Category: James Robinson

Watch: Rookies James Robinson, Laviska Shenault help Jags get going vs. Chargers

The Jacksonville Jaguars once again got off to a slow start against the Los Angeles Chargers, but came to life in the second quarter. Under the will power of rookies James Robinson and Laviska Shenault Jr. (and some others), the team crawled back …

The Jacksonville Jaguars once again got off to a slow start against the Los Angeles Chargers, but came to life in the second quarter. Under the will power of rookies James Robinson and Laviska Shenault Jr. (and some others), the team crawled back into the game before half-time, closing the deficit from 0-16 to 16-14.

The Jags first received a jolt from Shenault at the 8:50 minute mark of the second quarter when the young receiver had a 36-yard gain. He was able to break a tackle from a Chargers defender, keep his footing for extra yardage, and stiff arm another receiver to the ground before being brought down. The play put the Jags at the Chargers’ 12-yard line for Robinson to capitalize on.

Not too soon after, the rookie running back did just that with a 4-yard rushing touchdown. He was also able to rush in the 2-point conversion that followed, putting the score at 16-8.

Robinson’s work wasn’t done there, however, as he was able to put the Jags on the board before half-time with six more points. They weren’t able to convert the 2-point conversion attempt afterward, but that gave the team plenty of momentum heading into the half.

5 Jaguars to watch vs. the Texans

Laviska Shenault will come into Week 5’s game against the Texans with a lot of momentum, as a result, he’ll be a key player to watch Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking for their second win of the season against the Houston Texans on Sunday, and despite them being winless, it’s expected to be a dog fight. Simply put, that’s the way divisional games simply are and the Texans’ talent level seems to be a little more even with the Jags’ than in years past.

For the Jags’ staff, this game feels like a crucial must-win situation. If they can somehow stop the bleeding from a three-game losing streak, they would be a game away from .500 with another winnable game coming up Week 6 against the Detroit Lions.

As always, the Jags will at least need a handful of players to step up and lead the team against Houston.Ā Here are five who we think will be worth watching if the team is to acquire it’s second victory of the season:

RB James Robinson

With the Texans’ rush defense being last in the NFL and allowing an average of over 180 yards a game, James Robinson should be in for a great day. The undrafted rookie sensation stunned the league during the first quarter of the season, exiting the process with 60 carries for 285 rushing yards and three touchdowns as a rusher. He also flashed as a receiver, registering 14 receptions forĀ 161 yards.

Not only could Robinson be a key to putting points on the boards for the Jags, but he also should be the biggest all-around key for the team. With his skills on the ground, the team could dominate the time of possession and keep their wounded and struggling defense off the field.

Center Brandon Linder

The leader of the Jags offensive line will be returning to the lineup after missing Weeks 3-4 with a knee injury he sustained in the second quarter of the Jags’ game against the Tennessee Titans. That’s no only huge for the aforementioned Robinson, but the offense in general.

Linder has faced this Texans front more than any lineman on the team as a draft pick from the 2014 class. They only catch about facing them this time is that he doesn’t have to face the tough D.J. Reader, who joined the Cincinnati Bengals in free-agency. As Houston’s rush defense reflects, that’s a huge loss, which means Linder could have a dominant day upon his return.

WR Laviska Shenault Jr.

Again, the key to beating the Texans is through running the ball. However, that’s not to say the Jags won’t need contributions through the air. Luckily, for Laviska Shenault Jr. he does both and I believe he’ll be a key contributor as a result.

Shenault has not only been one of the Jags’ key contributors, but he’s been one of the best rookies in the game. He’ll come into Week 5 after a career high of five receptions for 86 yards. It wouldn’t be wrong to expect a similar day or better in addition with some effective carries as the Texans are also allowing a 71% completion rate.

DE K’Lavon Chaisson

The Jags first-round pick from April is set to get his first start with Josh Allen being ruled out. He’s going to need to have a good day, too, if the Jags are to win as Deshaun Watson can hurt the Jags with his legs or his arm.

