Staying healthy

Aside from quarterback play, this is possibly the most important factor that could make or break the Jags in 2020.

On offense, the Jags were especially plagued at tight end in 2019 as James O’Shaughnessy and Josh Oliver had to be placed on injured reserve, limiting Minshew’s options for targets in the middle of the field. They will both be returning in 2020, but if they have the same luck at the position (or get hit as hard at any other offensive positions), it could cost the Jags multiple games.

The Jags’ injuries on defense proved to be just as devastating. The losses of linebacker Myles Jack and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to IR particularly hurt them against the run, and teams took advantage of them in that department. They finished 28th against the run and the front office attacked the issue with several defensive additions like veterans Joe Schobert, Al Woods, Rodney Gunter, and the aforementioned rookie additions from this offseason.

The Jags will especially need to be healthy towards the end of the season because that’s the toughest part of the schedule. With top-10 defenses like the Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears on the schedule, the last part of 2019 could be brutal if the Jags aren’t relatively healthy.