Tag: D.J. Chark

Report: Keenan McCardell expected to join Vikings’ staff

The Jags’ WR coach from 2017-20, Keenan McCardell, will not be retained on the 2021 staff.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ staff will look dramatically different this season as most, if not all, of their coaches from 2020 aren’t expected to be retained. Per The Florida Times-Union, one coach who won’t be returning is Jags legend Keenan McCardell, who had been coaching the receivers since 2017. Instead of returning under Urban Meyer, he’ll be heading to Minnesota to join the Vikings’ staff.

McCardell, 51, was the coach fans wanted to retain the most, but Meyer seemingly wanted to make a change. In the process of conducting a search, Meyer decided to bring longtime receivers coach Sanjay Lal aboard, who will likely replace McCardell and has coached in the NFL since 2009.

McCardell, who has six years of coaching experience in the NFL and played in it for 16 seasons, did an excellent job with the Jags’ young receiving corps while in Jacksonville. Notables like Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, D.J. Chark Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., Keelan Cole, and Collin Johnson all had the luxury to learn under him. Of the group, Chark became a Pro Bowler under the tutelage of McCardell and registered over 1,000 yards in 2019.

The good thing about McCardell’s unfortunate departure is that he’s going to coach one of the league’s best receiving duos as the Vikings have Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen atop their depth chart. Both accumulated totals of 1,400 and 925 yards, respectively, and combined for 21 touchdowns.

Report: Keenan McCardell expected to join Vikings’ staff

The Jags’ WR coach from 2017-20, Keenan McCardell, will not be retained on the 2021 staff.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ staff will look dramatically different this season as most, if not all, of their coaches from 2020 aren’t expected to be retained. Per The Florida Times-Union, one coach who won’t be returning is Jags legend Keenan McCardell, who had been coaching the receivers since 2017. Instead of returning under Urban Meyer, he’ll be heading to Minnesota to join the Vikings’ staff.

McCardell, 51, was the coach fans wanted to retain the most, but Meyer seemingly wanted to make a change. In the process of conducting a search, Meyer decided to bring longtime receivers coach Sanjay Lal aboard, who will likely replace McCardell and has coached in the NFL since 2009.

McCardell, who has six years of coaching experience in the NFL and played in it for 16 seasons, did an excellent job with the Jags’ young receiving corps while in Jacksonville. Notables like Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, D.J. Chark Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., Keelan Cole, and Collin Johnson all had the luxury to learn under him. Of the group, Chark became a Pro Bowler under the tutelage of McCardell and registered over 1,000 yards in 2019.

The good thing about McCardell’s unfortunate departure is that he’s going to coach one of the league’s best receiving duos as the Vikings have Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen atop their depth chart. Both accumulated totals of 1,400 and 925 yards, respectively, and combined for 21 touchdowns.

Report: Sanjay Lal expected to join Jags’ coaching staff

The 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars’ coaching staff has yet to be officially named, but new coach Urban Meyer does seem to be doing a thorough job of finding the best candidates possible. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the staff added another …

The 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars’ coaching staff has yet to be officially named, but new coach Urban Meyer does seem to be doing a thorough job of finding the best candidates possible. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the staff added another coach with extensive NFL experience in longtime receivers coach Sanjay Lal.

Lal, 51, has been coaching in the NFL since 2007 and entered the league as an offensive quality controls coach and assistant receivers coach for the Oakland Raiders. He was promoted to their head receivers coaching role from 2009-11.

After his time in Oakland, Lal held roles as the receivers coach for the New York Jets (2012-14), Buffalo Bills (2015-16), Indianapolis Colts (2017), and Dallas Cowboys (2018-19). Along the way, he coached notables like Cole Beasley, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Randall Cobb, and T.Y. Hilton.

Under Lal’s coaching in 2019, Gallup and Cooper both registered over 1,100 receiving yards, though Cooper started that season in Oakland. Randall Cobb also registered over 800 yards.

Lal spent 2020 with the Seattle Seahawks as a senior offensive assistant. While there he served under Pete Carroll, who is one of the NFL’s best coaches. It’s unclear if he will be a receivers coach for Jacksonville, but his résumé seems to indicate it.

