Tag: gabe davis

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Key matchups

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Week 9 coming off a rough loss to Green Bay at home and look to get back into the win column in a tough road matchup in Philadelphia.

However, the Jaguars may be without several key players at key positions this weekend. This could pose some issues for a team that is looking to secure their second win in three weeks. A win against the Eagles could boost a ton of confidence into a roster and coaching staff that needs it.

Philadelphia has seemed to right the ship after a rocky start to the season, having played some of its best football in all phases in recent weeks. Jacksonville looks to slow their momentum and steal the home field advantage in this weekend’s late Sunday afternoon bout.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at a couple of the key matchups against the Eagles that could be critical in securing win No. 3 for the Jaguars.

Jacksonville’s skill players vs. Philadelphia’s secondary

The Jaguars got beat up this past weekend against the Packers.

Standout slot receiver Christian Kirk went down with a broken collarbone and is out for the season. Rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. is said to be a game-time decision with a rib injury but head coach Doug Pederson suggested earlier this week it will likely come down to pain tolerance for team’s top playmaker. Receiver Gabe Davis is also nursing a shoulder injury.

This means second-year wideout Parker Washington, top tight end Evan Engram, Tim Jones, and a practice squad call-up could be the ones trotting out against a sound Eagles secondary.

Philadelphia is getting some quality play from some of their younger talents, including rookie defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. While Darius Slay is out with a groin injury this week, the Eagles have capable depth in Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers.

Their safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, and Sydney Brown make up the rest of a secondary that is built to take on the vertical stretching ability of the Jaguars offense.

The Eagles 57.1 passer rating against deep targets is the fifth-lowest in football, according to Next Gen Stats. This doesn’t bold well for Trevor Lawrence skill players, especially if Thomas can’t go this weekened.

Yet, should Thomas be healthy, it will be a significant boost for an offense that will need him to continue to be the top playmaker he has been this season. Look for the Eagles to play plenty of disguised coverages from a Cover 3 base alignment that will allow them to rotate to play more match and quarters coverage.

Jacksonville’s defense vs. Philadelphia’s offense

This is seemingly nightmare fuel for a Jaguars defense that is in the bottom-five in most statistical defenses.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley have been terrors on the ground against opposing defenses. These two have allowed the Eagles to field the second-best rushing offense in the NFL behind the juggernaut Baltimore Ravens run game.

It doesn’t help that wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have been outstanding this season in the passing game, posing more trouble for a lowly Jaguars secondary.

Jacksonville has struggled to penetrate the backfield consistently this season despite the talents of pass rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker along with interior linemen DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead. Inconsistency has been a constant theme for defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and his defense overall.

Putting it bluntly, this is not a well-coached defense and a man-heavy system that has put players on all three levels in a disadvantageous position. However, the key to finding some improvement is simple: an increase in zone coverage variations and blitzes.

Jacksonville has the lowest blitz-rate in the league and that must change if they want to give their secondary a chance to make plays on pressure-influenced passes. If this were to happen Sunday and the Jaguars force Hurts into bad decisions with the football, there is a path to a successful day against a strong Eagles offense.

Jaguars vs. Eagles: Final injury reports, game statuses

Jaguars vs. Eagles: Final injury reports, game statuses

Find Jacksonville and Philadelphia’s final injury reports and game statuses for Week 9 below.

Jaguars injury report

  • RB Keilan Robinson^ (toe) — full
  • CB Ronald Darby (hip) — full
  • RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — limited
  • RB Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) — limited
  • WR Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) — limited
  • WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
  • OG Brandon Scherff (knee) — limited*
  • DT Maason Smith (ankle) — limited
  • S Andrew Wingard^ (knee) — limited
  • WR Christian Kirk (collarbone) — did not practice
  • OG Ezra Cleveland (ankle) — did not practice

Jaguars game statuses

  • RB Travis Etienne Jr.: QUESTIONABLE
  • RB Tank Bigsby: QUESTIONABLE
  • RB Keilan Robinson: QUESTIONABLE
  • WR Brian Thomas Jr.: QUESTIONABLE
  • WR Gabe Davis: QUESTIONABLE
  • OL Brandon Scherff: QUESTIONABLE
  • S Andrew Wingard: QUESTIONABLE
  • WR Christian Kirk: OUT
  • OL Ezra Cleveland: OUT
  • DT Maason Smith: OUT

Analysis: The Jaguars enter their Week 9 matchup with the Eagles bruised and battered.

Starters, wide receiver Christian Kirk and left guard Ezra Cleveland, and backup defensive tackle, rookie Maason Smith, were officially ruled out Friday, although Kirk was previously ruled out for the season with a broken collarbone by Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson on Monday.

Pederson called Jacksonville starting running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring), wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) and Gabe Davis (shoulder), and right guard Brandon Scherff (knee) game-time decisions against Philadelphia on Friday.

Additionally, running back Keilan Robinson and safety Andrew Wingard, who are both designated to return from the injured reserve but have not yet been activated, enter the weekend questionable.

