Jaguars – Syndication Server

Etienne, Bigsby ‘real healthy’ as Jaguars look to spark run game

One of Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson’s takeaways from assessing the 2-9 Jaguars during their bye week was that the team needs to get its rushing attack going again.

The Jaguars averaged the second-most yards per rushing attempt, 5.7, in the NFL through Week 4. Their 126.3 rushing yards per game stood at a respectable No. 13.

But starting running back Travis Etienne Jr. suffered a shoulder injury in Week 4, and eventually dealt with a hamstring injury that limited his usage through Week 9.

Etienne’s rushing counterpart, Tank Bigsby, appeared on Jacksonville’s injury report with a hurt ankle in Week 9. He aggravated the injury in Week 10 and did not play in Week 11.

Both Etienne and Bigsby are beyond their injuries following Jacksonville’s bye week, Pederson said Friday, offering the head coach encouragement as he attempts to reignite the Jaguars’ ground game.

“Both guys are real healthy, which is great,” Pederson said Friday.

“There was some — the inconsistency of one guy up and one guy banged up and then kind of flipped and just getting that continuity in that room. But it’s good to have both guys where they are right now. It does give us a lift health-wise in that room and obviously can give us a boost in the run game.”

As a result of Etienne and Bigsby’s limitations, at least in part, the Jaguars now rank No. 11 and No. 25 in the above categories, respectively. They have averaged 4.5 yards per run and 101.6 rushing yards per game through 11 games.

However, Pederson believes it will take more than a healthy running back room to spark Jacksonville’s rushing offense. He pointed to the Jaguars’ need for better blocking at every position and for their quarterback, likely Trevor Lawrence this week, to audible the unit into potentially advantageous run plays.

“That’s something that we have to do better as an offense. We have to run the ball better,” Pederson said Wednesday.

“It’s not just the running backs, it’s all 11 [players], right? It’s the quarterback putting us in the right run if we have run checks. It’s obviously the offensive line, the tight ends, and we know the running backs. So that’s an area that we’ve got to improve, but having two healthy running backs right now definitely helps that.”

Jacksonville will face an average Houston rushing defense on Sunday. The Texans allow 110.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks No. 11 in the NFL, and 4.4 yards per carry, ranking No. 20.

Jaguars elevate practice squad WR for Week 13

The Jacksonville Jaguars promoted wide receiver Elijah Cooks from their practice squad via standard elevation for their Week 13 matchup with the Houston Texans, the club announced on Saturday.

Cooks will be active for the second time this season. He logged three offensive snaps in Jacksonville’s Week 9, 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

A second-year pro, Cooks signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State following the 2023 NFL draft and made Jacksonville’s 53-player roster for his rookie season. He caught three passes for 38 yards in nine appearances.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson named Cooks among the potential replacements for starting wide receiver Gabe Davis, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Detroit Lions in Week 11, in Jacksonville’s offense moving forward.

Parker Washington, Devin Duvernay and Tim Jones, members of Jacksonville’s active roster, could also see their utilization increase with Davis sidelined.

“Yeah, Parker takes a big step forward, obviously. It’s a big role for him. Devin Duvernay increased his role, but we’ve got Elijah Cooks, Joshua Cephus, Austin Trammell’s been elevated [from the practice squad] a couple of times,” Pederson said Friday. “Any of those guys can step up. Tim Jones can obviously increase his role a little bit more offensively.”

Jacksonville vs. Houston is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, at EverBank Stadium.

Jaguars vs. Texans: Final injury reports, game statuses

The Jaguars are the healthiest they have been since nearly the beginning of the season, at least from a practice participation perspective, following their Week 12 bye and entering their Week 13, AFC South showdown with the Houston Texans in Jacksonville.

Find Jacksonville and Houston’s final injury reports and initial game statuses for Week 13 below.

* indicates status upgrade from the previous practice

Jaguars injury report

RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — full
OL Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder) — full
QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) — limited
CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) — limited
LB Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) — did not participate

Jaguars game statuses

QB Trevor Lawrence: QUESTIONABLE
LB Yasir Abdullah: OUT

Analysis: While he is considered questionable to play against Houston, Jacksonville starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence is expected to play in Week 13, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson revealed on Friday.

The Jaguars will be without backup linebacker Yasir Abdullah for a second consecutive game. He was a late addition to Jacksonville’s injury report in Week 11 after hurting his hamstring.

Texans injury report

Who could step up in place of Jaguars WR Gabe Davis?

The Jaguars are now without two starting wide receivers for the rest of the 2024 season.

After losing slot receiver Christian Kirk to a collarbone injury in Week 8, Jacksonville placed outside pass-catcher Gabe Davis on its injured reserve during its Week 12 bye with a reported meniscus tear.

Davis, who signed a three-year, $39 million free-agent contract with Jacksonville in March, finished the campaign with 20 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson on Friday identified potential candidates to replace Davis in Jacksonville’s offense moving forward, including Parker Washington, Devin Duvernay and Tim Jones among active roster members and Elijah Cooks, Joshua Cephus and Austin Trammell from the team’s practice squad.

