Category: DJ Chark

Are there any Jags assistants who should survive a coaching change?

There are two coaches who may stand a chance to survive a coaching change for the Jags in our books. One of them is Joe DeCamillis.

With a 4-9 record currently and five straight losses by at least 17 points, the Jacksonville Jaguars are unquestionably going to have a coaching change at the end of the year. Of course, the reason for their record and pending changes is somewhat due to the Jags’ current staff being out-coached at times and fans have been very vocal about getting Doug Marrone and his staff out of the facility.

That said, our question of the day is whether or you all at home feel there is a member of the current staff who should survive what will likely be a coaching staff change in a few weeks? Here are two candidates who we feel at least deserve another year:

Special teams coach – Joe DeCamillis

Joe DeCamillis is one of the league’s most respected special teams coaches and it’s easy to see why when looking at his body of work before joining the Jags and after. Prior to coming to Jacksonville, he was so highly regarded at his last stop that he served as the interim head coach for the Denver Broncos Week 6 of the 2016 season with Gary Kubiak dealing with and illness.

First and foremost, he deserves praise for what he’s gotten out of Josh Lambo, who is kicking at a Pro Bowl level this season. The veteran, who the Jags signed off the free-agent market during the 2017 regular season, has converted 96.3% of his field-goal attempts (26-of-27), good for the best in the league.

DeCamillis has also turned Logan Cooke into a stud punter. With the offense not offering much production, Cooke has been a weapon for the Jags averaging just under 44 yards per punt and constantly pinning the opposition behind the 20-yard line. The crazy part about it is that he’s only 24 and keeping DeCamillis by his side could make him an All-Pro down the road.

Receivers coach – Keenan McCardell

The other assistant who comes to mind when discussing the staff’s ability to teach is receivers coach and Jags great Keenan McCardell, who pretty much has done a well as you can with the young receivers he’s inherited.

During his first season on the Jags’ coaching staff, McCardell immediately showed his skills as a communicator. One series into the regular season, he lost his top receiver, Allen Robinson, for the year with an ACL tear but it didn’t stop him from getting the best out of what was left for Blake Bortles to utilize. He got some quality moments and play out of undrafted rookie Keelan Cole that season, who totaled a career-high in statistics with 42 catches, 748 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

McCardell’s other noteworthy achievement was coaching up second-year receiver DJ Chark Jr., who struggled mightily in 2018 but looks like one of the league’s most improved players now. Chark is currently just 44 yards shy of the 1000-yard mark this season and has impressed on all levels of the field despite the frequent changes at quarterback.

If there is a new staff, they almost certainly will recognize the coaching Chark and the other receivers have responded to and possibly consider keeping McCardell. It also may help his case that he was formerly a receiver in the league who was largely successful.

That said, we’d like to know if you all at home believe McCardell and DeCamillis deserve to remain assistants past 2019. Is there someone we missed on the staff that deserves to stay? Let us know in our Jags Wire forum.

DJ Chark week-to-week with ankle injury, Ronnie Harrison ready to return from concussion

DJ Chark Jr. will be week-to-week after injuring his ankle Sunday against the Chargers.

As expected, Jacksonville Jaguars safety Ronnie Harrison will be good to take the field for Week 15’s game against the Oakland Raiders after missing the team’s last two games. Doug Marrone told the media that the second-year safety cleared the concussion protocol in Monday’s conference call, which is a big positive as the Jags’ defense struggled in the backfield Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.

[lawrence-related id=27329]

Marrone also provided an update on receiver DJ Chark, who was seen leaving the locker room in a boot and on a scooter after sustaining an injury Sunday against the Chargers.

Harrison sustained his injury in the first quarter of the Jags’ Week 12’s game against the Tennessee Titans after making a tackle on tight end MyCole Pruitt. As a result of the injury, the Jags thrusted Andrew Wingard into Harrison’s role, giving the undrafted rookie two starts.

Chark, on the other hand, sustained his injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Chargers while defensive back Jaylen Watkins was making a tackle on him. In the process of trying to get extra yardage and fight through the tackle, Chark seemingly injured his ankle and was helped to the locker room after being ruled questionable on the night.

Leonard Fournette discusses frustrating losses after college success

Following the 45-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Fournette expressed his frustration with the team’s performances of late.

