Category: C.J. Henderson

Jags come up short after taking Packers to the limit in 24-20 loss

The Jags took one of the league’s best teams in the Packers to the limit Sunday, but ultimately came up short in a nail-biter.

The Jacksonville Jaguars dropped their eighth consecutive loss Sunday against the Green Bay Packers by a score of 24-20, but once again made their performance a very watchable one for their fanbase. They started the first half with some fire and even tied the score up in the second half at 17-17.

The first quarter was a bit of a shocker as Aaron Rodgers and company struggled to get going, leaving it scoreless and trailing the Jags — although it was just by a field goal. The Packers ended up punting the ball three times in the first quarter, which marked a solid start for the Jags’ defense as they continued their progress from Week 9 against the Houston Texans.

However, when the second quarter rolled around, it didn’t take long for Green Bay to get cooking. In fact, the team was able to get on the board during the very first possession of the quarter thanks to a deep 78-yard connection between Rodgers and receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

The Packers didn’t stop there, however, scoring another touchdown on a Rodgers rushing attempt and a field goal from Mason Crosby before the half could end.

As for the Jags, they had arguably their biggest highlight play of the game, which was a 91-yard punt return for a touchdown by receiver Keelan Cole. After fielding a punt deep in the Jags’ territory, he gutted their punt team and found himself in a one-on-one foot race with punter JK Scott. Cole gave the third-year punter a juke move and put him on skates, then proceeded to blaze past him for the end zone.

As a result of the return, the Jags jumped to a 10-7 lead, though Crosby’s field goal and Rodgers’ rushing touchdown put them in the lead by a score of 17-10 before the half.

In the third quarter, the Jags’ defense stepped up once again garnering a fumble and a recovery during the Packers’ first possession of the second half. The turnover came on a hustle play by first-round pick C.J. Henderson, who allowed Davante Adams to get a catch on him, then advance the football up the field. The rookie cornerback continued to hustle though, sneaking up behind Adams and stripping the ball away. Linebacker Myles Jack then scooped up the ball in Green Bay territory and advanced it up the field to their 16-yard line.

The Jags’ offense, which had previously struggled under rookie quarterback Jake Luton, then took the field and took advantage of the good field positioning with a touchdown pass. Luton was able to thread the needle and throw a strike in the middle of the Packers’ goal-line defense, hitting Keelan Cole on a 12-yard slant pattern. As a result, the score was knotted up at 17-17 at the 10:30 mark in the third quarter.

However, the Jags’ momentum continued throughout the third quarter as the defense caused a turnover on downs and also garnered an interception courtesy of cornerback Sidney Jones IV, who made several other plays for the Jags.

The offense was also able to add another field goal early in the fourth quarter, putting the score at 20-17, but the Packers ultimately were able to get a touchdown roughly at the nine-minute mark, moving the score to its final figure of 24-20.

Ultimately, it appears the game came down to the struggles of Luton, who was only 18-of-35 for 169 yards, one touchdown, and a pick. Of course, he should probably get the benefit of the doubt because it was only his second start, but there was simply little margin for error against a great like Rodgers. At the same time, the rookie definitely should remain the starter if Minshew isn’t ready to return, as there have been some solid plays made on his part.

As for the Jags in general, they fell to 1-8 as Doug Marrone continues to fight for his job. Oddly enough, this is a loss that Jags fans can once again live with as there is a bigger goal at stake: acquiring a top-2 pick and having a shot at Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields if the front office wants to take one. To be competitive in the process is a bonus the fans will gladly take — and it also further proves they are a signal-caller and a few other pieces away from being a solid team.

The Jags’ next game will take place at TIAA Bank Field against their old rivals in the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Jags being competitive dating back to Week 7, it won’t be shocking if it remains that way again though the Steelers are rightfully viewed as the favorites.

Jaguars vs. Packers: 3 keys to a Jacksonville victory

The Jags are going to have to play a perfect game to beat the Packers and that will involve several rookies stepping up.

On Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars will undoubtedly face their toughest task of the 2020 season as they make a trip to Wisconsin to face the 6-2 Green Bay Packers.

Whilst the Packers are currently tied for the top seed in the NFC with Aaron Rodgers playing great football, the Jaguars are enduring a seven-game slide. The Jags are also two losses away from handing owner Shad Khan his 100th in just his tenth season of ownership.

