Tag: Doug Pederson

All-22 review: How the Jaguars can beat the Texans

All-22 review: How the Jaguars can beat the Texans

The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered one of their worst losses in recent memory in their 47-10 defeat at Buffalo on Monday night, falling to 0-3 and in a tough spot heading into another tough matchup in Houston.

The Jaguars are a mess, with injuries continuing to pile up and the coaching staff still looking for the team’s identity three weeks into the season. It has been far from the ideal start for this franchise in a season where, per owner Shad Khan, “winning now is the expectation.”

Sunday presents a Houston opponent with a young, talented roster led by quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Texans will not present an easy task but there is a way the Jaguars can either keep the game close or win outright.

Jaguars Wire reviewed the All-22 to present a couple of ways for Jacksonville to secure a victory in Houston.

Continue making WR Christian Kirk the passing offense’s focal point

Kirk started with a negative competition percentage over expected (CPOE) over the first two weeks of the season before his breakout game in Buffalo. Despite the 37-point loss, the team’s No. 1 receiver was finally utilized as one. 

Kirk finished the night with eight catches on 10 targets for 79 yards, +12.1% CPOE, +3.7 receiving expected points added (EPA) and an average target separation of 3.2 yards, according to Next Gen Stats.

Kirk is a quality route runner. He understands how to manipulate defenders with subtle movements and head fakes while attacking their leverage. His ability to create separation is why his average target separation is usually high.

The third-year Jaguar is specifically a slot receiver but that is not a flaw in his skill set. Kirk can terrorize second-level defenders with his short-area quickness and run-after-catch toolbox. This is why he was effective against Buffalo and should be a go-to target in Jacksonville’s offense going forward.

Kirk’s lack of usage early in the season likely hurt the Jaguars. The offense can be effective with Kirk as its top playmaker and target holder.

However, there is one thing that the Jaguars’ offense must do to stand a chance against the Texans…

Commit to the run and open up play-action

One of the most frustrating things about Jacksoville’s offense is its lack of identity. This is solely on the coaching staff for not putting its players in areas to succeed.

The Jaguars must start committing to the run as they have proven successful when they do.

Based on Next Gen Stats, the Jaguars are No. 7 in the NFL in rushing yards over expected, No. 3 in RYOE per attempt and No. 1 in rushing yards after contact per attempt. Running backs Travis Etienne Jr. and a healthy Tank Bigsby are more than capable of sharing the load and the former can handle 20 or more touches per game if needed.

Jacksonville can run the football, and committing to it would open up the play-action passing game and generate more explosive plays.

Play-action is used to draw the linebackers to the line of scrimmage to mimic the run while leaving chunks of the field with open green grass, especially the high-hole area of the field. Teams can use vertical plane routes, crossers and underneath drags to create explosive plays. Kirk and rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. are prime targets for these concepts.

At the same time, they can also be creative. Teams can run slip screens with the running back out of the backfield (a failed attempt by the Jaguars can be seen in the first of four clips above), run vertical passing concepts and so much more. 

Sometimes, offenses will run play-action concepts out of 11 personnel, 12 personnel, 13 personnel and 22 personnel. Jacksonville has the talent required to operate from each of these looks, specifically 13 personnel when Evan Engram is available as one of three tight ends.

Jaguars fans may already see that an offensive identity is possible to achieve. It helps when the team has the second-deepest route depth of any team in the league through three weeks, showing the makings of an explosive vertical offense marinated off play-action.

It begs the question, why are head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor not leaning into it?

Perhaps they will this week as play-action is the way to beat Houston. Opposing quarterbacks are 17-of-30 for 280 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions on play-action throws against the Texans, according to Pro Football Focus.

Minnesota proved the approach successful by stressing Houston defensively in their win last weekend, with quarterback Sam Darnold going 8-of-12 for 109 yards and one touchdown on play-action. Trevor Lawrence could do the same thing.  

The Jaguars have the toolbox to fix their issues in the short term and beat the Texans with a good old-fashioned run-heavy, play-action attack. It is up to the head coach and offensive coordinator to pick the right tools.

NFL insider: Jaguars a ‘sneaky’ fit for Belichick if they hire new HC

NFL insider: Jaguars a ‘sneaky’ fit for Belichick if they hire new HC

Future Jaguars head coach Bill Belichick?

It is too soon to say. Disappointing as Jacksonville’s start to the 2024 season has been, Doug Pederson remains the franchise’s head coach entering Week 4, while Belichick has ventured onto a television career path in his first year away from NFL coaching since he started in 1975.