Eagles injury report

  • TE Albert Okwuegbunam (abdomen) — full
  • OT Mekhi Becton (concussion) — full
  • OG Landon Dickerson (knee) — full*
  • DT Jalen Carter (shoulder) — full
  • TE Dallas Goedert (hamstring) — did not practice
  • CB Darius Slay (groin) — did not practice

Eagles game statuses

  • TE Dallas Goedert: OUT
  • CB Darius Slay: OUT

Analysis: The Eagles will be without two starters on Sunday, tight end Dallas Goedert and cornerback. Neither player practiced during the week.

While they were full participants Friday, left guard Landon Dickerson and defensive tackle Jalen Carter did not practice Wednesday but saw their statuses upgrade throughout the week. Offensive tackle Mekhi Becton began the week limited in practice and ended as a full participant.

Pederson issues ‘day-to-day’ tags for handful of Jaguars injuries

Pederson issues ‘day-to-day’ tags for handful of Jaguars injuries

The Jaguars are banged up ahead of their Week 9 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. They are navigating injuries to six starters suffered in Jacksonville’s Sunday loss to the Green Bay Packers, to pair with starting running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) missing the team’s last two games.

Cornerback Ronald Darby (hip), wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) and Gabe Davis (shoulder), and offensive guards Brandon Scherff (knee) and Ezra Cleveland (ankle) evaded long-term injury in Week 8.

However, most of the group enters Week 9 “day-to-day,” per Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.

“Darby’s good, Darby will be out there. [Thomas], we’ve just got to wait and see. He’s going to be day-to-day. Gabe’s going to be day-to-day. [Scherff is] day-to-day. Ezra, day-to-day, ankle. We’ll see how he is at the end of the week,” Pederson said.

The sixth starter to go down against the Packers, wide receiver Christian Kirk, suffered a season-ending broken collarbone, which was reported late Sunday.

Pederson suggested Etienne, who the head coach considered a game-time decision for each of Jacksonville’s last two games, is inching closer to returning to play this week.

“Yeah, should get him back,” Pederson said. “Looking forward to getting him out there and getting some reps, see how he feels.”

As Jacksonville kicks off its week of practice before facing Philadelphia, Pederson said the Jaguars are leaning on the development of their roster depth this past offseason as they manage their battered lineup.

“Next man up. I mean honestly, it’s easy as that,” Pederson said. “You know, the games are still going to come and the league is still going to continue on, and we’re going to continue on.

“We’ve got to coach. That’s why we develop guys in the offseason, you know, for opportunities like this. So, whether it’s a young player, a rookie, a vet or a practice squad elevation, we’re going to continue to coach everybody and get them prepared for each week.”

Doug Pederson updates Jaguars’ injuries vs. Packers

Doug Pederson updates Jaguars’ injuries vs. Packers

In addition to confirming a broken collarbone for wide receiver Christian Kirk and revealing receiver Brian Thomas Jr. avoided a major injury, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson on Monday shed light on Jacksonville’s other injuries from its 30-27 loss to Green Bay in Week 8.

Wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder), offensive guards Brandon Scherff (knee) and Ezra Cleveland (ankle), and cornerback Ronald Darby (hip) each got hurt during the game, with only Scherff returning to action before the final whistle.

“Gabe should be fine. Again, it was just the shoulder. He just lost some feeling in there and we were just kind of waiting for that to come back a little bit during the game. Sometimes those are funny things but should be fine,” Pederson explained about Davis, suggesting he aggravated a previous injury.

Davis was on Jacksonville’s injury report with a hurt shoulder between Weeks 4-5.

“Ezra, ankle. He will be probably, as of today, probably day-to-day going into the weekend,” Pederson continued. “Scherff came back. Scherff’s going to be sore. Tough guy. Battled. Came back, finished the game. Should be okay for this weekend. Darby will be more day-to-day.”

The Jaguars return to practice Wednesday ahead of their Week 9 matchup with the Eagles in Philadelphia. Jacksonville’s next batch of injury updates will come out following that session.

Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. avoids major injury, ‘day-to-day’

Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. avoids major injury, ‘day-to-day’

Jaguars star rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. avoided a major injury against the Packers in Week 8, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson shared Monday.

Thomas suffered a chest contusion as he caught a 14-yard, brief-lead-taking touchdown in the third quarter of Jacksonville’s loss to Green Bay on Sunday, per Pederson.

“He’s just got a little contusion on the left side of his chest. It’s going to be sore,” Pederson said. “It’s kind of a day-to-day thing.”

Thomas underwent an MRI earlier Monday which did not show any significant damage, the wide receiver told ESPN’s Michael DiRocco.

Pederson suggested there is a chance Thomas will be able to play in Week 9 when the Jaguars travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles, depending on how Thomas handles his soreness throughout the week.

“Yes. I think it’s more about how much he can tolerate,” said Pederson.

Thomas finished Week 8 with three receptions for 60 yards and one touchdown bringing his rookie season totals to 33 catches for 573 yards (17.4 yards per reception) and five touchdowns through eight games.