It’s been a struggle for K’Lavon Chaisson this season and the rookie will enter Week 5’s game with a Pro Football Focus grade of 52.9, seven total tackles, and a sack. However, in the Jags’ divisional games, he’s made impact plays and that could be the case against Houston.

Against Indy (Week 1) he had a pick, but it was taken back due to a holding penalty. The next week, against the Tennessee Titans, he acquired his first sack, so there clearly is big play ability in Chaisson’s arsenal.

Safety Jarrod Wilson

Even aside from Allen, the Jags had a lot of names from their defense on this week’s injury report. They could be without two more starters in linebacker Myles Jack (ankle) and cornerback CJ Henderson (shoulder), too, Ā as both were ruled questionable on Friday. Simply put, without either or both players, the Jags’ defense is going to have an uphill battle on their hands if the team wants a victory.

However, one positive is that the team will gain a starter back in Jarrod Wilson, who was placed on IR after Week 1’s victory over Indy with a hamstring injury. While he’s a player who fans don’t refer to as an “impact player” he was clearly missed with Andrew Wingard replacing him in the lineup. As many found out, Wingard is more of a special teams player and teams picked on him on occasions.

That said, maybe Wilson could give them better coverage and positioning on the opponents as he’s much more experienced than Wingard.

James Robinson nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week

With a Rookie of the Month award in his possession, James Robinson has a chance to add some more hardware to his collection. After another solid performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, Robinson has been nominated for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the …

With a Rookie of the Month award in his possession, James Robinson has a chance to add some more hardware to his collection. After another solid performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, Robinson has been nominated for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award for Week 4.

Robinson was able to accumulate 75 rushing yards over 17 carries and was also able to add 32 yards as a receiver. That ultimately put him at 107 total yards on the day and 466 total yards this season.

Robinson has been putting up historic figures in terms of undrafted players and set the record in the category for most scrimmage yards accumulated in NFL history over the course of four games on Sunday. Heading forward, that means he can pile on to the record as the Jags have 12 games remaining.

While the defense could possibly play the Jags into a losing season, the organization appears to be good as far as having a No. 1 running back goes. Add in the promising performances that DJ Chark Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. have put together this season, and it appears the Jags have a solid nucleus of skill position players for the future.

Up next for Robinson will be a game against the Jags’ divisional rivals in the Houston Texans, who will enter the game ranked 32nd against the run, allowing an average of 181.8 yards per game . That could lead to another impressive day for Robinson, though a win will likely hinge on how the Jags’ defense performs.

 

Postgame analysis: Previously winless Bengals hand Jags their third straight loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars headed into halftime up 13-10 on the Cincinnati Bengals, but after that, the wheels simply fell off for coach Doug Marrone and company. That especially was the case for the defense who couldn’t get a stop and was ravaged …

The Jacksonville Jaguars headed into halftime up 13-10 on the Cincinnati Bengals, but after that, the wheels simply fell off for coach Doug Marrone and company. That especially was the case for the defense who couldn’t get a stop and was ravaged with injuries.

Led by first overall pick Joe Burrow and star running back Joe Mixon, the Bengals offense got rolling with a full head of steam. Mixon in particular had himself a day, finishing the day with 25 carries for 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also had a great day as a pass-catcher, garnering six catches for 30 yards and a touchdown.

As for Burrow, he had a first overall pick type of performance, going 25-of-36 for 300 yards, one touchdown, and a pick. The previously struggling Bengals offensive line kept him upright, and as a result, he picked the Jags’ defense apart.

Speaking of the Jags’ defense, many will look at this game and say Todd Wash’s lack of ability to manufacture a pass rush was inexcusable. Just to give fans an indicator of how bad his situation was, Burrow was sackedĀ eight times and was hit 18 Week 3, but came into Week 4 and was kept relatively clean. That ultimately propelled the Bengals’ offense to a day where they would post 505 total yards ā€”Ā a season-high for the Jags in terms of yards allowed.

