Jaguars Gab

Most of the big name Jags and Falcons stood on the sideline during the last preseason game on Thursday night, and in the end the Jags walked away with a 13-9 victory.

Fullback Brock Bolen scored on a 16-yard run, Josh Scobee kicked two field goals and the Jaguars took home the four-point win.

The Falcons converted just 1 of its first 9 third-down plays. The Jaguars had a measly 100 yards in the first half. Chris Redman started in place of Matt Ryan and was 15 of 22 passes for 142 yards in the first half. Jerious Norwood ran four times for 31 yards.

Luke McCown started at QB for the Jags for David Garrard and completed 5 of 12 passes for 39 yards in the first half. His numbers would have been better if Tiquan Underwood, battling veteran Troy Williamson for the team’s final receiver spot, had not dropped two passes.

The Falcons (2-2) played without their entire starting offense and without seven defensive starters. Ryan, running back Michael Turner, receiver Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez got the night off. So did defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux(notes), defensive end John Abraham, linebacker Mike Peterson and cornerback Dunta Robinson.

The Jaguars (2-2) played without Garrard, running Maurice Jones-Drew and receiver Mike Sims-Walker. Most of Jacksonville’s starting defense, except for cornerback Derek Cox also sat out.

“We had a couple of starters play,” Del Rio said. “We have to toughen them up and get a little more work in. We played our first team offensive line. I thought they needed that offensively. We just want to be sharp with all of the work we’re getting.”

Jones-Drew has missed five consecutive practices and didn’t travel for last week’s game at Tampa Bay. He denied an Internet report he had arthroscopic knee surgery, but acknowledged Thursday night he has been “taking care of all the nicks and bruises.”

“I wanted to be out there with my teammates, but we felt the best thing for me was rest and rehab and getting my body back right …” Jones-Drew said. “I feel great. I can’t wait to get out there and play Denver. They are the first hurdle in our road to success and I can’t wait to get out there.”

“There have been some false reports out there about what happened, which is fine,” Jones-Drew said. “People are going to speculate, but that is not going to hurt anything that happens with this team. More than anything else guys understand. They want me back, I want to be back, and I will be back on Monday doing everything I need to do to get ready to beat Denver.”

Atlanta moved the ball more effectively than Jacksonville, but Antone Smith’s fumble in the second quarter was costly. Smith broke through the line and gained 10 yards before safety Courtney Greene knocked the ball loose. Greene recovered, and the Jaguars scored the game’s lone touchdown four plays later.

McCown hooked up with Bolen for a short gain, then Bolen weaved his way through several defenders for a 16-yard score— his third of the preseason.

TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company, a subsidiary of the adidas Group, has introduced a new line of hats and visors, which features the primary colors and logos of all 32 NFL teams. Golfers across the country can now fly the colors of their favorite teams on the golf course (not on Sundays of course).

Fans can choose from all 32 NFL teams at on-course and off-course retail locations, in addition to select sporting goods retailers. If you are a displaced fan and don’t think you will be able to find your favorite team locally, go to www.taylormadegolfgear.com for a complete selection.

Each hat and visor will feature an NFL team’s logo blazoned on the left panel. The team’s name will also be stitched onto the left corner of the hat/visor. The TaylorMade logo will appear in 3D embroidery on the front panel of the hat.

The hats will be available at retail at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $27.99.

The Jaguars announced several roster moves on Tuesday, including the placement of 2010 third-round defensive tackle D’Anthony Smith on injured reserve.

Undrafted rookie center John Estes joined Smith on IR, while cornerback Josh Gordy, center Cecil Newton, wide receiver Roren Thomas, and defensive end Julius Williams were waived.

Rookie center Bradley Vierling has been signed. An undrafted free agent from Vanderbilt, Vierling spent the OTAs with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being released in June.

