Garrard Out as Starter for Sunday

[Dapperdan]

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/429812/tania-ganguli/2010-12-29/jaguars-quarterback-david-garrard-have-surgery-tomorrow

What a  strange time to have surgery.He was well enough to play las week. Anyone else sense something else is going on?

[JMac]

looks to me like Del Rio shut him down

[Shwaz]

Staging surgery to cover up benching a player.... sounds a little far fetched. This is the same coach that cut Leftwich a week before the 2007 season. With the team still having a chance at the playoffs no coach would pull their QB for the final game.

[duvaldude08]

^^ This sounds strange to me. We havent heard anything about the garrad finger since the night at that game, and he showed no signs of having problems sunday. And Mojo being out again is bummer. But Id rather him get better than risk seriously hurting hisself. Im sure mojo will get better during the off season with no problem.

[AmyLynne]

After the interception this week, David was holding his fingers on the side line.

[duvaldude08]

^^^yeah I just read Jaguars.com. hopefully since Trent has time to really practice and get familiar with the recievers, hopefully he can pull out a win for us. The Titans game wasnt a fair evaluation for him.  He was just thrown out there unexpectally and wasnt familiar with the receivers, plays, routes, etc. And hopefully Rashard jennings can break loose this week. This should be interesting to wacth.

[fsujax]

maybe a sign of things to come? we shall see.

[Jaxson]

Could it be that, after he was benched, that Garrard decided to schedule the needed surgery? 

[ProjectMaximus]

Could it be that, after he was benched, that Garrard decided to schedule the needed surgery? 

I highly doubt he was benched. But yes, this is a possibilty.

[Shwaz]

Garrard isn’t sure exactly when or how the injury occurred, but it was in the game in Indianapolis two Sundays ago and it resulted in ligament being torn from the bone.

The ligament wouldn’t allow his finger to bend normally. A metal pin will be inserted into the finger and rehab will require two months of rest.

“I can’t do anything with it,” he said when asked about his ability to grip the ball. “The finger won’t bend around like a normal finger, it just kind of bends up. It’s weird. You can definitely tell something needs to be done with it. I’ve been grossing the guys out around here with it, too.”

[Wacca Pilatka]

After the interception this week, David was holding his fingers on the side line.

He did the same during the Indianapolis game.

I think all the speculation about a cover-up for a benching is off base.  Garrard has his shortcomings but there's no way he doesn't generally give us a better chance to win than Edwards.

[subro]

Speaking of Jaguar quarterbacks...

Jets backup QB Brunell expecting to play vs. Bills

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/brunell_expecting_to_play_G1XAxW4G1XuYkhb6ZyMGTN

If sore-shouldered Mark Sanchez starts Sunday for the playoff-bound Jets, he likely won't finish the game, meaning his backup and tutor, Mark Brunell, finally would get his first extended playing time for Gang Green.

"I couldn't tell if [I'll get] three snaps or three quarters, I really don't know," said the 40-year-old Brunell, who has thrown just one pass all season for the Jets but is in line for extended action against Buffalo. "It'll be fun to be out there.

"This week is different because I'm pretty confident I will get to play," he said. "The previous 15 games, you're not quite sure. You're just kind of waiting. At least this game I have an idea that I'll get some time. But how much, I don't know. But I'll get to step on the field at least."


It has been a while. Brunell, who spent a dozen of his 18 NFL seasons as a starter. He has been the veteran graybeard helping lead Mark Sanchez through his growth process, but he has played just two series, in a 38-14 rout of the same Bills back on Oct. 3, and completing a seven-yard pass to tight end Ben Hartsock.

Because the Jets (10-5) already have clinched a postseason berth last Sunday and Sanchez suffering from what reportedly could be minor cartilage damage in his right shoulder, Brunell could play most -- or all -- of the game.

"I haven't decided if [Sanchez] will play X-amount of plays, or he'll play at all," coach Rex Ryan said. "Maybe he'll play some, but we'll see. I don't see him [playing the entire game]."

Sanchez, who has played well the past two games despite the injury, said he is confident Ryan will make the right decision.

"[Ryan's] got a good feeling for things," he said. "He knows what he wants from us.He added that if he doesn't play he will "be Brunell and Kellen's [Clemens] biggest cheerleader."

Brunell started just one game last year in New Orleans as Drew Brees' backup, and none the two seasons before that, but he says drawing on his vast experience as a starter will make it easy for him to step in if needed.

"This is my 18th year," Brunell said. "I've been there before, played a lot. That's just the role I'm in. You've got to embrace it. This is my role on this football team.

"It's a supporting role," he said. "You don't get very many reps, you get a lot of scout team reps, but you have to be ready. Mentally you have to put in as much time as the starter, because you're not going to get to run the plays. I think having a guy with experience makes that as little easier. A guy that's played a lot doesn't need 100 reps to step in there and do well."

brian.lewis@nypost.com

[duvaldude08]

Yeah Garrad was out and it was obvious. LOL 8-8 and 2nd in the division is better than last year. But Im sure the cry babies are coming to the forums soon so I will have my pacifiers ready. In the end the colts won, so the outcome of todays game meant nothing but an 8-8 record or 9-7 record.

One of to things need to happen next season

1. replace garrad
or
2. fire del rio for not replacing garrad

[Dapperdan]

I doubt Garrard could have saved that game. Our defense was terrible and the team as a whole lacked any energy at all. The entire secondary is crap and I am having my doubts about the front line since they have been gashed the whole last part of this season by huge run plays. It is time for Jack to go. There is no way around it. His building decade has come and gone and it is time to mix it up with a new coach and some fresh ideas. I am tired of being mediocre at best.

[duvaldude08]

^^^ Oh yeah lets not forget our god awful defense. If our defense was doing their job, we would have had a chance at winning. Given the circumstances, Our offense was decent. And Garrad has to go. He is not a consistent QB. And Del Rio is too nice. This team needs DISCIPLINE. That is one thing I truely miss about Coughlin. The things Del Rio gives funny looks about, Coughlin would be ripping their heads off. Firing Coughlin was the DUMBST thing weve done thus far. He took us to the play offs FOUR YEARS STRAIGHT. And We had two bad season's and canned him? That was DEAD wrong.

FYI- on the bright side, things could be alot worse. There are some teams who have been around for 40 years and have only been to the playoffs a hand full of times. The Jags are 15 years old and we have made six apperences thus far. Hell the Texans havent touched the playoffs YET. Imagine how they feel! We just gotta get back on track.