FanHouse MikePeterson

ATLANTA -- It was one game. They kept saying as much on Sunday inside of the mostly business-like home locker room at the Georgia Dome.

"Yeah, it's one game, so we don't get too hung up on what we just did," said John Abraham, among the Atlanta Falcons defenders who spent the majority of their NFL season opener keeping the Miami Dolphins listless, clueless and scoreless.

It was one game, all right, but this was a scary game for the rest of the league in general and the NFC South in particular.

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

Last year the Falcons proved what an excellent draft and a couple of free agent signings can do to a previously awful team. First-round picks Matt Ryan and Sam Baker and second-round pick Curtis Lofton all became immediate starters while free agent signee Michael Turner turned into the team's best back since Jamal Anderson was in his prime.

There's less riding on this year's draft than last year's, but Atlanta needs to add depth to what's still a pretty thin roster. There is not nearly as much need for immediate starters this year, but there are still a lot of positions where the Falcons could use a talent upgrade.

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were arguably the biggest disappointment in 2008 (the Lions were worse, obvs, but such an enjoyably watchable train wreck that they don't count). Plenty of people had them going to the Super Bowl, and nearly everyone, after their run in the playoffs last season, thought they would be back in the postseason.

Well, um, they weren't.

The 2008 season has been a forgettable one for the Jaguars. They made it to the AFC Divisional round a year ago, and with virtually everybody returning, expectations were high four months ago. A run on injuries, a no-show defense and plenty of bad luck has a lot to do with the 5-10 situation they currently find themselves.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will probably be fired after one season, and several players expect to be looking for work in the coming weeks. Linebacker Mike Peterson is a goner; head coach Jack Del Rio unofficially ended his Jacksonville career by benching him earlier this season.

Although nothing's been decided, during the Jags' last home game on Dec. 18, Peterson used the occasion to send the media his well wishes. Seriously.

... [T]he middle linebacker made it a point to thank the writers for the stories they've written about him in his six years with the Jaguars.

"I appreciate that," Peterson said. "I've got a scrapbook at home with all the great stories. No matter what they [Jaguars] do or what the future has for me, they can't take away those great memories."

And maybe one day, Terrell Owens and Ed Werder will bury their hatches, mend their fences and hug it out, too.

Yesterday MDS mentioned that Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio had banished muscle-flexin' Mike Peterson to the bench and stripped him of his captaincy for insubordination.

Today, the Florida Times-Union's Michael Wright points out that Del Rio has named Daryl Smith the team's starting linebacker for the rest of the season, and Peterson will now serve as Justin Durant's backup.

Del Rio said there won't be any further discussions about Peterson regaining his job in the middle.

"He needs to embrace his role," Del Rio said. "Daryl Smith is going to be our mike [linebacker], and it should be good for him."

Got that? Don't even think about asking Jack about Peterson getting his old job back because it ain't happening. And just to reassure those of you who think this has more to do with last week's falling out than it does with trying to fix a defense Gregg Williams has managed to render useless in two months on the job, well, you're wrong. Sorta:

"This move is more about giving Daryl Smith more opportunities in the middle than punishing Mike [Peterson]," Del Rio said. "He'll get some snaps at the will [linebacker]."

Reading between the lines: this has EVERYTHING to do with punishing Mike Peterson and nothing to do with giving Daryl Smith more opportunities. Okay, got it.

Last week Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio became so angry at the insubordination shown by starting middle linebacker and team captain Mike Peterson that he sent him home from practice. Del Rio also fined Peterson $10,000.

But while Peterson is back with the team, he's not back in the starting lineup. Del Rio says he has permanently demoted Peterson to backup status, replacing him with Daryl Smith.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN reports:

"Daryl Smith is our starting middle linebacker," Del Rio said in a telephone conversation after Friday's practice, as the Jaguars got ready for the undefeated Tennessee Titans. ...

Del Rio was asked if he and Peterson have reached any kind of meeting of the minds after last week's dispute.

"There will be no meetings," Del Rio said. "He has to embrace his new role on the team."