In a Week 14 battle against the 4-8 Los Angeles Chargers, the Jacksonville Jaguars suffered what might have been their most embarrassing loss in franchise history, giving up 45 points. The loss gave the Jaguars their fifth straight loss of 17 points or more and both players and fans have become frustrated with the team’s performance this season.

Despite a disappointing season, however, two Louisiana State alums on the team have certainly played some of their best ball. Receiver D.J. Chark has taken the league by storm, bringing in 67 balls for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.

Against the Chargers, Chark again was the Jaguars’ best offensive player. The second-year wide out caught nine balls for 75 yards, continuing to prove he belongs as the Jaguars No. 1 target. Unfortunately, the game brought more bad news as it was reported that Chark left the stadium in a walking boot.

Teammate Leonard Fournette’s season has been just as impressive as Chark’s. In the first quarter, Fournette broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season and is now just one yard shy of his season record. Fournette is currently third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage, just four yards shy of 1,500 on the season.

While Fournette has probably had his best season yet, Jacksonville has struggled mightily, maybe now more than ever. Following the game, Fournette expressed his frustration with the team’s performances of late and went into details about his own fight with the losses.

 

One thing is clear, it is time for some form of change whether that is staff, personnel, or play-calling. Jacksonville is in dire need of change and a leader. The team looks undetermined and is giving up yardage in bulk on busted overages and easy completions for the opposing quarterbacks.

We will see what the Jaguars’ future holds in the coming weeks, but for now, the fans must endure another losing season on the banks of the St. Johns River. Maybe they can put up a better fight against the Oakland Raiders next week on a trip to the West Coast, but ultimately time will tell.

Report: DJ Chark leaves locker room with boot and scooter after loss to Chargers

The Jags could have a big injury on their hands involving their No. 1 receiver DJ Chark Jr.

The Jacksonville Jaguars not only suffered a tough loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers, but they could have a big injury to deal with afterward. Per ESPN beat reporter Mike DiRocco, receiver DJ Chark was seen leaving the locker room in a protective boot while using a scooter.

Chark sustained the injury around the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter after catching a pass from rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II and trying to advance the ball upfield. Chargers defensive back Jaylen Watkins made a tackle on him and it appeared as though Chark injured his ankle due to making the extra effort for more yards. The trainers came to look at him on the field afterward and he limped to the sideline. He then was helped to the locker room and didn’t return with a questionable ruling.

Chark has been one of the Jags’ top playmakers this season and casual fans have also taken notice to his solid season, too. He was on his way to a 1000-yard season (finished with 956 Sunday), but it appears he may have to miss some time with just three games left. Then again, if the injury is severe enough the Jags might as well sit him for the season as the playoffs aren’t within reach.

Chargers vs. Jaguars: 3 causes for concern against Los Angeles

There are a lot of concerns for the Jags heading into Week 14, but the pass rushing duo of Bosa and Ingram should be atop the list.

The Jacksonville Jaguars 2019 season has been a forgettable one and most fans have been anticipating its end. The Los Angeles Chargers’ season has been equally disappointing, however, most tend to think they have a better chance to win Sunday’s game between them and the Jags.

With a 7-3 all-time record against the Jags and a better overall team than Jacksonville, there are several concerns we have here at Jags Wire for Week 14’s game. Here are three of our biggest concerns as they will look to end a four-game skid this Sunday:

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers pass rushing duo of Nick Bosa and Melvin Ingram

The Jags will be up against one of the fiercest passing defenses in football as the Chargers only allow an average of 199.3 passing yards a game. That’s good for fourth in the league, which means the Jags could struggle to find guys like DJ Chark Jr. and Dede Westbrook through the air.

Part of the reason for that is because of the dynamic duo they have as pass rushers in Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa, both of whom have grades of 77.9 and 86.2, respectively, via Pro Football Focus. The two will enter Sunday’s game with a combined total of 14 sacks and will be looking to get after rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

The most concerning part about going up against the Chargers pass rush is how Cam Robinson is playing at the moment as he hasn’t been overly impressive. Jawaan Taylor could also have issues against the dynamic pair as he’s had issues with penalties and leads the league in the category with 13.