But that did not stop Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer from laying out his belief that Jacksonville, 0-3 to begin its campaign, could pursue the six-time Super Bowl-winning former New England leader on the Dan Patrick Show Tuesday, should Pederson eventually be let go.

Breer began by assessing where things stand for Pederson, general manager Trent Baalke and ultimately Jaguars owner Shad Khan. The trio is zero wins and three losses into a campaign with what Khan described as “the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars, ever,” in the preseason.

“It feels to me a little bit like a franchise that may be in for another reset,” Breer said before suggesting the next few weeks will be critical for Jacksonville’s football brass, as they include meetings with AFC South rivals Houston and Indianapolis before facing Chicago and New England in London.

Breer highlighted the Jaguars’ commitment to playing in London yearly as a potential motivation for Khan to shake things up.

“If you have a winless team going over there — these billionaires don’t like being embarrassed,” Breer said. “It feels like there’s a lot on the line for a lot of people in that organization over the next few weeks.”

Patrick pressed Breer on the idea of Jacksonville moving on from Pederson, leading Breer to pinpoint Belichick as a potential target for Jacksonville’s hypothetical head coach opening in 2025.

Breer connected two important dots, identifying a relationship between Belichick and Jaguars’ ownership, specifically with Khan’s son, Jacksonville’s chief football strategy officer Tony Khan.

“They’re just a sneaky one with Belichick for me,” Breer expressed. “Tony Khan has a really strong relationship with Belichick, Shad’s son, Tony. To the point where — so when [Jacksonville] hired [former head coach] Doug Marrone full-time, when they removed the interim tag in what, 2017 I think, right? That was largely on the advice of Bill Belichick to do it.

“So Bill has had the ear of ownership in that place for a while now. I just wonder if that’s not rattling around in the heads of ownership there now.”

Under Khan, the Jaguars went 1-4 against the Belichick-led Patriots between 2012-22. The most memorable matchup came in the 2017-18 AFC Championship, when quarterback Tom Brady and the New England offense scored 14 unanswered fourth-quarter points (with help from the referees, even Brady has suggested) to clinch a 24-20 victory.

Belichick and Brady secured their eighth of nine Super Bowl appearances together by beating Jacksonville that postseason. New England fell to Philadelphia — coached then by Pederson — in the big game, 41-33.

The Patriots returned to the Super Bowl a year later and defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3.

Brady left New England to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, and Belichick mutually parted ways with the franchise this past January, the latter finishing his tenure with a 296-133 record including the playoffs.

Breer made one final point in linking the Jaguars with Belichick: The agreed-upon renovations coming to Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium, leaning into the marketing appeal of hiring a guaranteed future Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach.

“Especially when you’re building a new stadium — not a new stadium, but you’re renovating your stadium. And now you’ve got like sponsorships to sell, you’ve got suites to sell. All of that stuff, right? Do you need some more credibility?” Breer pondered.

“There’s some things that line up there where I wouldn’t totally rule out that as a viable possibility for Belichick in 2025. And he does have a place I think right down the street, I guess right down I-95 there in South Florida too, so that wouldn’t hurt either.”

Watch Patrick and Breer’s segment about the Jaguars from Tuesday below.

Pederson updates Jaguars’ injuries vs. Bills; Engram, Savage

Pederson updates Jaguars’ injuries vs. Bills; Engram, Savage

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson shared a handful of injury updates Tuesday following Jacksonville’s 47-10 loss at Buffalo in Week 3, for four players who went down against the Bills and two who missed the game after getting hurt earlier in the season.

Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (foot), right tackle Anton Harrison (knee), rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones (shoulder) and wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder) each left the Monday Night Football at different times.

Pederson suggested Oluokun’s situation is more serious than the others but that each player would be evaluated on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis.

“Jarrian is kind of as tolerated with his shoulder. Everything medically this morning, his check-up and things were good. It’s just going to be as tolerated with him,” Pederson explained. “Anton, again it’s his knee, same one he injured the week before. He’s just going to be day-to-day this week, so we’ve got to be careful with him and make sure he’s feeling good going into Sunday.

“Gabe, you know, his shoulder at the end, it’s just something that he’s, again, day-to-day but should be fine, you know, for the game. And then Foye, it’s his foot. His is probably more week-to-week right now, and you know, there is a chance that he misses this football game.”

Oluokun leads the Jaguars with 22 tackles through three games, including one sack and three tackles for loss, He has also defended two passes.