However, winning this matchup is not an impossible task for Jacksonville, but it will need to be a perfect game on all three levels. Anything less and the talent on the Packers will come to the fore. If the Jaguars are to win this afternoon, they will have to focus on executing these three points:

Control the clock

Jake Luton looked relatively comfortable in his first NFL start against the Houston Texans, but with teams now having film to study it might be difficult for him to maintain that level of production heading forward. Add in the issues the wind conditions could provide for the rookie, and it feels like a victory will be even harder to acquire.

The best way for the Jaguars to establish a foothold in this game will be on the ground with star rusher James Robinson. The undrafted free-agent running back has undoubtedly been the brightest spot on the offense all year— and that needs to continue. If he’s able to establish a rhythm early and dictate the pace of this game, it would help Luton tremendously as well as the defense by keeping Rodgers on the sidelines.

Pressure Aaron Rodgers

The only way the Jags are going to force Rodgers into mistakes is by pressuring him early and often. Rookie defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton is really coming into his own as the season progresses and the team will be hoping he can continue his success and create opportunities for Josh Allen.

It has been widely documented that the Jaguars are struggling to get pressure off the edge so far this season, with a league-worst eight sacks on the year. However, the team has been getting pressure on a more consistent basis as of their last few games (ranked 25th), but still need to get the quarterback on the ground. If that changes today and Jacksonville defenders are able to get their hands on Rodgers they will find it easier to slow down the Packers’ offensive unit.

Double team Davante Adams, every down

Rookie cornerback CJ Henderson did not enjoy last week against Will Fuller, getting scorched for a 70-plus yard touchdown on a play that does not cover the ninth-overall pick in much glory. With his recent struggles in mind, it would be wise for Todd Wash to assign some help when it comes to covering Davante Adams.

Adams’ 2020 tape is asserting him as one of the elite-tier receivers in the NFL and he’s probably looking forward to the opportunity to pick on a rookie defensive back one-on-one. If this team wants to slow the Packers down, then they have to find a way to slow Adams too, which is easier said than done.

Stock up, stock down from Jags’ 27-25 loss to Texans

The Jags may have loss to the Texans Week 9, but there were several players who impressed like Jake Luton and DJ Chark.

The Jacksonville Jaguars found themselves on the wrong end of the win column after a grueling, yet competitive matchup against their divisional rivals in the Houston Texans. The Texans defeated the Jaguars by a score of 27-25 in a battle that was within reach for the Jags to win.

Despite the loss, there were some players who improved their stock, while others did the opposite. Lets take a look at four of those players who either stood out in a good way, or bad way.

Stock Up: QB Jake Luton

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Jaguars rookie quarterback Jake Luton proved that he can play in the NFL. While he wasn’t perfect by any means, he played well enough to give the Jags multiple opportunities to win.

The sixth-round rookie out of Oregon State finished the game with a 68.4% completion rate (26-of-38) for 304 passing yards and a pick. He only had one touchdown pass, but it was a beauty and he even rushed for a 13-yard touchdown, which put the Jaguars in prime position to tie the game up. Unfortunately, the ensuing two-point conversion failed and the Jags would not be able to complete the comeback.

Luton has drawn some similarities to his sixth-round counterpart in Jags quarterback Gardner Minshew II, who he started for because of a thumb injury. With Minshew not even at the point where he can throw yet, he could be playing for an extended period of time, which means Luton has a chance to get better in time.

If Luton can replicate the success he had against the Texans, then head coach Doug Marrone will have an interesting decision to make when/ if Minshew is healthy enough to play.

Stock Down: DT Taven Bryan

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

The Jaguars’ defense has been much maligned all year but the defensive line has truly had it’s fair share of problems. One of those problems has been the play of defensive tackle Taven Bryan this year.

Bryan has not played well this season, entering the week with a 54.5, per Pro Football Focus. Against the Texans, he finished with only two tackles and was actually benched in favor of reserve defensive lineman Doug Costin.

Bryan was selected with the No. 29 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Florida University. Since, he’s accumulated 62 tackles in his three seasons with the Jags, but he has only 3.5 sacks overall leading up to Sunday’s game against the Texans.

Sunday may have represented the Jaguars acknowledging that Bryan may not be the guy to anchor the defensive line and there could be a change in the offseason if the production doesn’t pick up.