If named the Jags’ receivers coach, Lal will inherit a pretty talented receivers group in Jacksonville as they currently have DJ Chark Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., and Collin Johnson on the roster. The group was coached by Jags legend Keenan McCardell since 2017, so it’s a possibility he may not be retained by Meyer though an announcement hasn’t officially been made.

Jags final injury report for Week 17: D.J. Chark, James Robinson ruled out vs. Colts

The Jags will be without a trio of top contributors on offense against the Colts including D.J. Chark and James Robinson.

As expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be without receiver Collin Johnson (hamstring) and running back James Robinson (ankle) in their season finale against the Indianapolis Colts. They also will be without D.J. Chark, who missed the whole week of practice with a shin injury.

Rookie running back Nathan Cottrell was also ruled questionable for Sunday’s game.

Earlier in the week, Doug Marrone indicated that Robinson would likely be ruled out, while Johnson never really had a chance to be active. Both are still dealing with injuries they sustained Week 15 against the Baltimore Ravens and could be moved to injured reserve Saturday if the Jags need space for practice squad additions.

Chark’s status was up in the air earlier in the week as he was dealing with the shin injury he sustained late against the Chicago Bears last Saturday. He left the game in the fourth quarter and wasn’t able to return in the process.

With the Jags being down two receivers, they have Laviska Shenault Jr., Keelan Cole, and Chris Conley active on the roster. They will undoubtedly turn to the practice squad to activate others at the position as they have Terry Godwin, Damion Willis, and Josh Hammond available to help. The Jags also have Craig Reynolds and Bruce Miller on the unit to help at running back if needed.

Winners and losers from the Jags’ 41-17 loss vs. the Bears

The Jags may have lost big to the Chicago Bears, but they won big in terms of the 2021 draft.

Just as they have since Week 2, the Jacksonville Jaguars came out on the losing end Week 16. The loss marked their 14th straight game, this time to the Chicago Bears by the score of 41-17. With the loss, the Bears now have won the last three out of four matchups against Jacksonville and have helped cement the Jags with having the worst record in the NFL.

With their latest loss, the Cardiac Cats have not tasted victory since their season opener against their AFC South rivals in the Indianapolis Colts. Through multiple quarterback changes and key injuries, the Duval County faithful have not seen a win for quite some time and it’s been pretty hard to watch. The team allowed 40 points for the second time this season and have lost their last three games by double-digits.

In another demoralizing blowout, it’s hard to tell who truly stood out, however, there were the good spots along with the bad. Here are the winners and losers from the Jaguars Week 16 matchup against the Bears:

Winner: LB Joe Schobert

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Jaguars linebacker Joe Schobert had an active day in the midst of an offensive onslaught from the Bears. He finished the game with eight total tackles, one sack, a pass deflection, and an interception on a poorly decided throw by Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

Schobert provided a solid day in helping to slow down the run as Bears running back David Montgomery averaged 4.1 yards per carry. While that’s a good figure, much of his yards came off a big 26-yard rush.

On a day where the entire defense was completely gashed, the former Pro Bowl linebacker did well in making his presence felt during the game.

Loser: DT Taven Bryan

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

With a defense filled with injuries, 2018 first-round pick Taven Bryan has not been heard from much.

An absolute afterthought on defense at this point, Bryan finished the game against the Bears with only one tackle and has not had more than 20 snaps in a game in the past three weeks. With the defense needing some kind of spark, the Jags have used undrafted rookie free agent defensive tackle Doug Costin in his place who has been much more effective as he finished with four tackles including one for loss.

As Bryan’s snap share dwindles, it could mean the end of his tenure soon in Jacksonville.

Loser: safety Josh Jones

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

We went with a second loser here because we wanted to save the best for last.

As for Josh Jones, Sunday was a rough day for him. In the first half, tight end Jimmy Graham was able to beat him for a touchdown pass on a slant route. Graham also beat him in the second half on a wheel route (loss his footing) that resulted in a touchdown, too, and there were moments in between where the veteran safety struggled.