Harrison, Jacksonville’s first-round NFL draft pick last year, missed one play against Cleveland in Week 2 due to his hurt knee. He took the field for 47 of the Jaguars’ 71 offensive snaps against the Bills in Week 3.

Jones, who has filled in for injured safety/nickel cornerback Darnell Savage Jr. over the last two weeks, has tallied six tackles to begin his debut NFL campaign. He hurt his shoulder while tackling Buffalo running back James Cook on Jacksonville’s first defensive series of the game.

Davis experienced a shoulder injury in the matchup’s final minutes after catching two passes for 18 yards.

Pederson shared that Savage (quadriceps) should return to action in Week 4 against Houston after being sidelined against Cleveland and Buffalo. After signing a three-year, $21.8 million free-agent contract with Jacksonville in March, Savage tallied two pass breakups in his Jaguars debut versus Miami.

Pederson did not express as much confidence in tight end Evan Engram’s availability, however, after he, like Savage missed Weeks 2-3. Engram caught one pass for four yards in Week 1.

“It’ll be close, it’ll be close. But again, a short week. I don’t want to risk anything with Evan. We’ll see. We’ll see tomorrow where he’s at and go from there,” said Pederson. “But we should have Savage back this week, which will be good.”

Everything Doug Pederson said after Jaguars’ brutal loss to Bills

Everything Doug Pederson said after Jaguars’ brutal loss to Bills

The Jaguars were embarrassed under the national spotlight of Monday Night Football in Week 3, blown out by the Bills 47-10 in Orchard Park, New York.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson put it bluntly addressing not only the loss, but Jacksonville’s 0-3 start to the 2024 campaign late Monday: “This is who we are right now, and we’re not a very good football team.”

Find everything Pederson said in his post-game press conference below.

Introduction: 

DOUG PEDERSON: You hate to say it, but this is the reality of it. This is who we are right now, and we’re not a very good football team. We got to get it fixed. Got to come up with some answers and got to do it in a hurry.

On what Pederson saw that went wrong from the start:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I mean, just kind of the same things, right? [inaudible] Yeah, just wasn’t good.”

On if the Bills pass-heavy offense caught the Jaguars by surprise:

DOUG PEDERSON: “No, that’s kind of what their offense has been this year. You know, they’ve executed it well and a lot of things come off that. They did a good job, you know, of executing their offense.”

On where QB Trevor Lawrence’s confidence level is at right now:

DOUG PEDERSON: “You know, if he’s like me right now, we’re all kind of down, right? You know, probably not very high. You know, we just got to keep working and keep pushing and work our way out of it.”

On if there are immediate changes Pederson can make:

DOUG PEDERSON: “We got look at the tape and decide this week on a short week. I don’t know some of those answers.

On whether Pederson plans to stick with the Jaguars’ current gameplan or go in another direction:

DOUG PEDERSON: “Well, I don’t necessarily think you go in an opposite direction. You’ve invested a lot of time. But there has to be changes, whether it’s play design, personnel, everything is on the table let’s call it, right? Those are all things that we have to look at, we have to look at as a staff, and make the adjustments.”

On if players are not responding to what you guys are trying to do:

DOUG PEDERSON: “It’s not for lack of effort or trying and all that. I just think that sometimes you just to have get out of your own way, right? We just keep digging ourselves in a hole early and can’t seem to dig our way out of it, especially as one-sided as this game was today.”

(Inaudible question):

DOUG PEDERSON: “I mean, it’s usually kind of human nature when you get down so fast. Now you’re waiting for something to happen. You know, it’s a hard position to be in. We have to be other the other side of it. We have to make things happen earlier than later.”

On if Pederson leans on his past coaching experience to get through the Jaguars’ 0-3 start:

DOUG PEDERSON: “No, you definitely have to look back and see what got you through certain tough times. You know, it’s a week-to-week deal. We’re three weeks in; we’re not very good right now. We got two division games coming up back-to-back. I’ll tell you this: No one is going to feel sorry for us, right? I mean, this is who we are right now. It’s not very good, right? We have to be honest with ourselves. I’ve got to be honest with myself and just keep plugging away.”

On if there is a chance that there could be a change to the starting lineup:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I mean, you say everything is on the table, we got to take a look at injury. You know, tonight we had some guys injured. Could be moved that way. It could be performance. It’s all things we have to evaluate as we move forward.”