Washington, in particular, could see his usage increase further. He has averaged nearly 35 offensive snaps per game since Week 8, largely due to Kirk’s absence, after logging almost 15 per game over the first seven matchups of the season.

“Yeah, Parker takes a big step forward, obviously. It’s a big role for him,” Pederson said.

“Devin Duvernay increased his role, but we’ve got Elijah Cooks, Joshua Cephus, Austin Trammell’s been elevated [from the practice squad] a couple of times. Any of those guys can step up. Tim Jones can obviously increase his role a little bit more offensively. But really Parker’s the guy that kind of steps into that role.”

Washington has 10 receptions for 118 yards this season, his second with the Jaguars since Jacksonville selected him at No. 185 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He caught 16 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.

Washington has also returned six points for 24 yards on average this year, including a 96-yard touchdown against the New England Patriots in Week 7.

Pederson expressed confidence in Washington’s development with the Jaguars this season and his ability to step into the starting lineup based on his previous experience doing so.

“I’ve seen a lot. His growth, maturity, understanding what we are asking of him, what he can do within the system. He and [Jaguars quarterback] Trevor [Lawrence] being on the same page. Just the growth. The growth that he’s made.” Pederson explained.

“This’ll be a great opportunity, much like the end of last season where he stepped up big in Christian’s absence, he’s got to do it again. That’s part of being a backup. He doesn’t — and I can understand this — think of himself as a backup, which is great. I can understand that, but now he gets an opportunity to be the guy. So, a lot of confidence in him and a lot of trust in him.”

Duvernay, Jones and Trammell have combined for five receptions and 69 yards this season. Cooks caught three passes for 38 yards as a rookie in 2023 but has yet to log a statistic this season. Cephus, an undrafted rookie, has yet to appear in a game with Jacksonville.

Jaguars vs. Texans: Doug Pederson expects QB Trevor Lawrence to play

Jacksonville starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence is expected to return from a non-throwing shoulder injury and play in Week 13 against the Houston Texans, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson revealed on Friday.

Lawrence missed Jacksonville’s last two games after suffering an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder against Philadelphia in Week 9. He returned to practice in a limited fashion this week after not participating in Week 11 and following the Jaguars’ Week 12 bye.

“Yeah, I mean he’s had a good week. He’s obviously done some really good things this week,” Pederson said Friday. “I would say as of right now, yes, he will play. You know, we’ll get through today, Friday, Saturday, but he’s had a good week.”

Pederson suggested he would not drastically alter Jacksonville’s offensive gameplan should Lawrence play against Houston. However, he will be mindful of putting his quarterback in situations where he could take on contact.

“I mean, you don’t want your quarterback to get hit anyway. But yeah, I mean, you’ve just got to be conscious of moving around or too many designed runs or anything like that,” explained Pederson.

“But if he’s cleared to pay, we go play. Can’t worry about getting hit or taking a shot or anything like that.”

Lawrence has completed 168-of-274 (61.3%) passes for 2,004 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts with the Jaguars this season.

Jacksonville vs. Houston is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, at EverBank Stadium.

Jaguars vs. Texans: Thursday injury reports

Find Jacksonville and Houston’s Thursday, Thanksgiving injury reports ahead of the Jaguars and Texans’ Week 13 matchup below.

Jaguars injury report

RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — full
OL Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder) — full
QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) — limited
CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) — limited
LB Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) — did not participate

Analysis: The Jaguars made no changes to their injury report between Wednesday and Thursday.

Texans injury report

Note: Players who received a rest day on Wednesday and returned to practice Thursday were removed from the Texans’ injury report.

OT Blake Fisher (concussion) — full*
S Jimmie Ward (knee) — full*
WR Xavier Hutchinson (shoulder) — limited
LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) — limited
DE Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) — limited*
DE Denico Autry (knee) — limited*
DT Folorunso Fatukasi (foot) — did not participate
S Jalen Pitre (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: Houston upgraded four players Thursday, with defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Denico Autry practicing on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday. Offensive tackle Blake Fisher and safety Jimmie Ward practiced fully.

The Texans placed tight end Teagan Quitoriano on their injured reserve on Thursday. He appeared on Houston’s Wednesday injury report with a hurt knee.

Jaguars vs. Texans: Initial injury reports

Find the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans’ initial Week 13 injury reports below.

Jaguars injury report

RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — full
OL Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder) — full
QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) — limited
CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) — limited
LB Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) — did not participate

Analysis: The Jaguars’ five-player initial Week 13 injury report marks their shortest list of hurt players since Week 3. Only one, backup linebacker Yasir Abdullah, was unable to practice on Wednesday.

Jacksonville starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence returned to practice in a limited fashion this week after missing the Jaguars’ last two games with an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder.

Jaguars starting cornerback Tyson Campbell appeared on the report after hurting his shoulder against the Detroit Lions in Week 11.