This issue brings me to my next topic of concern.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

3 Jaguars to watch on offense vs. Chargers

Gardner Minshew II will return as the Jags starter against the Chargers and has a grand opportunity to show he can start in 2020.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be taking on a Los Angeles Chargers team they’ve struggled against in the past and it’s almost a certainty that a win won’t come easy if the Jags prevail. However, the Chargers simply aren’t what they used to be on offense and have become more of a defensive group, which means the Jags’ defense will be the unit that has to step up the most in all probability this Sunday.

Here are three Jaguars to watch on offense this Sunday:

Gardner Minshew II

“Minshew Mania” has returned and the rookie quarterback should basically treat his opportunity as an audition to start at quarterback in 2020 as well. Gardner Minshew II was officially named the team’s starter after replacing a struggling Nick Foles midway through last Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Bucs, and many are beginning to wonder if it’s the last we’ll see of the veteran as a starter.

As for Minshew, he’ll be looking to continue where he left off earlier this season after winning six Rookie of the Week awards, a Rookie of the Month award (for September) and going 4-4 as a starter. He has a grand opportunity to make a huge statement upon his return by going toe-to-toe with veteran Philip Rivers and beating a Chargers franchise that has simply had the Jags number in the past with a 7-3 record against them.

RB Leonard Fournette

With the Jags season going terribly wrong, Leonard Fournette’s incredible season is going under the radar. The third-year rusher will enter Sunday’s game with 989 rushing yards, just 11 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark.

With changes likely to come in terms of the staff, Fournette should be motivated to close the season right and prove to the next potential regime that he is a big part of the Jags’ young nucleus of talent. Additionally, with him having the fourth-most fan votes at the running back position in the Pro Bowl race, he could use a strong performance to close the gap between him and those in front of him. With the Chargers having the No. 18 ranked rushing defense, that shouldn’t be an issue for the bruising tailback.

WR DJ Chark Jr.

Like Fournette, receiver DJ Chark Jr. is closing in on the 1,000-yard mark with 881 receiving yards and only needs 119 yards to hit the mark. He’s been the Jags’ most improved player in 2019, and with Minshew back on the field, it could help the young receiver drastically as the two have a strong bond, especially on extended plays.

Chark will be up against an elite passing defense, which means he may have to flourish in the short passing game more. With players like Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram rushing the passer and Casey Hayward at the cornerback position, it would speak volumes if Chark had success Sunday because a lot of receivers haven’t been able to do so in 2019.

3 bold predictions for Bucs vs. Jags

DJ Chark could be up for another game with two touchdowns and 120-plus yards as the Bucs are struggling mightily against the pass.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking to start the month of December on the right track this Sunday against their in-state rivals in the Tampa Bay Bucs. Both teams will come into the game below .500, but most fans would agree they have the talent to make this game competitive and interesting.

Here are three bold predictions for Sunday’s game, which will take place at TIAA Bank Field:

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

WR DJ Chark Jr. will have his second 150-plus yard day with two touchdowns

The Jags will be up against the No. 31 ranked passing defense (289.9 YPG average) Sunday, which sets DJ Chark Jr. and the passing game up to eat. He’s been Nick Foles’ favorite receiver since his return from collarbone surgery and that likely won’t change this year.

Despite the success of Foles’ and Chark’s connection, the young receiver had his second-lowest receiving yards total of the year last week against the Tennessee Titans (38). Typically when he doesn’t get going and/or Leonard Fournette struggles, the Jags normally don’t have a good day on offense. That said, they need to get to Chark early and often.

There will be times where he and the Jags’ other receivers are lining up against rookie cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who is learning the game. He currently has a grade of 58.5 on Pro Football Focus while Chark is one of the highest-graded Jags on the roster with a 80.7. Those numbers alone should warrant a lot of targets for Chark.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

PFF names DJ Chark Jags’ most underrated player

Just as the fans do, PFF seems to believe DJ Chark is one of the league’s most underrated players.

[jwplayer CyWAa1YN-ThvAeFxT]

There haven’t been a lot of positives to smile about surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars but all fans of the team tend to agree that receiver DJ Chark Jr. has been impressive to watch all season. The good people over at Pro Football Focus would agree with those sentiments as they have him down with an overall grade of 81.8.