Jones started his career in Jacksonville on a high note and was one of the standouts of their Week 1 victory, garnering a 70.3 Pro Football Focus grade. That came after a strong training camp that made the team confident enough to trade safety Ronnie Harrison to the Browns. However, since that moment it hasn’t been pretty and he currently holds a grade of 47.3 via PFF.

Winner: The Jacksonville Jaguars and their fanbase

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

How can a team that has done so much losing be winners? Well, the answer to that question was revealed this Sunday after the brutal loss from the Bears.

The No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has been a huge topic this year as it has been regarded by many experts as one of the most quarterback-talented drafts in a long time. The race for the highly-coveted pick came down to the Jaguars and the New York Jets and was decided after the Jags’ loss against the Bears.

Both are teams that are trying to press the reset button on their current quarterback situation. That made the 2021 draft the perfect one to get the No. 1 pick, as Clemson Trevor Lawrence seems to be on the verge of declaring. As many know, that’s a huge deal because many draft pundits have deemed him the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.

Despite their loss Sunday, the Jets handled business on their end and won their second consecutive game. As a result, the Jags will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

If Lawrence declares, Jacksonville could soon have their franchise quarterback in due time. Needless to say, that would be an incredible boost to a fanbase that has seen nothing but despair and failed quarterback selections over time.

Outside of an incredible 2017 season, the Jags fans have seen nothing but constant losing as they are 53-122 since 2010. If the Jaguars are able to successfully have Lawrence in a teal uniform, the fans will hope that he can finally be the one to turn around the misfortunes that have constantly plagued the franchise.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Postgame analysis: Jags get demolished by Bears, but win Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes

The Jags endured another beatdown Sunday but the sting didn’t last long as they acquired the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars kept it competitive in the first half against the Chicago Bears as they entered the half with the score at 13-10. However, the wheels fell off in the second half, and the result was a 41-17 beatdown.

The third quarter, in particular, was when the Bears came to life. With the first drive of the second half going to them, the Bears started things off with an 11-play drive of 77 yards. The drive was one that mostly featured former Jags receiver Allen Robinson, who was on fire for most of the game and finished the day with 10 catches for 103 yards. Once they found themselves in the end zone, quarterback Mitch Trubisky then took matters into his own hands and ran one in for six.

The next two Bears drives were also good for touchdowns. The drive that followed Trubisky’s touchdown mostly featured running back David Montgomery, who touched the ball five times in the eight-play drive. When the Bears got in striking range, he scored with a tough 6-yard score, which put the score at 27-10.

During the next drive, it only took Jags veteran quarterback Mike Glennon two plays to give the Bears the ball back as he threw a pick to linebacker Roquan Smith. The pick was his second by Smith, who played lights out on the defensive end.

Two plays later, Trubisky was able to hit tight end, Jimmy Graham, on a wheel route where he was able to get behind safety Josh Jones. The score then moved to a 34-10 figure with over two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Jags couldn’t get much going in their next drive, either, and ended up punting the ball once again. The Bears then answered with a nine-play drive for just under 50 yards. Running back Artavis Pierce was the one to ultimately end it by getting in on the success of the run game with a 3-yard score. Kicker Cairo Santos then connected with the point after attempt late in the fourth quarter to put Chicago up 41-10.

A few drives later, Glennon would connect with receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. with a nice pass where he split the safeties to put the game at its final score of 41-17.

Ultimately, the Bears finished with 391 total yards on the day while the Jags had 279. Glennon finished the process 24-of-37 for 211 yards, two touchdowns, and two picks. Running back Dare Ogunbowale, who started with James Robinson out, led the team in rushing with 14 carries for 71 yards.

In terms of receiving, D.J. Chark led the way with four catches for 62 yards. He also snagged one of the Jags’ two touchdowns in the first half with a highlight toe-tap reception on Bears rookie Kindle Vildor.

Defensively, cornerback Greg Mabin led the way with 10 tackles but they mostly came as a result of Robinson having his way with the secondary. Linebacker Joe Schobert wasn’t too far behind him with eight total tackles, a sack, a pass breakup, and a pick.