So Peterson is now relegated to special teams, which he hasn't played in years. And that's ridiculous. If Peterson was good enough to start before, why is he suddenly not good enough to start after he talked back to Del Rio? Benching players for insubordination might build character when it comes from a high school coach. It smacks of desperation when it comes from a professional coach.

The Jaguars are a mess. Apparently, that can't be stressed enough. After losing to the Browns two weeks ago, and the previous winless Bengals last Sunday, Jacksonville prepared for today's grudge match with the 0-8 Lions by sending linebacker and team captain Mike Peterson home for insolence. Because talking back to the Del Rio WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

And this was after we learned that some Jaguars players were having a good laugh in the locker room minutes after losing in Cincinnati, which, apparently, is the exact wrong emotion for such situations.

And today, via ESPN's Chris Mortensen, head coach Jack Del Rio has fined Peterson 10 grand for his insubordination. It's not clear if Peterson will be active for the game -- I think he will; Del Rio wants to set an example, for sure, but not so much of one that the Jags actually lose to the Lions -- but bigger issues remain. Namely: Jacksonville, a preseason favorite to make a deep playoff run, are sitting at 3-5 and playing some pretty unspectacular football.

It was also reported that Del Rio has banned all music (even MP3 players!) from the Jags locker room. That should solve everything. By the way, while Del Rio's going ban-crazy, he might want to ban John Henderson from doing emergency eyeball surgery.

The Jaguars appear to be coming apart at the seams. A playoff team a year ago, and a favorite to return to the postseason in 2008, Jacksonville has bumbled their way through the first two months.

An 0-2 start, and back-to-back losses to the Browns and Bengals have them staring at 3-5, and head coach Jack Del Rio doesn't feel some players are adequately grieving the losses. For example, raucous laughter in the locker room following a loss to Cincinnati? Yeah, don't do that. Also unacceptable: talking back.

Which is apparently what got linebacker Mike Peterson sent home from practice earlier this week:

Del Rio tossed Peterson out of the meeting room on Wednesday after Peterson replied when Del Rio admonished him for flexing his muscles after a sack in Cincinnati when the team was behind 21-3.

Peterson replied that he usually does that when he makes a big play and was trying to bring energy to the team. Peterson wasn't allowed to return to the team Thursday and was sent home again.

After losing to the previously winless Bengals this past Sunday, you might think it would be hard for things to get much worse for the Jacksonville Jaguars. But, hark, they just may be. On Wednesday, Head Coach Jack Del Rio decided to give starting middle linebacker Mike Peterson the day off by sending him home early -- reasons not disclosed -- and it appears that may just be the tip of the iceberg.

The latest from PFT:

"There is a tremendous amount of dissension," said a league source with knowledge of the dynamics in Jacksonville. "That team is a house of cards. Poor leadership and bad character."

According to the reports, there was a great deal of laughter echoing from the Jaguars locker room following their loss to the Bengals, while players have been told to turn down their music (you wild kids with your long hair and your rock and roll music!).

In the Jaguars defense, a lot of people were laughing after Sunday's game. But I'm not sure that's something Del Rio wants to hear at this point.

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: David Garrard threw all of three interceptions last year. Three. Three. Despite his questionable pedigree from the Eastern part of my fair state, his incredibly efficient performance earned him a pimped out $60 million deal. If the Jags new-old wideouts can ever get healthy, Garrard might actually live up to the lofty expectations he'll be staring down this season. Heat Index: 8

Running Back: When will Fred Taylor stop? Ever? And will Maurice Jones-Drew be ready for a full time gig when he does? Why is Greg Jones getting paid so much to be a glorified quasi goalline fullback? Why do I have so many friggin' questions about a team that finished second in the NFL in rushing yards per game last year at 149.4? Heat Index: 10

Receivers: Guh. The Jags went out and got Jerry Porter in the offseason to give Garrard a "legit" first option and he immediately got hurt. They also added Troy Williamson who has shown a penchant for dropping the ball, but like Mittens in Carolina, we probably have to reserve judgment until we find out if his greasy mitts in Minny were a result of Tavaris Jackson cooties. Heat Index: 3