Category: Nick Foles

Instant analysis: Jags allow Chargers to put up a season-high in points and fall hard Sunday

The Jags endured another bad loss in front of their home crowd thanks to the Chargers and most feel the season can’t end soon enough.

Coming into Week 14, the Jacksonville Jaguars had lost three of their last four games by over 20 points, and that continued this Sunday. In fact, they suffered their biggest loss of the season and fell to the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 45-10.

To put it lightly, Sunday’s loss simply added more sting to what has already been a rough season and most fans left TIAA Bank Field thankful that just one home game remains. While the Jags have traditionally struggles against the Chargers with a 3-7 record against them (which is now a 3-8 record), nobody expected this type of beatdown.

The Jags were outmatched in every way Sunday, but the defense once again failed miserably when on the field as they were without two key starters in linebacker Myles Jack and safety Ronnie Harrison. Overall, the unit gave up a gut-wrenching total of 525 yards. Over 220 of those yards came from one player as nobody seemingly wanted to tackle tailback Austin Ekler, who gashed the Jags for over 100 yards on the ground and over 110 yards through the air.

Quarterback Philip Rivers also continued to be a problem for the Jags’ franchise, too. On his 38th birthday, he had his way with the defense, going 16-of-22 for 314 yards and three touchdowns. His success led to him being pulled out in the fourth quarter and backup Tyrod Taylor was entered into the game to have some success of his own.

On offense, Gardner Minshew II and company weren’t able to get much going either. If there were any positives, it was the fact that Minshew set the rookie franchise record with 15 touchdown passes. He ultimately finished the game 24-of-37 for 162 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Leonard Fournette also achieved a noteworthy feat by going over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second time in his career. Unfortunately, with the team being down by a massive deficit, they got away from the run, which only allowed him to garner 50 yards on the day on 15 carries.

With not much to look forward to aside from the season’s end and the potential of sweeping changes, Jags fans will at least get a break from watching the Jags struggle in their own stadium next week. Their next game will take place on the West Coast against the Oakland Raiders, who are currently 6-7. Kickoff for that game is set for Dec. 15 at 4:05 p.m. EST.

Can the Jags find a way to trade Nick Foles in 2020 if they had to?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have their minds made up to see if rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II can bring some life to their offense, and they seem to be willing to roll with him to close the season. However, the fact that the Jags had to bench …

The Jacksonville Jaguars have their minds made up to see if rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II can bring some life to their offense, and they seem to be willing to roll with him to close the season. However, the fact that the Jags had to bench veteran Nick Foles has caused fans to wonder about his future as a Jag and the best method to get his contract off their hands sooner or later.

At this point, it’s clear what Shad Khan needs to do with his current staff in the front office and the coaching department: let them all go. It also would be wise to rebuild on top of that because the salaries they are paying out don’t match the results they are getting. Foles, unfortunately, fits into that category of not living up to his salary.

If Khan knows he can no longer take half measures and simply needs to reset everything, it appears Foles’ fate could be in the hands of another regime. Most front offices start by distancing themselves from the mistakes of their predecessors, and in Foles’ case, some are thinking that could lead to a trade in 2020. 

If Khan takes the right route and resets his front office, trading Foles (if they can) would help tremendously towards the salary cap. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract (or at least it hasn’t been reported) like some veteran quarterbacks who have big-time deals around the league, so that means he is moveable.

Of course, the issue with trading Foles is that his play has been lackluster in the time we’ve seen him, and his contract isn’t one that will appeal to a majority of the league. Simply put, if the Jags can find a suitor, it would be one with a lot of salary cap and one in need of a veteran quarterback. It’s inevitable that comparisons are drawn with Brock Osweiler, who the Houston Texans signed to a huge deal in March of 2016, but found a way to dump his salary ($16 million) on the Cleveland Browns in 2017 by trading them the veteran and draft picks (a second and sixth-rounder). 

Suitors that come to mind are the Miami Dolphins, who should be loaded with cap space next season, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals and perhaps the Indianapolis Colts as pointed out by our comrades at For the Win, although it would take a great deal of desperation from the next front office. 

Now, we’d like to hear from you all at home through our first-ever Jags Wire forum post. Do you all think trading Foles is even a possibility? If so, who do you think would take him? Or do you believe the Jags will flat out release or keep him under new management? Let us know in the forum.