On injuries to linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, cornerback Jarrian Jones and offensive tackle Anton Harrison:

DOUG PEDERSON: “Yeah, we’ll know more. You know, Jarrian’s shoulder, Foye’s foot, [wide receiver] Gabe [Davis] came out late with a shoulder that he injured last week. So all things that I just don’t know the status. I just know they were hurt and didn’t go back in the game. So we’ll figure out that as the week goes.”

On if Pederson starts losing his confidence or starts second-guessing himself in times like this:

DOUG PEDERSON: “No, I don’t lose confidence in myself. One of the things I have to do is evaluate our process, what are we doing, is it beneficial for the team, right? Is it helping us win? Obviously it’s not right now, so those are all things I have to look at moving forward.”

On if there is something positive Pederson can point to that the team can build off of: 

DOUG PEDERSON: “I really want to say something funny right now. I just can’t think of anything. Maybe the kickoff. Touchback. I don’t know. Listen, I get the question. Gosh, it’s just these guys — listen, they work too hard. You watch them during the week. I mean, they work too hard and then this is what happens. This is the result. I mean, it just goes to show you each week how important each week is and being ready to play. You know, it’s the NFL. You know, it’s week to week. Like I said no one is going to feel sorry for you, and you just got to keep working.”

On if players aren’t handling expectations:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I mean, it’s possible I guess. I don’t know. Sometimes you want it bad enough, you know. Listen, I know locker room, they’re hurting too, just like I am. They want to win and they want it bad enough, too. We’ve got the right guys. It’s not like we don’t. The right guys are in the room and the right leaders. We just have to — I have to figure out a way to get more out of them, right? It’s not more from practicing harder, longer. It’s not that. It’s just getting more, whether it’s leadership during games, you know, how they address the team, whatever that looks like, right? Those are things I got to figure out.”

On if Pederson needs QB Trevor Lawrence to play better:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I need everybody to coach and play better. Just leave it at that.”

On if Pederson feels like there are a lot of players or processes not ready by the end of a practice week: 

DOUG PEDERSON: “I feel like the guys are ready. Feel like they’re — by the end of the week they’re in a good place, there is energy, and then it’s not translating to the game. That is the part that I think bothers you a little bit, because I do see how hard they work and what they put in during the week and that it’s not translating. Those are the things I got to figure out.”

Key matchups for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills

Key matchups for Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills

After starting the regular season 0-2, the Jacksonville Jaguars look to get in the win column for the first time this year as they travel to Buffalo for Monday Night Football in Week 3. 

This week the Jaguars are still searching for their identity on offense and are currently facing scrutiny for their inconsistent offensive execution and play-calling. This could prove detrimental in trying to keep up with the Bills, which feature one of the powerhouse offenses in the AFC, led by quarterback Josh Allen.

Week 3 of the regular season is now a must-win for the Jaguars and they must prove they can contend with top teams in the conference like the Bills. Finding their offensive identity and consistency will be key, and if they fail to do so at this crucial point of the season on the national stage, it will become fair to wonder if their issues can be fixed this year.

With that in mind, Jaguars Wire is here to identify three key matchups for Jacksonville’s Week 3 road matchup against Buffalo, which the Jaguars must win to avoid digging themselves into a deeper hole. 

Jaguars WR Christian Kirk vs. Bills’ linebackers and slot cornerback

Through two games, the Jaguars starting slot receiver has just two catches on seven targets for 29 yards. While it is early in the season, Kirk’s lack of significant targets has been concerning, especially amid Jacksonville’s offensive struggles. 

Yet, Monday night presents an opportunity for Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor and head coach Doug Pederson to get Kirk heavily involved in the offensive game plan.

The Bills’ man coverage rate this season is just 20 percent as they remain a zone-heavy, two-high safety team that will leave plenty of green grass. That creates an advantage for Kirk, who has a knack for identifying the soft spots in zone coverage. 

A top target in the middle of the field for quarterback Trevor Lawrence over the last two seasons, Kirk led the Jaguars with 1,108 receiving yards in 2022 and was on track for over 1,000 in 2023 before a Week 13, year-ending injury. He has proven productive and effective with an average target separation of over three yards in the last two seasons.

With linebacker Terrel Bernard and nickel corner Taron Johnson out for Monday night’s bout, Buffalo could be thin at both spots, meaning Jacksonville could open up its passing game with Kirk as the focal point.

Baylon Spector and Cam Lewis are expected to start in place of Bernard and Johnson, respectively.

Jacksonville’s defense vs. Buffalo’s offense

While the Jaguars’ offense has sputtered to this point, Jacksonville’s defense is respectable, and daring in coverage.