Stock Up: WR DJ Chark Jr.

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

It would seem preposterous that a Pro Bowl wide receiver and the best offensive weapon on the Jags’ team would have a falling stock, but it is the case as D.J. Chark Jr. has had a stretch of forgettable games in the past few weeks.

Through Weeks 5-7, Chark was only able to garner 11 receptions on 25 targets for 87 yards and has not found the endzone. Sunday’s game reminded everyone on how dominant he can be as he finished with seven receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown. Chark was targeted 12 times in the game, so it appears that Luton feels extremely comfortable looking Chark’s way whenever under duress.

If Luton retains the job, we could see more of these connections for the rest of the season.

Stock Down: CB C.J. Henderson

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

It’s tough being a rookie in the NFL but it has been a huge trial by fire season for Jags rookie cornerback C.J. Henderson.

After being selected with the No. 9 overall selection out of Florida, Henderson has had a rollercoaster of a season as he currently has a disappointing 60.0 PFF grade with a 60.3 grade in coverage.

On Sunday, the rookie had a game to forget as he was the main culprit behind a huge 77-yard touchdown from Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson to wide receiver Will Fuller V. The rookie also committed an extremely costly 50-yard pass interference penalty on Fuller, which set up a one-yard touchdown from running back Duke Johnson. That score capped off a 98-yard drive from the Texans and the penalty played a large part in aiding it.

While Henderson was drafted to be the cornerstone of the secondary and while he is an intriguing athlete, the past few weeks have not been kind to him and his struggles against the Texans reflect that. Hopefully, he steps things up during the second half of the season as the Jags have some notable opponents coming up.

D.J. Hayden confident in Jags’ ability to recover from Week 3 loss

Jags veteran D.J. Hayden is feeling confident in bouncing back from their Week 3 loss with the team showing urgency in practice.

The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered an embarrassing Week 3 loss to the Miami Dolphins, but as many expected, they have already put it behind them. With Week 4 now on their minds, nickelback D.J. Hayden in particular is confident in the Jags’ ability to bounce back as they’ve gotten off to a good week of practice.

“[There’s] a greater sense of urgency, body language,” said Hayden. “You know I’m a real superstitious type of guy and I just get feelings. It’s just something I can’t explain. There’s no textbook of how to explain that. I just get good feelings.”

Up next for the Jags are the Cincinnati Bengals, who have yet to register a win but have been very competitive to start this season. During their Week 1 meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers, they were a missed field goal away from heading into over time. The following week, they had a strong fourth quarter but ultimately lost the game by a score of 35-30. Lastly, on Sunday, they took the Philadelphia Eagles into overtime and ended the battle with a 23-23 tie.

Clearly, with first overall pick Joe Burrow keeping the Bengals in games, the Jags’ secondary is going to need to have a better showing than we’ve seen in the past two weeks. The Jags’ very own first-round selection, C.J. Henderson, in particular is a player who will need to bounce back after a rough night against the Dolphins where he allowed five targets for 62 yards and a touchdown.

With the tough showing now behind him, Hayden stated that he’s also confident in the rookie bouncing back as most of his issues were simple technique flaws that can be ironed out.

 

“CJ [Henderson] obviously had one rookie mistake and I think it was just little mistakes,” Hayden said. “It just kept tagging on. I feel like we didn’t give up any big, explosive plays, but like Coach [Marrone] said, they kind of did this nickel and dime stuff, just stuff here and there. But little technique stuff can fix that stuff right away and we can fix it, so I’m excited.”

As is the case with every team, it would also help if the Jags’ pass rush has a successful day. That may prove to be a little easier than it was in Weeks 1-3 as the Bengals’ offensive line hasn’t been good. If that’s the case, fans could see Henderson and Hayden bounce back, too, which could put the Jags at 2-2 heading into the second quarter of the season.

Doug Marrone discusses Jags’ struggles against the pass vs. Dolphins

Doug Marrone believes the Jags issues against the pass boils down to fundamentals, something they haven’t shown since Week 1 vs. Indy.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense has mostly struggled against the pass all year and that once again was the case Thursday against the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to complete 11 consecutive passes against the unit in the first half and the second half was pretty solid as well.