In the end, the score marked another embarrassing loss at home for Jacksonville, but the sting of getting ran out of their own stadium for the fans would only last for a little while. Moments later, the New York Jets, who played the Cleveland Browns, would eventually win their second consecutive game and hand the Jags the No. 1 overall pick.

With the Jags losing to the Bears and the Jets winning, the Jags could tie Gang Green’s record at the end of the season, but they won’t be able to surpass them as one game remains. If both the Jags and Jets finished with 2-14 records, the league’s tiebreaker rules would reward the Jags the No. 1 overall pick.

Of course, that put the Jags in the driver’s seat to draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is thought to be the next Andrew Luck-type prospect. Now, fans of the Jags will have to endure the wait as he makes his decision, but many believe he will enter the draft.

As for the current Jags roster, one game remains and it will be against their divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts. The game will be a must-win for Indy as they try and land a wild-card spot, which means the Jags could potentially spoil things with a win. Kickoff for that game will be on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m. EST.

Winners and losers from the Jaguars vs. Vikings Week 13 matchup

After a good performance Week 12 against the Browns, Mike Glennon regressed in his second start as a Jaguar.

The Jacksonville Jaguars continued their losing ways Week 13 as they fell to the Minnesota Vikings by the score of 27-24. The game was another extremely close one for the Cardiac Cats as they lost their fifth game by less than four points on the year.

The Jags fell to 1-11 on the year and have lost eleven games straight firmly entrenching themselves in the race to draft one of the top quarterback picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. Those draft picks could either be Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence or Ohio State Buckeyes signal-caller Justin Fields.

As usual, the Jaguars had some players who stood out Sunday despite the loss, while other notable players also struggled Week 13. Here are the winners and losers of Sunday’s matchup with the Vikings which ended up going into overtime:

Winner: LB Joe Schobert

One of the Jags’ biggest free-agent acquisitions has been former Cleveland Browns Pro Bowler linebacker, Joe Schobert. Schobert, who signed with Jacksonville this offseason on a five-year $47.5 million deal, currently leads the team in tackles with 57 total and was a force on the field against the Vikings. Schobert finished the game with 12 tackles, one sack, and a pivotal 43-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Schobert also teamed up with fellow standout linebacker Myles Jack to hold Vikings running back Dalvin Cook to 3.7 yards per carry and no touchdowns. Cook was the No. 2 running back in yardage coming into the game against the Jags with 1,130. While he finished the day with 120 yards rushing overall, he was bottled up early in the first half as he was held to only 21 yards rushing when looking at the first two quarters. Schobert and Co. did a fine job minimizing the amount of running lanes that Cook and the Vikings offense had early in the game.

While the veteran’s arrival in Jacksonville has been a mixed bag, he had a standout day against the Vikings and did his part to try and get Jacksonville the victory.

Loser: Luq Barcoo

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

It has been a tough year so far for Jaguars undrafted rookie cornerback Luq Barcoo.

After having a tough time in the early stages of Week 12’s game against wide receiver Jarvis Landry but later settling down, the San Diego State standout would struggle again Week 13. However, it didn’t come as a shock when considering his playtime in comparison to who he was covering in Vikings rookie receiver and ascending star Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson was surgical in his route running against Barcoo and the secondary, finishing the game with nine receptions for 121 yards. However, one of his highlight plays of the day came in the form of a 20-yard touchdown from Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Barcoo also gave up a huge 40-yard reception to Jefferson where Cousins simply dropped the ball right where it needed to be. That set up running back C.J. Hamm for a touchdown on the next play.

Due to a rash of injuries in the Jags secondary, Luq Barcoo has been called upon to step up more, however, it has been quite the trial by fire. Time will tell if he can improve in the coming weeks.

Winner: Dawuane Smoot

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Jaguars defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot has developed into quite the underrated sack artist.

The third-year player out of Illinois University may have had his best game Week 13 as he finished the game with four tackles, two hits on the quarterback, and two sacks. When looking at his season overall, Smoot now leads the Jags with 4.5 sacks after Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

With the defense ravaged by injuries, Smoot has been called upon to apply pressure in the pass-rush and he has been successful in doing so. He now has a sack in back-to-back games after getting a sack against the Browns, too.