To make matters worse, it felt like key members of the defense were dropping like flies with unfortunate injuries. Myles Jack (ankle), D.J. Hayden (hamstring), and CJ Henderson (shoulder) all left the game and weren’t able to return. As a result, the Jags had to insert backup linebacker Dakota Allen, and cornerback Sidney Jones while Tre Herndon kicked in to nickel. Of course, this will be something to monitor throughout the week, especially with the unit struggling.

As for the standouts of the game, running back James Robinson once again, garnering 107 total yards on the day. D.J. Chark led the way in receiving with eight catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns while Laviska Shenault Jr. wasn’t far behind with five catches for 86 yards.

Regardless of the positives, though, this loss is one that hurts the Jags tremendously as they’ve dropped two consecutive games to two bottom tier rosters. Now at 1-3, they will enter the second quarter of the season with a battle against the winless Houston Texans who definitely shouldn’t rule out the potential of Week 5 giving them their first win.

NFL legend London Fletcher praises RB James Robinson after impressive career start

NFL legend London Fletcher had high praise for Jags RB James Robinson, who is impressing by the week.

Rookie running back James Robinson has been a pleasant surprise for the Jacksonville Jaguars and could be up for a big day Sunday with the Cincinnati Bengals in his sight. They will come into Week 4 ranked next to last in rush defense, allowing an average of 181.7 yards per game.

For that reason, NFL legend London Fletcher told the CBS Sports Network panel he’s excited to watch the young tailback and praised him by saying Robinson has amazing potential.

As mentioned in the video, many were puzzled by the Jags’ decision to move on from Leonard Fournette, but seeing Robinson in camp obviously gave them a huge deal of confidence. He proved them right out of the gate as he’s been the team’s most consistent player since Week 1.

Robinson has gotten off to such a good start he became the first undrafted player in NFL history to garner at least 300 scrimmage yards and multiple touchdowns through three career games. That was an achievement that helped him earned Rookie of the Month honors for September, but it feels as though he’s far from done.

Robinson will come into Sunday’s game with 43 carries for 210 rushing yards and three touchdowns. If he can accumulate 72 more yards from scrimmage, he’ll have the highest total by a Jaguar through their first four career games according to the Jags public relations department.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wireā€™s own JamesĀ Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast ā€œBleav in the Jags.ā€ Subscribe via Apple PodcastsĀ and check out our archived episodesĀ via Bleav Podcasts.

James Robinson named NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month for September

After a historic month, Jags rookie RB has earned the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month award for September.

While the Jacksonville Jaguars don’t quite have the record that fans were hoping for at this point in the season, there has been one player to consistently show up every game and that’s rookie running back James Robinson. In the Jags’ first three games, the undrafted phenom has managed to garner 330 total yards (210 rushing) and three touchdowns and the NFL has taken notice, naming him theirĀ Offensive Rookie of the Month for September.

Robinson, 22, has put up historic figures since becoming the Jags’ RB1, becomingĀ the only undrafted player in NFL history to accumulate at least 300 scrimmage yards and multiple touchdowns through three career games. At the rate he’s playing, he’ll only continue to make history as the season goes on as he’s been one of the most interesting players of the 2020 NFL Draft class to watch.

With Robinson acquiring the award, it marks the second consecutive time that the Jags have had a player become Rookie of the Month to open the season. Last September, quarterback Gardner Minshew II was able to win the award, too, after having to replace veteran Nick Foles Week 1.

Robinson is the eighth Jaguar to become Rookie of the Month in team history. He also joined Fred Taylor as the only two running backs in team history to win the award and there could be many more to come if Robinson remains consistent.

Postgame analysis: Jags fall to Titans in a 33-30 nail-biter

The Jacksonville Jaguars came close to being the No. 1 team in the AFC South, but ultimately a few crucial mistakes prevented that.

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell behind early to the Tennessee Titans by a score of 14-0 Sunday, and though they ultimately lost, the team showed resilience and grit that surprised many national pundits. Still, the game unfortunately put one in the loss column for Jacksonville, who will look to bounce back Thursday in a primetime meeting with the Miami Dolphins.