Such a showing from a Dolphins roster who many feel belongs somewhere near the bottom of the league has caused many questions for the Jags and it was one of the many key topics brought up to Doug Marrone Friday. After going over the film, Marrone expressed that he thought a lot of the Jags’ issues against the pass were technique related as the defensive backs allowed a lot of catches in the range of 12 yards.

“I think when you look at it, a lot of the passes are not really getting behind us, from a standpoint of over the top throws,” Marrone said to the media. “Most of these throws are in this under 12 or 13-yard radius, so I think it’s a combination of we have to do a couple things better.”

“I feel comfortable because they’re more technique, fundamental things that we need to do to disrupt the passing game and try to do a better job there, so I see it as that. I think last night we pressured quite a bit, but you could see at times when max protection comes into play, now all of a sudden, and you’re not getting to the quarterback, that’s a long time.”

These statements are some that Todd Wash can’t help but hear loud and clear and it appears the Jags will be stressing fundamentals in practice a lot, especially to the defensive backs.

“We’re in position, but we haven’t defended many balls,” Marrone added. “We’ve got to get our hands on more balls. In the first game, we did. In the last two, we haven’t at all. Those are the things we’re trying to improve upon.”

When evaluating the defensive backs, even the player who has been a star for the Jags’ secondary, CJ Henderson, had a rough night, allowing five targets for 62 yards against the Dolphins. He also had a mental lapse early in the game where he allowed receiver Jakeem Grant to catch a pass on him without tagging him down, which allowed Grant to get up a run for extra yardage.

Meanwhile, the Jags’ other cornerback, Tre Herndon, has had a lackluster showing to open the season. As a result, many fans have been expressing their hope to see Sidney Jones on the field in his place soon.

There have also been frequent changes at safety as Jarrod Wilson had to go on injured reserve Week 1. Andrew Wingard was inserted in his place, but it appears he may be suited more to be a special teams player than consistent starter at safety. On top of that, he exited Week 3’s game with a core injury in the second quarter, causing the staff to move to their third option at safety Brandon Watson.

While Marrone did say Wingard would return Monday, the safety play might not improve significantly based off what we’ve seen from Wingard. Still, Marrone clearly wants them to put up identical results to what fans witnessed Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. During that game the Jags were able to acquire two picks and five pass breakups (three of which were from Henderson).

Up next for the Jags’ defense will be first overall pick Joe Burrow and receivers A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, and John Ross III. While many will categorize the Cincinnati Bengals as a bottom tier roster the fact of the matter is they’ve been extremely competitive in all their games. That said, it could be another long day for the Jags next Sunday, and hopefully, we see the defense clear up things fundamentally.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

CJ Henderson wins Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week Award

Just like Gardner Minshew, CJ Henderson has started out his career with a Rookie of the Week Award.

The NFL announced that Jacksonville Jaguars rookie cornerback CJ Henderson was named Pepsi’s Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week for Week 1. His acquisition of the award comes after a phenomenal showing against the Indianapolis Colts where he registered five tackles, three pass breakups, and a pick.

Henderson’s performance is even more impressive when adding in the fact that it was literally his first game in the NFL due to their being no preseason because of the coronavirus pandemic. With Philip Rivers coming into Week 1 with a sensational 7-2 record against the Jags, most had concerns he’d move the ball with ease. Henderson and the Jags’ extremely young defense felt differently and held the Colts to just 20 points, though.

Henderson’s Week 1 performance is a really encouraging one for Jags fans as they witnessed both Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye get traded last October and this March, respectively. His performance is also good for the Jags’ front office, who took Henderson with a top-10 selection.

The Jags aren’t exactly foreign to the Pepsi Rookie of the Week award after watching the season Gardner Minshew II had in 2019. He was able to win the award seven times last year and Henderson will have up until the end of December to top such a huge achievement.

2 Jaguars make PFF’s top-10 rookie rankings for Week 1

The Jags got a crazy amount of contributions from their rookies during their season opener against Indy, but two in particular were huge.

Opening weekend came and went in the blink of an eye for the NFL. Something to savor for football fans everywhere as the season kicked off after so much doubt and anticipation. It was also something to savor for Jaguars fans in particular, who witnessed their team come away with a shocking 27-20 win after many in the media tried to persuade them that the team was “tanking for Trevor.”