Loser: Mike Glennon

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

After a solid performance last week against the Browns, Jags quarterback Mike Glennon took a step back against the Vikings.

While the overall stat line wasn’t far from terrible as Glennon accumulated a 66.7% completion rate with 280 passing yards and a touchdown, he threw two very costly picks and made some critical mistakes down the stretch.

The first interception was a throw intended for tight end Tyler Eifert that was unfortunately ripped away by Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler. However, the second was a blatant misfire to receiver D.J. Chark Jr. that was easily taken away by Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith in overtime.

Glennon also took a safety in the fourth quarter after a fumble and two punts on the preceding drives. The journeyman signal-caller also contributed to the turnover issues even more by fumbling late in the third quarter. That fumble would then lead to a Vikings’ touchdown by Jefferson.

If it weren’t for the myriad of turnovers from Glennon, he would have had a great game as he and the Jags were spectacular in the first half with 162 yards passing and outperformed Cousins for much of the game. The result from Sunday’s game shows that there are still problems behind center for the Jaguars that will not be solved this season.

Postgame analysis: Jags fall to Vikings by a score of 27-24 in overtime

The Jags went into their first overtime game since 2017, but it unfortunately didn’t go their way.

After going back and forth during the regulation period, the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to tie up their Week 13 game against the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 24-24 but ultimately fell in overtime. As a result, the Jags lost their 11th consecutive game, piling on to what’s already been a rough season.

Following the trend fans have seen the last few weeks, the Jags were able to start fast again Sunday. In fact, they scored a touchdown during the first drive, though it took a bit of luck and probably should’ve been Mike Glennon’s first turnover. The veteran overshot D.J. Chark Jr. while rolling to his left and gave Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd a chance for a pick.

However, the ball ricocheted off his hands and landed in the waiting hands of rookie Laviska Shenault Jr., who was in the end zone and got a freebie.
After missing the extra point that followed, the Jags took the lead 6-0 at that point. They were also able to add a Chase McLaughlin field goal before the first quarter to make the score 9-0.

Finally, after a slow start, the Vikings were able to get going late in the second quarter. Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and company were able to put together a 10-play, 78-yard drive and ended it with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen. Like the Jags on their first attempt, the point after attempt was missed, putting the score at 9-6.

After the half, the Jags struck first again in the first series of the third quarter, but this time it was due to a pick-six by linebacker Joe Schobert. The throw, which came from Cousins, was a bad attempt to hit running back Dalvin Cook who seemingly wasn’t on the same page as his quarterback. As a result, the ball was thrown behind Cook and went into the waiting arms of Schobert.

Unfortunately for the Jags, the turnover didn’t bother Cousins all that much as the Vikings would find the end-zone during their next two drives thanks to running back C.J. Hamm and rookie receiver Justin Jefferson. The contributions from both put the game at a score of 19-16 in favor of the Vikings.

Towards the end of the third quarter, both the Jags and Vikings exchanged fumbles. The first one came from Glennon on a rushing attempt where he was stripped by Vikings defensive end Jordan Brailford, who also recovered the ball at the Jags’ 34-yard line. However, Cook gave the ball back during the first play of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard goal line attempt. There simply was an issue on the exchange between him and Cousins and linebacker Myles Jack was right there to jump on it.

Unfortunately, the only good to come from that play was that it set the Vikings up to get a safety and increase their lead to 21-16. The Vikings would also add three more thanks to placekicker Dan Bailey at the 3:50-minute mark of the fourth, putting the score at 24-16.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, the Jags weren’t going to lay down and put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive before the 2-minute warning. Led by a combination of Glennon, James Robinson, D.J. Chark, Collin Johnson, and several others, the Jags found themselves at Minnesota’s 1-yard line. From there, Robinson was able to push it in while Johnson tied the game with a 2-point conversion. As a result, the game went into overtime.

At the 7:19 minute mark of overtime, Glennon threw a pick that ended up in the hands of Harrison Smith at Jacksonville’s 46. Unsurprisingly, the Vikings leaned on Cook and ended up at the 1-yard line. While he wasn’t able to score, he set Bailey up for an easy walk-off field goal that put the game at a final of 27-24.