Doug Marrone says he still believes in Nick Foles despite benching

Just because Doug Marrone benched Nick Foles doesn’t mean he’s lost confidence in the veteran.

Minshew Mania will be returning to Jacksonville soon as Jaguars coach Doug Marrone announced that the team will be starting rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II against the Los Angeles Chargers. The decision came after veteran Nick Foles struggled to get going since returning from the collarbone injury he sustained Week 1.

Marrone told the media the decision wasn’t an easy one in Monday’s media conference call, but in the end it came down to the mobility and elusiveness Minshew brings. He also added that he still believes in Foles and that his struggles solely weren’t his fault because the Jags weren’t playing well around him either.

“I still believe in him as the quarterback. I just think that a lot of times it’s never really just the one position, or one person. That’s the one position [where] it’s a team game, you need people around him to do a good job, and right now, we’re all not doing a good enough job. So, we’re just trying to put the best guys out there that give us the best chance to win. And it’s tough. It’s tough when you’re not doing a good job, starting with myself, to the coaches and at times obviously the players.”

Marrone’s statements on Foles sound identical to those he made when Minshew was sent back to the bench as he was on record for saying he believed in the rookie, who showed a lot of ability earlier in the season. After putting in the effort to cater the playbook to Foles this offseason alongside coordinator John DeFilippo, Marrone has built a strong bond with Foles. However, the Jags’ offensive line is an issue and the lack of mobility by Foles puts the unit at a disadvantage in most cases.

Heading forward, Minshew has a grand opportunity to put together a strong case to be the starter in 2020, too, regardless as to who is the coach. However, if he doesn’t, the Jags will have to heavily consider drafting or signing a starter in the offseason.

Gardner Minshew named Jags’ starter after Nick Foles’ struggles

The Jaguars are going back to Gardner Minshew.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars will be going back to the Mississippi Mustache.

On a conference call with the media Monday, Doug Marrone announced that the team will be officially rolling with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II after he replaced Nick Foles midway through Week 13’s loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs. He added that the rookie gives the team more elusiveness in the pocket, which has been a huge issue with Foles.

Foles, who injured his collarbone in Week 1, returned to the Jags’ lineup as the starter in Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts, but could never find a groove. His struggles really flared up Sunday against the Bucs, as he gave up three turnovers (a pick and two fumbles). He ultimately finished the game 7-of-14 for 93 yards and a pick.

With the team down 25-0 in the first half and in desperate need of a spark, coach Doug Marrone went back to Minshew, who was 4-4 during his time as a starter.

Minshew electrified the league and his team during the first two quarters of the season, winning six Pepsi Rookie of the Week awards while playing. He was also the Rookie of the Month for September and finished his initial run with the Jags 188-of-307 (61.2%) for 2,285 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four picks before Foles took the starting job back.

Winners and Losers from Bucs vs. Jaguars

There weren’t many positives to take from the Jags’ loss to the Bucs, but they did have some reserves step up in a big way Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars once again came away from game day with another one in the losers column after falling to the Tampa Bay Bucs in Week 13. The Bucs got off to a fast start and the Jaguars never seemed to get going. The Jags were shut out in the first half and it prompted Doug Marrone to make the switch from Nick Foles to Gardner Minshew II.

In another losing effort that ended with a final score of 28-11 here are the winners and losers from Jacksonville’s Week 13 game against their in-state rivals.

Winners

In a game like this, it is hard to identify many “winners,” but a few players stuck out to me.

Pass rusher Josh Allen

Josh Allen continued his sensational rookie campaign against the Bucs. The Kentucky alum registered two quarterback hits, and a sack in yet another solid performance. While he had a great day no doubt, Allen is a winner today for breaking the Jaguars’ rookie sack record with his ninth sack on the season.

Allen was recently second in Pro Bowl voting for AFC defensive ends and his production has been a big reason as to why. With four games still left to be played, Allen will only continue to bolster his lead on the Jaguars record and may even near Javon Kearse’s NFL rookie record of 14.5. He has been one of the Jags’ best and most consistent players, which is a truly remarkable and exciting feat for the young Jaguar.