With the defense unable to stop Ryan Tannehill’s momentum, the Jaguars’ offense in particular were the most impressive part of Sunday’s showing though they committed some big mistakes. However, that could be said about each unit which all wish they could have a play or two back.

The player to probably start with would be Gardner Minshew II, who had a staggering day through the air, going 30-of-45 for 339 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two picks. While the interceptions were costly, Minshew undoubtedly kept them in the game, continually answering adversity.

Minshew in particular gave the Jags a chance when in crunch time, leading the Jags for two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter where the Jags knotted the score up at 30-30 with over seven minutes remaining in the game. Ultimately, with the Jags’ defense showing limited resistance the Titans were able to get a clutch field goal with over a minute and 30 seconds left in the game. During the following drive, Minshew had a pass batted at the line of scrimmage and was picked off, preventing a game-winning drive.

The other player who had a massive showing on offense was undrafted rookie running back James Robinson. After an impressive Week 1 showing, he showcased to the nation that his performance against the Indianapolis Colts was no fluke, registering 16 carries for 102 rushing yards, a yard per carry average of 6.4, and a touchdown.

Again, while fans probably would rather have the victory, Robinson’s day was just as encouraging as Minshew’s for the simple fact that the Jags waived former fourth overall pick Leonard Fournette. At the time, the move seemed to be a puzzling one that fans thought would hurt the Jags, but the rushing attack has thrived under the rookie, who now has 32 carries for 164 yards.

As for the bad, again, the defense allowed 354 yards after allowing 445 last week. That puts the group at 799 total yards allowed in two games. Simply put, that’s not good and must be corrected even with Minshew and company putting up solid figures.

The Jags appear to specifically be struggling to generate a pass rush, and it’s not exactly shocking when considering how young they are on the defensive line with players like Josh Allen, K’Lavon Chaisson, and DaVon Hamilton. While the team held Derrick Henry to just 25 carries for 84 yards, Tannehill was unstoppable going 18-of-24 for 239 yards, and four touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns were to tight end Jonnu Smith, who had four catches for 84 yards and was a handful for the Jags’ secondary.

After losing Calais Campbell, Marcell Dareus, Yannick Ngakoue, Al Woods, and Rodney Gunter, most expected there to be growing pains defensively. Hopefully, those can be addressed with experience as the Jags have a struggling Miami Dolphins team up next.

The Jags also had a costly onside kick attempt that failed and led to three points for the Titans. That was also the total that decided the game, but it’s a mistake that special teams coordinatorĀ Joe DeCamillis and company will learn from heading forward.

As previously mentioned, the Jags’ next game will be a “Thursday Night Football” battle against the Dolphins. On paper the Jags a simply more talented and have shown it in the first two weeks, however, they shouldn’t overlook the winless Dolphins as they are similar to the Jags in a lot of ways.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wireā€™s own JamesĀ Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast ā€œBleav in the Jags.ā€ Subscribe via Apple PodcastsĀ and check out our archived episodesĀ via Bleav Podcasts.

 

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 offĀ 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,Ā 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.

Watch: Every James Robinson touch from Jags’ season opener vs. Colts

Coming into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, there was a mix of anxiety and excitement to witness a new era for the Jacksonville Jaguars who are enduring a youth movement. One the the newest additions many were eager to see in …

Coming into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, there was a mix of anxiety and excitement to witness a new era for the Jacksonville Jaguars who are enduring a youth movement. One the the newest additions many were eager to see in particular was new starting running back James Robinson, who put together a solid day on the ground for the Jags’ offense.

Ultimately, the undrafted rookie out of Illinois State finished his debut with 16 carries for 62 yards. His day was filled with powerful runs which made the Colts respect the Jags’ run game and opened up a variety of things for Gardner Minshew II. The rookie was also able to haul in a catch, which may have been the highlight of the day as he leaped over a Colts defender for a 28-yard gain.

For those who missed the action Sunday, here’s a highlight video that consists of every touch Robinson had Week 1.