The Jags once again fought hard for coach Doug Marrone, however, the end will probably be coming for him once 2021 arrives. Luckily, there will be no time for him, the staff, and the players to worry about the inevitable as they will host the Tennessee Titans Week 14.

The two rivals last met Week 2, and as most of the Jags’ games have been, it went down to the wire and the final score was 33-30. Fans should expect a similar battle come Sunday as the Titans will be coming off of a loss to the Cleveland Browns.

3 bold predictions for Steelers vs. Jags

The Jags might not win Week 11’s game against the Steelers, but their offense I made to have success against Pittsburgh with James Robinson.

With them being established in 1995, the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) don’t have the history that other NFL teams do, but one team they’ve had some classic moments with are the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0). As a result, they’ve established one of the league’s most underrated rivalries and will get to add the next chapter Sunday.

To the surprise of many, the Jags actually own this rivalry record-wise by a slim 14-12 margin, but the Steelers’ chances of closing that Sunday are high. At the same time, the Jags are one of the more dangerous one-win teams fans will find, and for that reason, the Steelers are on upset alert.

While we don’t believe an upset will be the result of Week 11’s game, it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. Regardless of the outcome though, here are a few bold predictions we could see unfolding in the Jags’ favor Sunday afternoon:

James Robinson snags a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown

Jaguars running backs have had their share of success against the Steelers, whether it was Fred Taylor in his youth or Maurice Jones-Drew who hurt them both on the ground and on special teams. Unfortunately, neither will suit up against the Steelers Sunday but a young ascending star named James Robinson will.

The undrafted rookie will come into the game leading all rookies in terms of scrimmage yards with 917, which is also good for the fourth-highest total in the NFL. That means he needs 83 yards to hit 1,000, which would make him the fifth undrafted rookie to do so in the common draft era. Although he may not have a 100-yard day rushing, chances are he will be able to hit the 83-yard mark when looking at his total scrimmage yard. In fact, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get 100 total scrimmage yards, but with that, I think he helps fellow rookie Jake Luton by contributing a rushing touchdown and receiving one.

D.J. Chark explodes on the Steelers for 150 yards or more

While Luton is going up against a Steelers defense that ranks No. 6 overall and tenth against the pass, a solid day going deep to D.J. Chark shouldn’t be ruled out for the rookie. The main reasons for that is because we’ve seen the two connect deep early in Luton’s tenure and the Steelers have allowed two pass-catchers to register over 150 receiving yards on them this season. Those players are A.J. Brown of the Tennessee Titans and Travis Fulgham of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chark is just as talented as both of those players with a Pro Football Focus grade of 74.0 and he’ll be up against two perimeter corners in Joe Hayden and Steven Nelson who have grades of 62.5 and 69.7, respectfully. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him snag a few deep receptions as it may be Luton’s short-range accuracy that is the issue.

The Jags’ linebacking corps garners two turnovers

When it comes to garnering turnovers, the Jags linebacking corps may be the key. We’ve witnessed Myles Jack pick off Ben Roethlisberger in the past and the young linebacker is now a much better player. He’ll enter the game with the third-highest PFF grade at his position (85.7) and is playing at an All-Pro level this season. That’s partly due to having a coverage grade of 76.8, which could mean he’ll snag one against Roethlisberger, who has garnered a lot of wins in Jacksonville but has also thrown his share of picks against the Jags.

Another player whois quite familiar with Roethlisberger is MIKE linebacker Joe Schobert, who spent four seasons in the AFC North. In fact, just last year Schobert had a two-interception game against the Steelers, though it came while Mason Rudolph was the quarterback. Still, with him understanding Roethlisberger’s tendencies, don’t be shocked if he can snag a pick or force a fumble against a team he’s registered six starts against.