A big part of the Jaguars’ win on Sunday was the impact that rookies had on the overall team performance. The roster underwent a huge overhaul during the course of the offseason and many were wondering whether the team would be able to remain competitive as a result.

The 2020 rookie class more than answered the call on Sunday. There were seven first-year pros who made meaningful contributions to the team’s 1-0 start to 2020.

Both rookie receivers Collin Johnson and Laviska Shenault Jr. made their presence felt on offense. Johnson had a grab to help the Jags convert a third-down and put on an athletic display at the end of the game with a backflip while in victory formation. Shenault saw a 62% snap count and was able to register three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown.

New offensive coordinator Jay Gruden involved Shenault out of the backfield, too, at one time deploying putting him in the wildcat for a reasonable gain. Needless to say, it got fans on Twitter very excited.

Among all of these impressive debuts, there were two rookies on the Jags’ roster who had breakout games on Sunday. In fact, their showings were so impressive that the Jags were the only team to have two players featured on Pro Football Focus’ list of top-10 graded rookies.

10. RB James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Robinson recorded 62 rushing yards on 16 carries, with 56 yards coming after contact, earning a 65.7 rushing grade that ranked 11th of 26 running backs. He didn’t get much help from the line at times, as he was contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage on nine of 16 carries, but he still managed to break off a couple of 10-plus-yard gains despite that.

Head coach Doug Marrone said his decision to move on from Leonard Fournette boiled down to what the staff saw on the practice field, an area where James Robinson seemingly flourished. The former Illinois State star was the only back in the NFL to have 100% of their team’s running back rushing attempts.

The Jaguars’ new starting running back owns a piece of history after his impressive debut, setting a new opening weekend rushing record for undrafted rookies with 62 yards. That’s, well worthy of the tenth spot on PFF’s list of rookies this week.

2. CB C.J. Henderson, Jacksonville Jaguars

CJ Henderson might have put in the best rookie debut in franchise history. It is easy to over-exaggerate after one week, but the job he did shutting down the left side of the field was nothing short of phenomenal. PFF said so themselves:

The No. 9 overall pick then earned an 84.2 PFF grade against Indianapolis in Week 1, the second-best grade of the week at the position. His grade when lined up on the outside was actually the best we have ever recorded by a rookie in Week 1 in the PFF era, and he allowed only two catches on six man-coverage targets (17 such coverage snaps) while making four plays made on the ball.

There was no doubt that the Jaguars were going to rely on their young guys to produce, but the responsibility placed on Henderson’s shoulders could have seen him crumble early.

Corner is a notoriously difficult position to translate to, yet Henderson handled the pressure like a seasoned pro. His success against a four-time Pro Bowler meant the team kept him on the field for 73 of the teams 74 defensive plays, ranked third amongst all defenders.

Both Robinson and Henderson will need to continue their growth heading forward, and if they do, the Jags have a good chance to exceed expectations. Both will be interesting to watch as the Jags take on another divisional rival in the Tennessee Titans Week 2 in Nashville.

Jags rookie CJ Henderson earns nomination for Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week

The Jags once again have a nominee on the ballot for Rookie of the Week, but this time its on the defensive side.

Last year, it was quarterback Gardner Minshew II who was frequently in the running for Pepsi Rookie of the Week, but now it appears his infectious rookie play may have rubbed off on first-round pick CJ Henderson.

After a phenomenal first game against the Indianapolis Colts, Henderson was nominated for this year’s version of the award called the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week Award. Simply put, he was all over the field Sunday and finished his day with five tackles, three pass breakups, and a crucial pick.

While Minshew was the Jags’ best player on offense, Henderson was their best player on defense Sunday in the eyes of most. With Philip Rivers coming into town and having a 7-2 record against the Jags, fans were predicting it to be a rough day for the secondary. The young group — led by Henderson — had different thoughts though.

Henderson not only caught the attention of the NFL and Jags fans Sunday, but the crew over at Pro Football Focus also praised his performance. By their formula, he received the highest grade on the team Sunday (84.2) while PFF analyst Mike Renner even went as far as calling Henderson’s debut the best he’s seen since Marshon Lattimore.

Henderson is undoubtedly off to an impressive start and proved that Dave Caldwell was right for making him a top-10 pick — at least for now. He’ll receive another respectable test Sunday against the Tennessee Titans as A.J. Brown and Corey Davis (who registered 101 yards Week 1) will be looking to acquire their first divisional wins. At the same time, Henderson has shown fans that he’s a gamer, which could make him an X-factor just as he was Week 1.