The database also took a league-wide view at each respective team’s most underrated players recently and the second-year receiver was the player to make the list for the Jags.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: WR D.J. CHARK JR.

To say D.J. Chark Jr. is the most improved wide receiver in the NFL from 2018 to 2019 isn’t enough — he may very well be the most improved player regardless of position. After finishing the 2018 season ranked 112th out of 114 wide receivers in PFF receiving grade—and dead last among that group in drop rate—Chark is currently 14th in PFF receiving grade and has the ninth-lowest drop rate in 2019. More specifically, his deep receiving in 2019 has been excellent, as he is currently PFF’s fourth-highest-graded receiver on targets of 20-plus yards — he has the third-most deep catches and fourth-most deep yards so far this year.

Just as we’ve said in the past, PFF seems to believe Chark is one of the most improved players in football. Of course, part of that is because the bar was set kind of low during Chark’s rookie season where it felt like he could do no right between drops, penalties and injuries.

Chark will head into Week 12’s game with just under 800 yards while leading the league in receiving touchdowns with eight. He’s also found himself in Pro Bowl discussions, and if he became the Jags’ first receiver since Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns (2016) to accumulate 1,000 yards, he’ll have strong support from the Jacksonville community as far as votes go.

Jags have close to full participation in practice Thursday

The Jags had all but two players participate in their practice session Thursday in TE Seth DeValve and Dede Westbrook.

The Jacksonville Jaguars only had two players to sit out of practice Thursday for their upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans in tight end Seth DeValve (oblique) and receiver Dede Westbrook (illness), who was a new addition to the injury report. Aside from those two every player on the injury report participated to some capacity.

Receivers D.J. Chark Jr. (hamstring) and Chris Conley (hamstring) and nickelback D.J. Hayden (hip/wrist) were the three players from Wednesday’s injury report who were upgraded from limited to full participation. Safety Ronnie Harrison (eye) and offensive tackle Cam Robinson (knee) also were full participants.

Veterans Calais Campbell (back) and Brandon Linder (shoulder) were the only two limited participants on Thursday’s report. Both were on last week’s injury reports for the same injuries but were able to play in Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Doug Marrrone says he’s enjoyed watching DJ Chark evolve from rookie season

There hasn’t been much to smile about on offense for the Jags but Doug Marrone likes what he’s seen out of WR DJ Chark.

[jwplayer CyWAa1YN-ThvAeFxT]

The Jacksonville Jaguars offense hasn’t been good since coming off the bye and it’s resulted in two consecutive divisional losses for the team. Running back Leonard Fournette has been underutilized and veteran quarterback Nick Foles didn’t provide the spark fans were hoping for in his debut last Sunday. However, one player has continued his growth in receiver DJ Chark Jr., who is playing at a Pro Bowl level and is tied for the most touchdowns (eight) of any receiver in football with Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr.

In Sunday’s blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Chark was the only bright offensive spot in the eyes of most, registering his third 100-yard day and hauling in two touchdown passes. As a result, he was one of the topics of discussion for coach Doug Marrone Wednesday, who raved about what he’s brought to the table.

“He just keeps getting better,” Marrone said Wednesday “I mean he’s wherever he is in receptions and yardage and he has eight touchdowns for us this year, so he’s playing really well. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, he can get to contested balls, he can catch the ball over the middle, he can run and then score, so he’s doing a lot of things well.”

Marrone also went into details about how the second-year receiver has evolved from his rookie season, which was a rough one full of drops, mistakes, penalties and ended with injury for Chark.

“It’s been great,” Marrone added. “For as much hard work as he’s put in, he’s kind of quiet and just works his butt off. It’s always good to see someone with the talent he has really starting to come along and he’ll get better and continue to get better.”

It’s beginning to look like the Jags have fallen far enough behind to say they won’t make the playoffs, however, Chark is one of the bright spots fans can watch along the way. The Jags came into the season needing an answer at receiver due to Allen Robinson leaving in 2018 and they’ve seemingly found a new No. 1.

Chark will roll into Week 12 with 796 yards to his name, which means he needs slightly over 200 yards to be the first receiver since the Allen Bros. to hit 1,000 yards. With six games he should do that with ease, which could lead to him garnering the votes needed to make the Pro Bowl depending on how he does it.