The Jaguars’ reserve defenders stepped up

Continuing on the defense, both linebacker Donald Payne and safety Andrew Wingard had to be called on to start for Myles Jack and Ronnie Harrison, and neither disappointed. Payne and Wingard were first and second, respectively, as far as tackles go with 13 and seven tackles on the day. Payne also nearly had a pick while Wingard caused a fumble on Jameis Winston which was recovered by the Jags.

If anything, the Jags left the game confident in the two reserves if they have to be called upon again and should look to continue playing both players with the postseason out of reach. Fans should also be mindful of both players in the future because the Jags could be rebuilding, and often times depth is an issue for a team that has reset. If Wingard and Payne continue to make progress, however, the Jags’ depth might be better than expected in the future.

Losers

QB Nick Foles

Nick Foles didn’t have a good day against the Bucs — and he has yet to have one at all since returning. In fact, it’s looking like the Jags may be losing money after signing Foles to an $88 million contract in March.

Sunday, Foles arguably had his worst day aside from his Chiefs debut. Foles couldn’t seem to get anything going and was the reason for three first half turnovers and no points being put on the board. As a result, Marrone decided the offense needed a ‘spark’ and made the change at quarterback.

Minshew instantly gave the offense new life, accumulating their only touchdown drive of the game. Going forward, it seems he’ll be the guy the team might roll with. That would certainly mark a bad season for the former Super Bowl MVP.

The Run Game

Early in the year, Leonard Fournette was on a tear, leading the AFC in rushing yards at the mid-season mark. However, the team has moved away from their strong run game as of late in favor of a more pass-heavy attack. Fournette has become a reliable receiver, but the run game has suffered dearly.

With the return of Minshew under center, the team may return to a more run-based offense, but ultimately, time will tell. Hopefully, the offensive line can open up some more holes for Fournette as the young tailback ran for just 38 yards on 14 carries Week 13. If they can, the Jags would make things much more interesting heading into the last stretch.

Postgame analysis: Jags fall short vs. Bucs despite late change at QB

The Jacksonville Jaguars were defeated by the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday by a score of 28-11, marking their fourth straight loss. The game marked the Jags’ first home game at TIAA Bank Field since late October and it wasn’t close to what fans were hoping …

The Jacksonville Jaguars were defeated by the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday by a score of 28-11, marking their fourth straight loss. The game marked the Jags’ first home game at TIAA Bank Field since late October and it wasn’t close to what fans were hoping for.

At the least, the home crowd got to see Gardner Minshew II behind center. Veteran Nick Foles got off to another terrible start Sunday against the Bucs, giving up three turnovers in the first half. There was a drive by the veteran in particular where he looked to have garnered some momentum and got the Jags in the red zone, only to fumble the ball (his second of the day) and give it to the Bucs again. Ultimately, he finished the game 7-of-14 for 93 yards and a pick.

When Minshew entered the game in the second half, he did his best to erase a  25-0 deficit and sparked the team with a touchdown pass and two-point conversion in the fourth. He ultimately aided the team to a point where the Jags were two touchdowns away from tying the game (25-11), but ultimately the tasked proved to be too big for him as well. Still, despite throwing a pick on the day, Minshew gave the Jags much more elusiveness in the pocket and clearly sparked the team. One would have to think he’d get the nod as starter Week 14, but time will tell.

The Jags’ defense had their issues, too, but they played hard in the second half. They limited the Bucs to just three second-half points, but again, the 25-point deficit from the first half was simply too large for the offense to make up. In the end, the unit gave up 315 total yards, 241 of which were passing yards.

Surprisingly, some of the standouts on the defensive side were reserves Donald Payne, who was playing in Myles Jack’s place, and Andrew Wingard, who was playing in Ronnie Harrison’s place. Both were first and second on the team, respectively, in tackles with six tackles apiece and both also had a sack to their names. As a result, both could get more looks down the road as the Jags won’t be making the postseason.

The Jags’ next game will take place at TIAA Bank Field against the Los Angeles Chargers, who will also be 4-8 after losing to the Denver Broncos. Kickoff for the game will be at 4:05 p.m. EST on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Jags bench Nick Foles in favor of Gardner Minshew in second half vs. Bucs

After another poor day by Nick Foles, the Jags have turned back to Gardner Minshew II against the Bucs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars apparently have seen enough of Nick Foles, who has been struggling since returning from collarbone surgery and turned the ball over three times against the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday. As a result, they benched the veteran during the second half of Week 13’s game and put in Gardner Minshew II to try and propel the Jags from their 25-0 deficit.