According to Next Gen Stats, Jacksonville aligned its outside corners in press coverage on 36 percent of snaps. That is the fourth-highest mark in the league, showing that defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen trusts his corners on an island.

The unit deploys Cover 1 coverage 53% of the time, per Hayden Winks, despite the absence of cornerback Tyson Campbell. Nielsen utilizes broad man coverage on 52.6 percent of opposing dropbacks, the highest rate in the NFL.

Thus far, passers are averaging 6.5 passing yards per play against the Jaguars, ranking No. 21 in the league. Quarterbacks are struggling to score through the air against Jacksonville, though, as Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa and Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson combined to throw for one touchdown in Weeks 1-2.

Jacksonville’s man coverage will be tested against arguably the best NFL signal-caller not named Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and his offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Monday night.

Next Gen Stats show Allen producing the lowest air yards per attempt of his career at 7.4 this season, despite his career-high 73.8% completion percentage through the first two games. This shows that Brady is allowing Allen to distribute the ball around the offense and trusting receivers to compete after the catch.

Considering how difficult Allen is to defend as both a passer and runner, there’s a possibility Nielsen could veer off his man coverage path and play more zone this week. Perhaps it is unlikely given his tendencies as a play-caller, but this is something to keep in mind ahead of Monday night.

Not only will Allen present a tough task, but so will tight end Dalton Kincaid, running back James Cook and receiver Khalil Shakir. The latter owns the highest catch rate of all wide receivers in the league at 88.7 percent.

If Jacksonville can force Allen into bad decisions against its man-heavy defense and limit his rushing opportunities, the Jaguars’ struggling offense should obtain more opportunities to find a rhythm compared to previous games.

Jacksonville’s offense vs. Buffalo’s defense 

While Kirk could be the focus of the Jaguars’ passing offense against the Bills, the unit must perform better situationally across the board in its attempt to establish an identity of any sort.

It starts up front. Lawrence’s protection must improve Monday night against a strong Bills pass rush featuring Von Miller and Gregory Rousseau.

Lawrence has been sacked on a league-high 11.5 percent of dropbacks this season, according to Next Gen Stats. Perhaps Lawrence is responsible for some of the pressure he has faced, but Pro Football Focus dings Jacksonville’s offensive line for allowing six of the seven sacks he has taken.

Next Gen Stats also notes the Jaguars own the third-worst time to pressure in the NFL in 2024, 2.57 seconds.

While explosive plays have occasionally popped up from the likes of running back Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr, the Jaguars must do a better job of winning on early downs to make third downs more manageable and become less reliant on chunk gains.

Jacksonville has converted just over 26% of its third-down attempts, the fifth-worst mark in the league ahead of Denver, Atlanta, Cleveland and Carolina. The offense will sail much smoother if it can improve drastically in this area.

The Jaguars will be without versatile tight end Evan Engram again this week after suffering a hamstring injury during pregame warmups last Sunday. His absence is why Kirk will be the X-factor for the Jaguars’ passing offense, paired with the Bills’ top linebacker and nickel cornerback out. 

Pederson cannot afford his team to fall to a 0-3 record. His defense is capable of helping win games, but it is Jacksonville’s offense, Pederson’s bread and butter, costing the Jaguars the most.

That has to change on Monday night.

X-Factor: Can Jaguars figure out third down vs. Bills?

X-Factor: Can Jaguars figure out third down vs. Bills?

Jacksonville hopes to avoid a 0-3 start in head coach Doug Pederson’s third season with the club by pulling off a Monday Night Football victory over Buffalo. 

Sitting at 18-18 through 36 games with the Jaguars and 1-7 in the team’s last eight games, Pederson’s seat is arguably beginning to warm up, especially as Jacksonville looks lost offensively to start the year. 

The Jaguars want to avoid a shootout with the Bills if the first two weeks of the season are any indication, as they have scored a combined 30 points in two games. Meanwhile, Buffalo posted over 30 points in both of its wins, beating Arizona 34-28 and Miami 31-10.  

Jacksonville’s offense will be the Jaguars’ X-Factor come Monday, as the unit needs an explosive performance to overcome the 2-0 Buffalo. 

Although not as dangerous as in past years, the Bills’ offense poses a significant threat to the Jaguars, especially if Jacksonville’s inability to sustain drives and score persists, leaving the team unable to keep up. 

Jacksonville offensive coordinator Press Taylor believes converting third downs can help the Jaguars rediscover offensive success against Buffalo. 