Tunnel Vision of Week 4

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Dak Prescott  502-12 4
 Tom Brady 369-(-3) 5
 Teddy Bridgewater 276-32 3
 Lamar Jackson 193-53 3
 Josh Allen 288-(-1) 3
Running Backs Rush
Receive		 TD
Joe Mixon 25-151
6-30		 3
Dalvin Cook 27-130
2-16		 2
Melvin Gordon 23-107
2-11		 2
Chris Carson 16-80
3-20		 2
Ezekiel Elliot  12-54
8-71		 0
Wide Receivers Catches TD
Odell Beckham 2-73
5-81		 3
Amari Cooper 12-134 1
D.J. Chark 8-95 2
Adam Thielen 8-114 1
Mike Evans 7-122 1
Tight Ends Catches TD
Mark Andrews 3-57 2
Darren Waller 9-88 0
Dalton Schultz 4-72 1
Austin Hooper 5-34 1
George Kittle 15-183 1
Placekickers XP FG
Brandon McManus 4 3
Sam Ficken 1 5
Jason Sanders 0 5
Randy Bullock 3 4
Rodrigo Blankenship 1 4
Defense Sck-TO TD
Rams 5-1 0
Jets 0-3 1
Browns 3-3 0
Chargers 0-1 1
Bills 2-2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

RB Austin Ekeler – Hamstring
RB Nick Chubb – Knee
RB LeSean McCoy – Ankle
TE Tyler Eifert – Concussion
TE Jordan Akins – Concussion
TE O.J. Howard – Achilles
TE Noah Fant – Ankle

RB Chris Carson – Head (returned)
WR Mike Evans – Leg (returned)
WR Devante Parker – Ankle (returned)

Chasing Ambulances

Fewer injuries, but two major fantasy running backs went down.

RB Austin Ekeler – He was fighting for extra yards when he got pulled down and he grabbed the back of his left leg. A hamstring injury was confirmed but it could be more since he could not put any weight on the leg and was carted off the field. The initial speculation is that he won’t miss the rest of the season but could be out for many weeks.  That makes the backfield into a committee with the rookie Joshua Kelley and Justin Jackson. Neither back was productive on Sunday but Kelley already totals 52 carries on the season with one score. He also lost two fumbles.

Jackson has provided backfield depth for the last three years and will be involved as well. Kelley should take the lead but continued fumbling will not help his workload. The Chargers face the Saints, Jets, and Dolphins next, so having a piece of the backfield should pay off in fantasy points.

RB Nick Chubb – While he’ll have an MRI on Monday to determine what damage there is in his knee, the early speculation is that he did not tear an ACL and just sprained it. Kareem Hunt would be the top running back and D’Ernest Johnson would take Chubb’s place. Johnson is a second-year undrafted free agent from South Florida who only ran four times last year. He rushed for 95 yards on 13 carries in Dallas with 28 yards from one run. If Chubb misses any games, Johnson has fantasy value but would play the Colts and Steelers next, so he’ll likely be much more limited than he was in Dallas.

RB LeSean McCoy – While he hasn’t done much, he left the win over the Chargers in a game that already was without Leonard Fournette. Ronald Jones remains the starter, but if McCoy misses time and especially if he and Fournette remain out, it would get some playing time for the third-round pick Ke’Shawn Vaughn. The rookie only gained four yards on three carries but he caught two passes for 22 yards and his first NFL touchdown. He may see negligible work, but at least got onto the field and showed his talent as a receiver.

TE O.J. Howard – He is believed to have torn his Achilles, which would end his season. That leaves Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate.  Gronk  caught six passes in Week 3 but was back to a single catch on Sunday. Cameron Brate caught a touchdown this week, but it was his only catch in the game. Gronk likely stands in line first to see more work, but that doesn’t mean it carries any fantasy value.

TE Noah Fant – Injured his ankle last Thursday but there’s been nothing official yet about his status. He is considered week-to-week which should allow the fourth-round rookie Albert Okwuegbunam to see action. The 6-5, 258-pound Missouri product scored 23 times in college and impressed in training camp. He runs a 4.49/40 which is blazing for a tight end.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

WR Tim Patrick – He is replacing Courtland Sutton and already scored in Week 3. He stepped up more last Thursday when he caught six passes for 113 yards and another touchdown in the win over the Jets. Noah Fant’s injury could prompt even more work for the other receivers like Patrick.

