The Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars are set to begin the season on Sunday with a Week 1 matchup at TIAA Bank Field.
Before these two division-mates take the field on Sunday, we caught up with Jay Johnson, managing editor of Jaguars Wire, to get some information after the long offseason. Be sure to follow Jay (@SportsGrind_Don) and Jaguars Wire (@TheJaguarsWire) on Twitter for all of your Jaguars needs ahead of the Week 1 opener.
In preparation for the opening week matchup, we went behind enemy lines to ask five questions about the Jaguars:
Colts Wire: The Jaguars released RB Leonard Fournette. How much of a shock was that and how will the team go about replacing the former first-round pick?
Jay Johnson: The best way to put it is that the timing shocked most because it was so close to the regular season. However, at Jags Wire we’ve emphasized that Fournette’s time was running up in Jacksonville as it was clear how they felt when they didn’t pick up his fifth-year option. The minor incidents he’s had with the front office also were an indicator, but we simply thought they would part ways in 2021, not before the 2020 season.
As for who will replace him, the Jags appear to be on the way to a committee approach. The names to watch in particular are James Robinson and Devine Ozigbo. Robinson went undrafted out of Illinois State this April, but he’s talented and should’ve been a fifth or sixth-round pick at the least. There have been comparisons to Devin Singletary for him. Ozigbo has a little Lamar Miller in him and could be a tough runner between the tackles. He probably should’ve been drafted, too, (in 2019) but he only had one strong year to go off in defense of the league’s scouts.
CW: Gardner Minshew showed a lot of promise during his rookie season. Is he the franchise guy or is the team still in wait-and-see mode?
JJ: The fanbase is eager to deem him a franchise quarterback, which is understandable. Most of us at Jags Wire are in wait-and-see mode, though. Regardless of which category one falls in, I think a key thing to be optimistic about is his pairing with Jay Gruden, who is good with young quarterbacks. The Bengals were able to get into the playoffs multiple times with him coaching up Andy Dalton (including his rookie season). While The Washington Football Team didn’t retain him, Kirk Cousins is another young guy Gruden worked with who has had some success. That said, Minshew is a good fit for Gruden’s system and the veteran assistant is certainly capable of helping him take that next step.
CW: After trading Calais Campbell this offseason, who needs to step up on the interior defensive line?
JJ: I think it needs to be a collective effort although the easy answer would be to say Josh Allen after his phenomenal rookie season. The problem with that is the fact that teams will be able to key in on him with players like Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, and Marcell Dareus gone. That said, two names I believe could help Allen tremendously are Taven Bryan and rookie DaVon Hamilton.
In 2019, Bryan played better than most want to give him credit for and was the second-highest graded defender (75.5) on the team, according to Pro Football Focus. He had a good camp before having to be temporarily sidelined for a knee bruise. He could be back Week 1, though, which is huge when considering the game he had against Quenton Nelson in December. Hamilton, the Jags’ third-round pick of April, was unstoppable at camp for the most part. I’ve personally praised him to be the biggest surprise of 2020 when the season is over because he’s more athletic than most at his size (6-foot-4, 322-pounds).
CW: Which player had the biggest surprise showing at training camp?
JJ: I’d probably say rookie receiver Collin Johnson on offense. I’ve always respected his game but had concerns on how well he’d be able to separate on the NFL level. However, he’s utilized his wing-span well to help with that and receivers coach Keenan McCardell (who is a solid assistant) has done a great job with him.
On defense, I’d say safety Josh Jones. The former second-round pick for Green Bay was a waiver claim addition for the Jags in December. He had such an impressive camp that he seemingly beat out former starter Ronnie Harrison, giving the Jags enough confidence to trade him.
CW: What matchup should fans be eager to watch on Sunday?
JJ: I’d probably say the Jags’ starting receiver tandem (D.J. Chark and Chris Conley) against the Colts’ starting corners (Rock Ya-Sin and Xavier Rhodes). The Colts had a hard time containing the Jags passing game in their last meeting, but improvements have been made. One of those improvements was the addition of Rhodes, who in particular could have some notable battles with Chark, who is a top-4 deep threat in the league.
CW: Final score, prediction?
JJ: I’ll go with something along the lines of 35-28, Indy. The Jags have struggled mightily against Philip Rivers in the past. One thing that could help them pull off the upset, though, is the element of surprise and the rust of not having a preseason. Simply put, nobody really knows what the Jags’ identity will be and that may not be good for Indy.