD/INTO ratio was the best in NFL history, and while he may not sustain that gaudy mark, he’s going to be very good once again. LeSean McCoy led the NFL in rushing with 2,146 yards from the line of scrimmage. Adding Darren Sproles to the backfield only further increases its flexibility given his receiving abilities.
The Eagles lost a lot of depth at WR over the offseason, but are hoping Jordan Matthews is ready sooner than later after leading the SEC all-time in both catches and receiving yards. The Eagles are likely to win the NFC East this season, and it’s hard to see anything else but happening barring a major injury to the likes of McCoy or Foles.
The Eagles are 25/1 to win the Superbowl at Bovada, which is a decent value, but nothing to be overly excited about. Expect Philly to lay it into the Jags here in Week 1, though. There’s just nothing the Jacksonville D can do with Philly’s offensive arsenal.