“I think a big thing for us is just third-down conversions. We haven’t had enough snaps because we’re not converting enough on third down to begin with,” Taylor said Friday. 

“We’ve had some manageable third-down situations that we haven’t executed well, but I think we’ve had about 55 and 54 plays in two games. That’s not enough.”

Jacksonville converted five third downs over 19 attempts in its first two games, several of which contributed to red zone snags, where the Jaguars settled for field goals instead of securing touchdowns.

As he works to reignite the Jaguars’ stagnant offense, Taylor looked back at a Jacksonville 25-20 win over Buffalo in 2023 as a place to start. 

“Even watching last year, we played Buffalo, we were up in the high-80s [number of plays], I believe it was, in just that game alone,” Taylor said. “So, we need to be in there, and then that gives you more opportunities to spread the ball around, more touches, get a little bit more rhythm across the board.”

In that five-point win, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence posted 315 passing yards, completing 25 of his 37 attempts. The running game clicked too, as Jaguars’ running back Travis Etienne Jr. rushed for 136 yards on 26 attempts, scoring on the ground twice. 

“Everybody as players gets a little bit more rhythm when you get more calls in and things like that,” Taylor explained. “So, third down conversions are a big part of trying to be able to continue to develop that consistency and that consistent momentum.”

Yet, it all starts up front for Jacksonville. If the pocket collapses and the run game can not get going, it could be a long night for the Jaguars in Orchard Park, New York. 

Lawrence has often been under duress behind an offensive line that has given up six of the seven combined sacks he took against the Dolphins and Browns, per Pro Football Focus. 

Trouble could ensue Monday, taking on Bills linebackers Von Miller and Greg Rousseau, who have combined for five sacks through Buffalo’s first two games, with Miller recording one each week.

“If you’re going to start listing off the best pass rushers in the league, it’s not going to take you long to get to Von Miller still,” Taylor said.

“He has that respect from us, and really across the league, as you talk to a lot of people that have played him and what they know he’s still capable of providing out there.”

Jacksonville needs a clean offensive performance to secure its first win of the season and avoid falling to 0-3 with the Houston Texans waiting. Executing on third down will be critical for the Jaguars to accomplish those objectives. 

Pederson: Jaguars TE Evan Engram ‘probably’ out vs. Bills

Pederson: Jaguars TE Evan Engram ‘probably’ out vs. Bills

Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson on Saturday cast doubt on tight end Evan Engram being available for the Jaguars’ Week 3, Monday Night Football matchup in Buffalo against the Bills.

Engram suffered a hamstring injury in the hours before Jacksonville hosted Cleveland on Sunday, forcing him out of the contest.

“Evan, probably not going to make it,” Pederson said. “He tried this week, just not there yet. Hopefully next week, we’ll see.”

Pederson added that Engram likely will not travel with the team to Buffalo and instead remain in Jacksonville to continue treatment for his injury.

Engram caught one pass for five yards in Jacksonville’s season-opener at Miami on Sept. 8, an uncharacteristic performance for the tight end following his 114-reception, 963-yard, four-touchdown campaign with the Jaguars in 2023.

Through just over two seasons with the club, Engram has caught 188 passes for 1,734 yards and eight touchdowns.

Pederson also provided an update on starting Jaguars safety Darnell Savage Jr., who missed Week 2 and has been limited in practice this week due to a quadriceps injury.

“Darnell, we’ll give him one more day, today. See if he can push through it. Don’t want to risk anything further, but we’ll see where he’s at the end of the day,” Pederson said.

Savage, who signed a three-year, $21.8 million free-agent deal with the Jaguars in March, tallied two defended passes in his debut with Jacksonville, against Miami in Week 1.

Starting offensive tackle Cam Robinson (knee) and running back Tank Bigsby (shoulder) are slated to play in Week 3, per Pederson.

All-22 review: Jaguars’ concerning red zone sequence vs. Browns

All-22 review: Jaguars’ concerning red zone sequence vs. Browns

The Jacksonville Jaguars have started the season winless following this past weekend’s defeat to Cleveland at home, 18-13. 

This was yet another game where the Jaguars had opportunities to score but failed to produce.

One painful sequence stood out from the game: a goal-to-go situation late in the first half, during which Jacksonville had to take two timeouts and settled for a field goal due to a mix of communication issues and poor execution. 

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence addressed these issues in their respective post-game press conferences. Pederson pointed to situational awareness with the play clock running down.