Foles, who returned Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts, could never find his rhythm and all of the Jags’ game since have been blowouts. That said, it appears Doug Marrone felt a change was and spark was needed.

Minshew took the NFL by storm this season, winning six Pepsi Rookie of the Week awards. He was able to garner a 4-4 record while starting and was 188-of-307 (61.2%) for 2,285 yards, 14 touchdowns and four picks before Foles replaced him.

3 Jaguars to watch on offense vs. Bucs

Two teams desperate for a win square off. Here are three players on offense to watch as the Jaguars square off with Tampa Bay.

This week the Jacksonville Jaguars will take the field against one of their two Floridian rivals in the Tampa Bay Bucs. Both teams will enter the game with their own respective issues and identical records of 4-7. With that being the case, the question on everyone’s mind is which struggling team will come out on top and could it inspire some confidence into these troubled franchises?

Here are three players on offense to watch as the Jaguars square off with Tampa Bay:

OT Cam Robinson

The offensive line of Jacksonville may in fact determine the fate of the game. The Bucs bring NFL sack leader Shaq Barrett and monster run-stuffer Vita Vea to face off against the ailing Jaguar front line.

Look for Cam Robinson to set the tone early. Robinson has the talent to be one of the best young tackles in the NFL, but has struggled at times this season. Him and our next entry on the list will be counted on heavily to keep Nick Foles safe and to open up lanes for running back Leonard Fournette.

The offense’s success starts and stops with the offensive line. The Jaguars are counting on Robinson to develop into their franchise tackle. A big game Sunday against one of the NFL’s best pass rushers could go a long way towards proving he is the blind side tackle of the future.

OT Jawaan Taylor

Taylor’s situation is very similar to that of Robinson. The team will be counting heavily on these two to protect Foles from the Bucs’ defensive front seven. The argument could be made that Taylor has been the Jaguars’ best offensive lineman this season, despite his struggles with holding penalties. The start to his NFL career is certainly promising and fans hope to see Taylor have success against Barrett.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jawaan Taylor is currently graded out as the second best rookie offensive tackle with a grade of 62.3. That’s certainly not bad for a player who just celebrated his 22nd birthday this past week. His pass-blocking grade of 67.2 also ranks second among all rookies.

Look for Taylor to have a big day against one of the NFL’s best. Thus far into his career, the Jaguars look to have found their future right tackle. Now it all just needs to come together.

QB Nick Foles

I’m not sure there is anyone in the NFL who needs a big game more than quarterback Nick Foles. With the memories of Minshew Mania still fresh in the minds of Jags fans, Foles’ struggles have been even more frustrating for those who have invested their time into the team.

To put it lightly, Foles’ starts since returning from collarbone surgery have been lackluster. Fans are already calling for the benching of the Jaguars 88-million dollar quarterback. If Foles is to quiet the masses, he will need to get the stagnant Jaguars’ offense rolling in a big way. Another blowout is not acceptable.

Foles has all the pieces to be successful (aside from tight end). Receiver DJ Chark Jr. has had a fantastic season and Fournette is playing some of his best ball. With such weapons, there is little excuse for the offense to get off to a slow start.

With two struggling teams with drastically different identities, which Florida team ends up on top? We’ll know that later Sunday afternoon.

3 takeaways from Jags’ 42-20 loss to Titans

There was a lot to unpack from the beatdown the Jags received from the Titans and a lot of the takeaways aren’t good.

The Jacksonville Jaguars once again left egg on the faces of their fans Sunday after another embarrassing loss within the division. This time, the Jags were handily defeated by the Tennessee Titans by a score of 42-20.

It goes without saying Sunday’s performance, in which the Jags were outmatched in every way, was hard to watch but somehow we’ve managed to gather some thoughts on the Jags’ abysmal performance.

Here are three next-day takeaways we came away with:

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

It’s just a matter of time for Doug Marrone

Sunday’s performance by the Jags may have been the worse we’ve seen all year. The team’s embarrassing loss to the Titans marked their third consecutive divisional loss by 20 points or more, which is a telling sign that points to coaching.