Reports say that former first-round pick FS Reggie Nelson is looking to win back his starting job this year in camp:

Jaguars former first-round pick Reggie Nelson started training camp fighting for his starting spot. The safety will get a chance to take it back tonight against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nelson will start at free safety instead of Gerald Alexander, who has started there all preseason. This will be a big game for the fourth-year player out of Florida as his is one position the Jaguars hope to emerge from tonight with a starter.

It’s been a day of rumors about Jags running back Maurice Jones-Drew when it comes to his health. First he said that the reason he wasn’t going to play against Tampa and the final preseason game was just a precaution taken by coach Jack Del Rio.

Then after some digging came a report that the reason he wasn’t going to play was because he had athroscopic knee surgery, and the team was trying to hide that fact.

So what gives?

According to the agent for Jones-Drew, the report is not true. “Absolutely false,” agent Adisa Bakari said. “Maurice did not have surgery.”

Jones-Drew sat out three practices this week and told Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union yesterday that he wasn’t injured, just needed a break.

The report at the National Football Post stated that Jones-Drew had the surgery to “clean out his knee from wear and tear” and was out the rest of the preseason.

The report also said Jones-Drew would be ready to play this weekend if it were a regular season game. “What arthroscopic surgery is there that a player can return in one week?” Bakari said. “There isn’t one.”

Maurice Jones-Drew has been sitting around quite a bit lately, but just because he’s not out there taking lots of reps doesn’t mean he’s injured. “It’s like Allen Iverson said, it’s practice,” Jones-Drew said. “In the preseason. … There’s no worries.

For now, Jones-Drew is being held out as a precautionary measure, and he’ll be back when it matters most, when the records start to count.

The Jags have only allowed Jones-Drew to six in two games. He’s netted -2 yards. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said he’d like the running game to be more of a focus in the third preseason game Saturday in Tampa.

Jones-Drew said he does not know if he will play against Tampa Bay and that the decision will be left up to Del Rio.

There has been some speculation about the Jags dumping running back Greg Jones, as they have a log jam at the running back spot during camp. How about Jones being moved to the Chiefs? There’s a player on KC that also could find himself on trade block, that being safety Jarrad Page.

Could the two be trading partners? Big Cat Country speculates about a possible move, though some feel that there’s no way the Chiefs would make such a trade:

Page would be an immediate upgrade at the safety position with the Jacksonville Jaguars, starting opposite either Gerald Alexander or Anthony Smith. Executing a rare player-for-player trade would allow general manager Gene Smith to keep the draft picks he supposedly covets and not hinder the Jaguars from moving around in the 2011 NFL Draft if they so chose to get a quarterback. Page would likely be on a one-year deal if he’s traded to Jacksonville, unless Jacksonville signs him to a long term deal as one of the concessions of a trade.

One thing is certain however, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking to become a more run-oriented team according to head coach Todd Haley. “What I’m excited about is I feel like we’re going to have a chance to be a pretty good running football team. I think that’s the way, I believe, you win games. I think we’re building on that. I’m starting to get excited that we can be pretty productive running the football,” said Todd Haley.

The Florida Times Union reports that RB Deji Karim is going to miss the rest of the preseason after having thumb surgery:

Jaguars running back Deji Karim had surgery on his left thumb Tuesday and will miss the rest of the preseason. The Jaguars expect Karim back at some point within the first quarter of the season and the rookie running back will play with a cast early in the season. It’s possible, though unlikely, he’ll be ready in time for the first game of the season. Karim had become an explosive returner for the Jaguars this preseason and the sixth-round draft pick hurt his thumb on a kickoff return late against the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars signed running back Kolby Smith to help fill the hole.

The Jaguars signed former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kolby Smith to a contract today and placed veteran linebacker Kris Griffin on waivers to create a roster spot. The 5-foot-11, 219-pound Smith has played in 27 games with nine starts for the Chiefs since entering the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2007.

He was signed by the Denver Broncos on June 15 and waived on August 4. Last season, Smith was hampered by injuries and played in only four games. He began the season on the physically unable to perform list before seeing action in four games, finishing with 15 carries for 33 yards.