“It can’t happen. It just can’t happen,” Pederson said.

Lawrence pointed out the team’s red-zone struggles as the Jaguars scored touchdowns on one-of-four trips inside the 20-yard line, noting some key plays from that key first-half drive and that they must do better in these situations.

“It’s just little details. We were in the red zone twice close, inside the 5-yard line and didn’t score,” said Lawrence, who completed just 14 of 30 pass attempts for 214 yards. “You can’t do that in this league. You’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities.”

Jaguars Wire took a closer look at what happened in this specific goal-to-go sequence and how it displays bigger problems for Jacksonville’s offense, a combination of mixed assignments and head-scratching decisions by personnel and coaching alike. 

What led the Jaguars to goal-to-go 


To set the scene, it was the second quarter of the game with the Browns up 10-0 following a field goal on their previous drive. The Jaguars took possession with 9:52 left in the first half.

This drive began with a play-action to draw Cleveland’s linebackers to the line of scrimmage and get Jacksonville tight end Brenton Strange open on a deep backside post. The route concept worked. 

However, wide receiver Gabe Davis was forced to block defensive end Za’Darius Smith and predictably got beat on the edge, forcing Lawrence to bail on Strange and complete a negative check-down play to Christian Kirk.

Jacksonville proceeded to pick up positive yardage on its next four plays: A 10-yard pass to Davis, a three-yard 3rd and 1 rush by running back Travis Etienne Jr., a 20-yard follow-up scamper by Etienne, and a three-yard run by running back D’Ernest Johnson.

Then another negative play occurred. As JP Acosta of SB Nation pointed out, this was a single-back stick concept that nearly turned into a disaster for Lawrence. Cleveland cornerback Martin Emerson almost secured the interception but dropped it while falling to the ground. 

The pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by linebacker Jordan Hicks. Still, it was on a line toward rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who needed to turn his head around quicker given how quickly the throw left Lawrence’s hand. This play was designed to create an easy third-down situation, and it nearly turned into a turnover.

Facing 3rd and 7 at Cleveland’s 35-yard line, Lawrence took off for a 33-yard gain to give Jacksonville first and goal at the two, marking one of the Jaguars’ biggest plays of the game. 

The field goal that should never have happened

The following three-play sequence encapsulates the issues Jacksonville currently faces offensively.

Before a first and goal run, Pederson is forced to call timeout due to the play clock running down, the first discombobulating domino to fall as the Jaguars were within five yards of the goal line. Lawrence took the blame for it.

‘The clock was rolling and it was after a big play. We didn’t have the urgency getting out of the huddle, getting up to the line and seeing the play clock,” Lawrence explained. “I own that one, and we took the first time-out.”

On first and goal, Jacksonville came out with 12 personnel – two tight ends, two wide receivers and one running back – and motioned Thomas right to left before the snap. 

The play-call was a dive between the tackles against an eight-man box. Center Mitch Morse did not climb to the second level to block Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, while left guard Ezra Cleveland only brushed him on his combo block.

Owusu-Koramoah filled the A-gap and recorded a tackle for loss on Etienne.

The next play is an example of a lack of executing assignments by one or multiple players, something that has plagued the team throughout the Pederson era, especially since the Jaguars began a 1-7 slide in Week 13 of last season. 

The Jaguars came out of the empty shotgun with 11 personnel – one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers. Lawrence discussed this specific play when asked about the red-zone issues Sunday afternoon.

“You look back at the drive earlier in the first half [when] we had the two time-outs … I think I missed Brian who was open, and then after that had to scramble,” Lawrence said.

It is good to see the franchise quarterback admit a mistake on a specific play like this. However, it did not help that his offense played from that specific formation in this area of the field, an empty look without additional blocking help.

While the play design and execution were good to start, Lawrence bailed from the pocket as he anticipated but did not necessarily face pressure, resulting in another missed opportunity for the Jaguars. 

Then, before third and goal, the Jaguars burned another timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty, a clear indication of poor communication which Lawrence verified post-game.

“It’s just communication. We’re getting in, getting in late, we’re trying to figure it out,” Lawrence said. “Obviously [tight end] Evan [Engram] went down today before the game, so some things changed, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no excuses. You’ve got to perform and you’ve got to be able to adjust.”

On third and goal after the timeout, the offense once again came out of 11 personnel. The formation is trips left with Thomas motioning left to right pre-snap to create doubles. 

Thomas and Strange run a bench concept to the right, while Davis and Kirk run crossers from the left. The issue here is that the play has Johnson chipping before running a delayed angle route to work from the right side of the field to the left.