Texans injury report

WR Nico Collins (not injury related/rest) — limited
WR Xavier Hutchinson (shoulder) — limited
TE Teagan Quitoriano (knee) — limited
OT Blake Fisher (concussion) — limited
OT Laremy Tunsil (not injury related/rest) — limited
OG Shaq Mason (not injury related/rest) — limited
LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) — limited
S Jimmie Ward (knee) — limited
DE Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) — did not participate
DE Denico Autry (knee) — did not participate
DT Folorunso Fatukasi (foot) — did not participate
S Jalen Pitre (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: Of Houston’s lengthy list of injured players, only offensive tackle Blake Fisher and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi missed the Texans’ Week 12 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. Starting safety Jalen Pitre was added to the report after suffering a partial pectoral tear on Sunday.

ESPN: Jaguars could ‘dictate’ how 2025 NFL draft plays out

The Jaguars have possessed the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft for a couple of weeks now.

Six games stand between Jacksonville and finishing the season atop the order, and it faces competition for the pick. But with the Jaguars sitting at 2-9 on the year, fans have already begun to look forward to the offseason, arguably rightfully so.

But if Jacksonville holds onto the slot through the end of the campaign, would they keep it?

ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates is not convinced so.

In an early assessment of the upcoming draft with fellow ESPN reporters, Yates explained that he views the Jaguars as the team that could “dictate” how the selection ceremony plays out.

Yates believes the Jaguars would consider trading out of the top of the order, given they will not be looking for a quarterback.

The Jaguars are barreling toward a top-five pick and entered Week 12 in position to pick No. 1 for the third time since 2021. With Trevor Lawrence a year away from the beginning of his five-year extension, Jacksonville will not be in the quarterback market, making it an obvious trade-down candidate, contingent on price and the desire of other teams to trade up. The Jaguars will be a fascinating team to watch.

Much could change for the Jaguars between now and April’s NFL draft. But one thing is for certain: Lawrence will remain Jacksonville’s quarterback after signing a $275 million deal with the club this past offseason.

Therefore, Jacksonville should expect calls from passer-needy teams for the No. 1 pick in the coming months, if the Jaguars keep their grip on it through Week 18.

Jaguars vs. Texans: Week 13 TV broadcast map

The Jaguars will be back on your television on Sunday. At least, if you plan to watch Jacksonville vs. Houston and live in the pockets of the United States that are set to air the matchup.

Find the FOX single-game broadcast map for Week 13 below, via 506sports.com, with Jacksonville vs. Houston available in orange areas.

Kevin Kugler will call Jacksonville vs. Houston’s play-by-play with Daryl Johnston offering commentary and Laura Okmin reporting from the sideline.

Kickoff between the Jaguars and Texans is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Jacksonville had Week 12 off, a much-needed opportunity to recharge after opening the 2024 campaign 2-9 and specifically following the worst loss in franchise history in Week 11, a 52-6 defeat against the Detroit Lions.

The Jaguars hope their bye week reset will benefit them as they enter the final six games of their schedule, beginning with their second contest against the Texans of the year. Houston, 7-5 and atop the AFC South, beat Jacksonville 24-20 in Week 4.

Doug Pederson encouraged by Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence’s recovery

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson is encouraged by the progress Jacksonville starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence has made in recovery from a left, non-throwing shoulder injury suffered in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lawrence — who missed Jacksonville’s last two games after getting hurt against Philadelphia, even though he finished that contest — returned to practice with the Jaguars on Monday and is slated to continue working on Wednesday.

Pederson did not solidify Lawrence’s status for Jacksonville’s Week 13 home matchup with the Houston Texans one way or another. But the quarterback appears to be trending toward a return to play this Sunday.

“It’s encouraging,” Pederson said Wednesday. “You know, we’ll get through today, obviously. I’m not going to commit, but it was a good start to the week and so we’ll see how he handles much more of a workload today.”

Lawrence reportedly suffered a “significant” AC joint sprain in his left shoulder against the Eagles.

Lawrence has completed 168-of-274 (61.3%) passes for 2,004 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts with the Jaguars this season.

Pederson hinted Lawrence should receive the majority of first-team quarterback reps during Jacksonville’s Wednesday practice. However, Pederson intends to continue deploying backup quarterback Mac Jones with the group to prepare for a potential third-consecutive start.

Jones completed 31-of-51 passes for 249 yards with three interceptions and a fumble in place of Lawrence against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10 and the Detroit Lions in Week 11.

“It probably wouldn’t be 50-50. But still, Mac will get opportunities to take first-team reps, just to keep him fresh and keep him engaged,” Pederson said. “But [I] would love to see Trevor get the bulk of the work when the ones are out there today.”

Jacksonville vs. Houston is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, at EverBank Stadium.

Jaguars injury report

Jaguars game statuses

Texans injury report

Texans game statuses

Jaguars injury report

Texans injury report

Jaguars injury report

Texans injury report