RB Reggie Bonnafon – The No. 2 running back wasn’t clear for the Panthers and we all thought it didn’t matter anyway. Mike Davis emerged late as the backup and Bonnafon had been in the conversation. He was allowed ten runs in the win over the Cardinals and gained 53 yards. He also caught two passes for 18 yards and scored once. It doesn’t matter whenever McCaffrey returns, but for now, Bonnafon has bought some playing time.

QB Dak Prescott – He threw for 502 yards and four touchdowns in the loss to the Browns and set the NFL record with three straight games with 450 passing yards. He’s on a pace to throw for 6,760 yards and with the way the Cowboys give away points, he’ll be throwing that much in every game.

 RB D’Andre Swift –  The Lions rookie scored his first NFL touchdown when he caught four passes for 30 yards in the loss to the Saints. He also ran for 22 yards on four rushes. Notable too is that Kerryon Johnson has only been used for four touches in these last two games while Swift is up to eight touches in a game. Peterson only ran 11 times and did not make a catch.

WR Justin Jefferson – Logged four receptions for 103 yards in the Vikings win at the Texans and that makes two straight weeks over 100 yards. In an offense that was predicated on the run or just throwing to Adam Thielen. Like that? His next two opponents are the Seahawks and Falcons. Cha-ching…

RB DeeJay Dallas – The Seahawk’s fourth-round pick last April had his debut on Sunday with Carlos Hyde out. He ran for eight yards on two rushes and caught two passes for 15 yards. Travis Homer only managed  five yards on his four carries and caught one pass (though it was a touchdown). Dallas impressed this summer but the Seahawks didn’t have a spot for him until this week.

RB Devonta Freeman – This was the second week that Freeman was on the Giants and he led the backfield with eleven rushes for 33 yards – no other rusher had more than six carries. Freeman also caught four passes for 35 yards which is more likely where any fantasy value will come. Particularly with Dallas, Washington and Philadelphia up next.

WR Brandin Cooks – He logged zero catches on his three targets in the loss to the Vikings. According to Deshaun Watson, the Vikings schemed to take Cooks out of the equation and were very successful. Cooks replaced Andre Hopkins and gained 95 yards on five catches in Week 2. But then the Steelers limited him to three catches and the Vikings shut him out. The Jaguars and Titans are up next but Cooks totals just ten catches for 138 yards on the season. They schemed to take away Hopkins too…

WR Hunter Renfrow – The Raiders were without Bryan Edwards and Henry Ruggs this week – and could continue since they are week to week. In their place, Renfrow was the top wideout with eight targets for five catches and 57 yards. Nelson Agholor also started and scored on his four receptions for 44 yards. And, of course, Darren Waller (9-88) just returned to being the team target-sponge.

TE George Kittle – He returned to the lineup after a knee sprain kept him out last week. The 49ers star tight end caught 15 passes for 183 yards and one score. Only 14 receivers have ever caught more in a single game.

Huddle player of the week

Dak Prescott  –  He just set the NFL record with three straight games of 450 yards and he ended with 502  and four touchdowns in the loss to the Browns. The Cowboys defense practices social distancing from their opponents and Prescott is tasked with throwing like a madman every week. So much the better for fantasy owners.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Teddy Bridgewater 276-32 3 QB Jared Goff 200-(-3) 1
RB Antonio Gibson 13-46
4-82		 1 RB Austin Ekeler 2-12
1-2		 0
RB Latavius Murray 14-64
1-19		 2 RB Kenyan Drake 13-35
0-0		 0
WR Tim Patrick 6-113 1 WR Robert Woods 6-35 0
WR Tre’Quan Smith 4-54 2 WR DeAndre Hopkins 7-41 0
WR David Moore 3-95 1 WR Tyler Lockett 2-39 0
TE O.J. Howard 3-50 1 TE Mike Gesicki 1-15 0
PK Sam Ficken 5 FG PK Greg Zuerlein  2  XP
Huddle Fantasy Points =  167 Huddle Fantasy Points =  48

Now get back to work…