As you can see above, there are no open receivers against the Browns’ Cover 1-hole defense, forcing Lawrence to attempt a tight window throw while Davis was not looking, which ended up behind the receiver and fell into the turf.

The initial pressure forced Lawrence to take an extra hitch and navigate the pocket, potentially delaying the pass’ delivery.

If anything, this is not an ideal play selection in this situation against this coverage, especially in a condensed field zone and against a Browns defense that is known for shutting down quality offenses.

After starting the sequence two yards from the goal line, the Jaguars settled for three points, four yards removed from the plane.

What to make of the goal-line sequence

This sequence and overall drive displayed a key element that Jacksonville is missing: An offensive identity. 

It has been difficult to decipher what the Jaguars’ offense is supposed to be or what they want to lean on through two games. Jacksonville’s apparent lack of vision for its offense is costing the club games, and casting a shadow over the strong performance of its defense to start the season.

Inconsistent play-calling and play choices in critical situations have been detrimental, whether it be on goal-to-go, third downs or even early downs. The Jaguars have also abandoned their successful under-center play-action passing game at times.

There are communication issues, missed assignments and a lack of discipline displayed on tape on numerous occasions dating back to last season.

Each factor was apparent in Jacksonville’s biggest missed opportunity against Cleveland, the above drive. 

Jaguars could be without top pass catcher on ‘Monday Night Football’ vs. Bills

Jaguars could be without top pass catcher on ‘Monday Night Football’ vs. Bills

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram injured his hamstring during pregame warmups for Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns. He was forced to miss the game.

Now, his health is in question for the Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills.

As of now, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has labeled the injury as week-to-week.

“It was significant enough to keep him out and hold him out of the football game [in Week 2],” Pederson said on Monday. “We’ll see where he is this week… hamstrings can be funny, so it’s kind of a week-to-week deal right now with him.”

The Jaguars looked out of sorts in Week 2’s loss to the Browns, especially on offense. They couldn’t consistently move the ball no matter what they tried.

In their defense, they were missing their top pass-catcher from last year, and they lost him right before kickoff. In 2023, Engram led the team in both targets (143) and receptions (114). He also posted the best catch percentage on the team (79.7%) among those with at least 15 catches.

Engram, a 30-year-old product out of Ole Miss, has been Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target to start the young quarterback’s career. If Engram remains out for Monday Night Football, Lawrence will rely on tight end Brenton Strange to step up, and will look for receivers like Gabe Davis, Christian Kirk, and Brian Thomas Jr. to make some more catches.

[lawrence-related id=140362,140358,140352]

Doug Pederson explains surprising Jaguars inactive vs. Browns

Doug Pederson explains surprising Jaguars inactive vs. Browns

While his sidelining quickly fell under the radar as news of star Jaguars tight end Evan Engram’s hamstring injury surfaced minutes later, defensive tackle Maason Smith appearing on the inactive list for Jacksonville’s Week 2 matchup with Cleveland came as a surprise.

Smith, the Jaguars’ No. 48 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, was not listed on Jacksonville’s injury report last week, making him a healthy scratch for the contest.

The rookie logged 29 defensive snaps in his NFL debut in Week 1 against Miami but did not appear on the box score.

Asked about the decision Monday, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson explained that Smith’s game status was not determined necessarily by his performance, but by that of others in practice last week.

“You’ve got 53 players each week and I get a chance to select the 48,” Pederson noted. “Obviously, I visit with the defensive staff and it kind of goes too off of the prior week.

“So, it’s not necessarily what Maason did. I think guys like [defensive tackles] Big O [Esezi Otomewo] and Jeremiah [Ledbetter] also had good weeks of preparation and practice.”

Ledbetter and Otomewo were active for Week 2 after not dressing against Miami, with defensive tackle Tyler Lacy, who played against the Dolphins in Week 1, out Sunday with a toe injury.

Ledbetter and Otomewo respectively recorded 36 and 25 defensive snaps against Cleveland, combining for five tackles.

Lacy’s status for Week 3 could impact the number of, and which, defensive tackles Jacksonville keeps active against Buffalo on Monday night. Pederson acknowledged the opportunity Smith will have in preparation for the matchup to earn one of those spots.

“It’s just an opportunity for Maason to learn and put himself in a position this week to try to be elevated. So, it was nothing that he didn’t do. I just think it was a fact that Jeremiah and Big O had opportunities to be up this week.”