ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

In August of 2008, when I was working on a column about the necessity of a No. 1 receiver, Jack Del Rio gave me this interesting response:

“We all want dominant guys. It's about playmakers making plays. You're always looking for the dominant guy. [But] I don't think you need to manufacture it, I don't think you need to try and name a guy that particular guy. If you have one, it becomes apparent to everybody. Defenses will let you know because they'll start rolling coverages there consistently. That's what a dominant guy can do."

Then he pointed into his backfield where he had Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew:

"Our dominant guys right now are in our backfield, they're the ones that are dictating how defenses play us. Because if you don't get down there and load the box, you're going to have a hard time slowing our guys down. Our No. 1 happens to line up in the backfield."

Now, Taylor is gone and MJD is the feature back. While the Jaguars don’t have a Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald or Randy Moss they do have a revamped and much better stable of receivers, featuring healthy holdover Mike Sims-Walker.

They are a team with threats more spread out on the skills positions on offense. Rather than operating primarily as a power rushing team, they are able to run effective end-arounds with rookie Mike Thomas or get a big play out of Sims-Walker.

“I think right now offensively, Maurice obviously continues to be a great player for us,” Del Rio said. “I think we’ve had some receivers emerge and be productive guys that are also trustworthy guys for David [Garrard]. I think that’s the biggest thing that we’re feeling as an offense is that we have more than just a weapon in the backfield and feel like those guys are improving. In some cases it’s with youth like Mike Thomas, a younger guy. He’s improving every day on the practice field and giving us a chance.”

Garrard has called Sims-Walker, who’s averaging nearly five catches a game and 14.2 yards a catch, one of the league’s best. And the passing offense on a “running team” ranks 14th in the league, just three spots behind the rushing offense.

“I think we have been able to be a power team and just kind of force the ball down on people in the run game, but we would much rather be 50-50,” he said. “We would much rather have a play here or there that surprises you. I just think it keeps defenses on their toes and not allow them to key in on and take away one part of your game and then you are stuck having to rely on another part and maybe that part is not a strong part. It shouldn’t be like that.

“You should be able to run the ball, if that is what they are giving you, but if they are taking the run away because they are putting too many in the box, you have to be able to throw the ball. It is just the NFL and we have professional players on this team and as long as a quarterback is given time he should be able to get the ball down the field, and receivers should be able to catch it. That’s how we want our offense to be. We want our offense to be, ‘Whatever you guys give us, we’ll take it.’”