Jacksonville hoped a home matchup against a very injured Tennessee Titans squad on Sunday would result in its first win of the season, but it wasn’t in the cards. The Jaguars were never particularly competitive in a 37-19 loss as they fall to 0-5 on the season and suffer their 20th-straight loss.
Already down receiver DJ Chark Jr. Week 5, Jacksonville suffered a couple more key injuries against Tennessee, and as a result, its rotation looked a bit different this week than in past weeks.
Here’s what we can learn from Jacksonville’s snap counts on Sunday.
Offense
Analysis
- Ben Bartch got the start at right guard with A.J. Cann being placed on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Brandon Linder had to exit the game with a lower-body injury, and Tyler Shatley played the rest of the way at center, seeing 15 snaps on offense.
- Dan Arnold played a big role in his first game with the team last week, and he saw an even greater share of playing time this week. He was on the field for 73% of snaps, playing much more than Chris Manhertz (31%), Jacob Hollister (21%), and Luke Farrell (11%). His role could diminish once James O’Shaughnessy returns from the injured reserve, though.
- Without Chark available, returner Jamal Agnew stepped up to play the No. 3 receiver role. He had six catches for 41 yards, while Tavon Austin, who played on 34% of snaps, had five catches for 54 yards. Laviska Shenault Jr., who saw the most reps outside of Marvin Jones Jr., was targeted just three times with one catch, but it went for 58 yards.
- Jacksonville is almost entirely a two-back team between James Robinson and Carlos Hyde, seeing as Dare Ogunbowale only saw five reps on offense. However, Hyde didn’t see nearly as much work as Robinson, who had his best game of the season.
Defense
Analysis
- Once again, Jacksonville essentially didn’t rotate its safeties in this game. Andrew Wingard didn’t leave the field, and Rayshawn Jenkins only left for one play. It’s unclear how well Andre Cisco is coming along, but it seems like the team is pleased with the current pairing.
- Chris Claybrooks got the start at cornerback with Tyson Campbell out, and though he played on 64% of snaps, he was targeted a lot and didn’t play very well. With Tre Herndon, who also played a majority of snaps, struggling at nickel, the Jags have a lot to figure out if Campbell’s unavailability extends into next week.
- Myles Jack was limited to just 34 snaps as he had to leave the game with an injury. In his place, Shaquille Quarterman got to see action at linebacker on 28% of snaps. He didn’t make a major impact, though, and the Jags will hope that Jack can return in London against the Dolphins next week.
- For the first time in a few weeks, K’Lavon Chaisson saw more playing time than Jihad Ward, and it’s understandable why. He had one of the best games of his career on Sunday, totaling six tackles (two for loss), a sack, and three quarterback hits. Chaisson hasn’t been very consistent this season, but the Jags will hope it’s something to build from.
- Malcom Brown and DaVon Hamilton have mostly taken over the primary interior linemen spots, with the latter having one of his best games as a pro on Sunday with seven tackles and a pass breakup. Taven Bryan and Jay Tufele played on less than 20 snaps each, and Bryan’s role on the defense continues to diminish while Tufele made the most of his first regular season snaps with a 72.4 grade, according to Pro Football Focus.