For those wanting to vote for Henderson, simply click here to find the ballot.

Jags move up 6 spots in USA TODAY power rankings after win vs. Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the move in USA Today’s power rankings thanks to some Minshew Magic.

The Jacksonville Jaguars opened their season up with a 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts and, of course, their surprising win has reflected in the latest power rankings by USA TODAY.

After being ranked dead last entering the season, the Jags found themselves at the No. 26 spot in Tuesday’s power rankings for Week 1. After an incredible day by quarterback Gardner Minshew II, USA TODAY analyst Nate Davis seems to be ready for a dose of Minshew Mania 2.0 just as the people of Duval are.

26. Jaguars (32): Nineteen of 20, including three TD passes – while engineering Week 1 upset? Why would you want anything but Minshew Mania in #DUUUVAL?

Minshew’s performance against the Colts’ defense was absolutely surgical and he ended up making history as a result. When looking at performances of 20 passes or more, Minshew’s 95% completion rate ranked fourth in NFL history.

Minshew wasn’t the only young player to show up big for the Jags as Laviska Shenault Jr., D.J. Chark Jr., and CJ Henderson were some of the few notables to contribute touchdowns and an interception, respectively.

As for the rest of the division, the Tennessee Titans remained in the top-10, coming in at No. 7 (dropped from No. 5). The Indianapolis Colts fell down to the No. 19 spot (from No. 7) while the Houston Texans remained at No. 19.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Winners and losers from Jags’ impressive Week 1 victory over Colts

The Jags had several players show up against the Colts but CJ Henderson was a strong standout in his first-ever game with the Jags.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got the 2020 season off to a promising start, beating the Indianapolis Colts at home 27-20 in front of a crowd of about 17,000. After a rough opening, a 4th down stand and a turnover turned the tides as Jacksonville would take over the game from then on.

Here are your Week 1 winners and losers following the season opener:

Winners:

CB CJ Henderson

Many fans questioned Dave Caldwell’s selection of CJ Henderson with the ninth overall selection back in April. Henderson no doubt was a stud athlete but many questioned his tackling ability and physicality. Against the Colts, Henderson was the best player on the field.

Henderson nabbed the first interception of his career off of Philip Rivers and set the Jaguars’ offense up to tie the game. Henderson also sealed the victory when he deflected a pass on fourth down deep in Jaguars’ territory. It was no doubt an impressive debut for the rookie corner, finishing with five tackles, three pass deflections and one interception.

Myles Jack

What a sight to be reminded of. Myles Jack looked born anew. He was all over the field creating plays. From key run stops to creating pressure on Rivers, Jack did it all. Best of all? It looked natural. Jack utilized his impressive speed and fled from sideline to sideline, corralling ball carriers into his arms. Simply put, it was good to see him playing loose and free.

Jack finished the game with 11 tackles and registered the team’s only sack. Heading forward, it will be exciting to see how Jack transitions to his new position but early signs are definitely positive.

Coaching Staff

Sunday’s performance was an unexpected one for Jacksonville. Many fans didn’t expect the Jaguars to come away with a Week 1 victory against the Colts. However, coach Doug Marrone and staff had different ideas.

The team, for the most part, looked well-coached and made very few errors. The defensive side of the ball had some lapses in coverage, but aside from those couple blunders, it was a refreshing sight to see such a prepared team.

If Marrone and company can bring this momentum to Tennessee, the Jags have a good shot to start the 2020 season at 2-0. The players seem to have bought in, now it’s time to continue to execute on the field.

Losers:

Roster Depth

Behind the starters, this roster is skin and bones. Several players left the game at certain points in the game and the dropoff was severe. The defense, especially, is very thin.

Luckily, Henderson and Josh Allen were able to return following some injury scares. Allen ended up dealing with some lower-leg cramps and Henderson had a concussion test that ultimately was negative. Nonetheless, it was a bit unnerving to see Chris Claybrooks, a seventh-round rookie, starting at cornerback against a future hall-of-fame quarterback.

Hopefully, as the season goes on, the Jaguars can remain healthy and limit the time seen by their youthful depth pieces.