Neither side has played well, so let’s get that out of the way first. On offense, the team has only scored 36 points in three games, most of which occurred when the game was out of hand. Those struggles were due to game planning on John DeFilippo’s part and struggles at quarterback (which I’ll save for later).

On defense, it’s been downright dreadful. Apparently, Marcell Dareus was a bigger piece to the unit than I initially thought because Todd Wash’s unit just doesn’t know what to do about the run especially. Derrick Henry once again made the unit look like an elementary school team, racking up 159 total rushing yards. In total, the unit gave up over 200 rushing yards and 471 total yards. To put it lightly, the Titans moved the ball at will after the first half and all Wash could do is take it.

The struggles of Wash and DeFilippo are ultimately a reflection of Doug Marrone. He ultimately is the overseer of the Jags’ game-planning in the end, and it appears that he and his lieutenants simply aren’t breaking through to the team. The veteran head coach has been asked about coaching changes two consecutive weeks and has seemed certain of himself when stating that no changes will be made. That said, it appears he’d like to stick with them to the end, which in all probability will result in his firing. 

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The good, the bad and the ugly of the Jaguars 42-20 loss to the Titans

There wasn’t much good to talk about after the Jags loss to the Titans Week 12 aside from running back Leonard Fournette.

Another week, another absolute shellacking from a division rival to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars wrapped up another disappointing week with a loss to the Tennessee Titans by a score 42-20 in a game where they were flat-out dominated. With the loss, the Jaguars fall to 4-7 on the year and are dead last in the AFC South. This is the third straight loss to a AFC South division rival and also their third consecutive loss by 20 or more points.

There is not a lot — if anything — that went the Jaguars way on Sunday. Nevertheless, here are the good, the bad and the ugly moments from the Jaguars and TitansWeek 12 matchup:

The good: Leonard Fournette continuously showing that he is a franchise running back

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While the Jaguars offense left much to be desired, one player who showed up to play was Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette.

Fournette put the team on his back to the best of his ability as he finished with 97 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Fournette now has 951 total rushing yards on the season, which is good for sixth in the NFL. He even led the team in receptions with nine for 62 receiving yards.

Fournette’s continued growth has been completely lost in the Jaguars’ miserable season. He is currently fourth in the NFL in receiving among running backs with 391 yards. That would represent the highest total since his rookie season where he finished with 302 yards on 36 receptions.

Fournette is also on pace to rush for 1,366 yards which would shatter his rookie total of 1,040. In a season filled with disarray and disappointment, the Jaguars at least can be excited with knowing Fournette is truly panning out to be the productive No. 4 overall pick that they hoped for.

The bad AND the ugly: Every single thing on the Jaguars’ side of the ball not named Fournette

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This game was so bad for the Jaguars that it can not be separated between being bad and ugly.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Jaguars were almost helpless.

The Jaguars didn’t score their first touchdown until 2:23 in the third quarter when the game was already out of hand at a score of 35-11. Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles finished with 272 passing yards with a large majority of most of those yards coming in the fourth quarter when the Jaguars were down as much as 42-17.

On the defensive side, the main issue all season was the Jaguars’ sieve-like rush defense. This game was no different as the Jaguars’ defense was completely victimized by Titans running back Derrick Henry to the tune of 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Henry even broke out for a 74-yard run in the third quarter.

The real story was Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who started the season as the backup to Marcus Mariota. He absolutely eviscerated the Jaguars’ defense and showed some toughness overall leaping into the air for a 21-yard rushing touchdown. The Jags’ defense allowed Tannehill to not only pass for 259 yards with a 14.4 yards per pass average and two touchdowns, but he also ran for 40 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. In total, Tannehill finished with a 93.0 quarterback rating and a 155.8 passer rating and completely demoralized the Jags’ defense.

The Titans not only dominated the entire game, but also erased the hopes of a respectable season from Jaguars fans. The loss put them further down the standings in the AFC South and could possibly lead to them acquiring the last spot in the division.

A loss is one thing, but another extremely brutal loss to a division rival is flat out embarrassing at this point. Something needs to change and the bleeding has to stop eventually. Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will have to take a deep look at the game film and the makeup of this team and figure out where their hearts are at this point in the season.