Bills GM Brandon Beane: ‘We have been all in, all along’

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane joined the Pat McAfee show Wednesday to answer some questions in light of the recent trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Beane made one thing loud and clear. The Bills were never thinking about a rebuild. The trade for Cooper was evidence that the Bills are still very much all in to win the whole thing.

“We are still all in… If Cleveland wasn’t ready to do this we were going to continue to monitor it,” Beane said. “We still got a few weeks before the deadline. If we feel there is something else that we need or we feel there is something else that can get us over the top… we have been all in all along.”

When the Bills didn’t bring back a handful of marquee players this offseason, there were murmurs that it was a “reload” or “rebuild” year for the team. Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Stefon Diggs, Mitch Morse, Gabe Davis, Micah Hyde… there were a lot of familiar names and trusted leaders who exited the team. But, Beane had a plan all along. It wasn’t a rebuild, it was a transition.

“I know we have lost some names this offseason… some guys who have been captains… this was what I said was an offseason of transition,” Beane said. “The mindset here, as long as Josh Allen is our quarterback, we’re going to try to win this thing and we’re going to do what we can every single year.”

So, sitting at 4-2 with a lead in the AFC East, the team added a legit number-one receiver and has left the door open to upgrade the team further before the trade deadline. These are reassuring words from Beane if you are a Bills fan.

Take a look at the full response from Beane on the Pat McAfee Show:

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Trevor Lawrence and Gabe Davis apparently had to be separated during altercation on the Jaguars sidelines

The exchange included a tablet throw.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are having an absolutely miserable 2024, and the frustrations are already boiling over.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Bills, Gabe Davis joined Jacksonville as the Jaguars’ big offseason signing. But through four games, it’s been awfully quiet for the Jaguars receiver (just nine receptions and no touchdowns).

In the first half against the Colts, Davis was wide open on third down, but Lawrence checked down short of the sticks. Evidently, that led to a furious exchange between the two players on the sidelines. According to the broadcast, both Lawrence and Davis had to be separated by teammates.

Here’s the play that likely sparked the argument:

Lawrence threw a tablet during the altercation as well.

The broadcast never showed footage of the argument, but Lawrence did bounce back from the moment for an 85-yard touchdown pass a couple possessions later.

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Jaguars vs. Texans: Friday injury reports and game statuses

Jaguars vs. Texans: Friday injury reports and game statuses

The Jaguars and Texans have deemed a combined six players questionable and five players out of their Week 4, AFC South matchup in Houston.

Jacksonville will be without starting tight end Evan Engram for a third consecutive game, and starting linebacker Foyesade Oluokun for the first of what is expected to be several weeks.

Additionally, three starting Jaguars — wide receiver Gabe Davis, linebacker Devin Lloyd and safety Darnell Savage Jr. — enter the weekend questionable. So does Savage’s backup, Jarrian Jones.

Houston similarly won’t have a pair of starters available Sunday, wide receiver Tank Dell and safety Jimmie Ward. Starting running back Joe Mixon enters the game questionable while his backup, Dameon Pierce, is out.

However, star Texans receiver Nico Collins intends to play after joining the injury report on Thursday.

Find Jacksonville and Houston’s Friday injury reports and initial game statuses for Week 4 below.

* indicates status upgrade from the previous practice

Jaguars injury report

  • OL Cam Robinson (knee) — full*
  • OL Anton Harrison (knee) — full*
  • CB Montaric Brown (chest) — full*
  • RB Tank Bigsby (shoulder) — limited
  • WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
  • LB Devin Lloyd (knee) — limited*
  • CB Jarrian Jones (shoulder) — limited
  • S Darnell Savage Jr. (quadriceps) — limited
  • TE Evan Engram (hamstring) — did not participate
  • DL Arik Armstead (veteran rest) — did not participate
  • LB Foyesade Oluokun (foot) — did not participate

Jaguars game statuses

  • WR Gabe Davis: QUESTIONABLE
  • LB Devin Lloyd: QUESTIONABLE
  • CB Jarrian Jones: QUESTIONABLE
  • S Darnell Savage Jr.: QUESTIONABLE
  • TE Evan Engram: OUT
  • LB Foyesade Oluokun: OUT

Texans injury report

  • WR Nico Collins (hamstring) — full*
  • TE Dalton Schultz (ankle) — full
  • OL Kenyon Green (illness) — full
  • OL Jarrett Patterson (calf) — full
  • RB Joe Mixon (ankle) — limited*
  • DT Folorunso Fatukasi (shoulder) — limited
  • RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) — did not participate
  • WR Tank Dell (chest) — did not participate
  • S Jimmie Ward (groin) — did not participate

Texans game statuses

  • RB Joe Mixon: QUESTIONABLE
  • DT Folorunso Fatukasi: QUESTIONABLE
  • RB Dameon Pierce: OUT
  • WR Tank Dell: OUT
  • S Jimmie Ward: OUT

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.”

Josh Allen, Sean McDermott on facing former Bills Gabe Davis, Mitch Morse

Josh Allen, Sean McDermott on facing former Bills Gabe Davis, Mitch Morse

As the Buffalo Bills (2-0) prepare to host the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) on ‘Monday Night Football’, quarterback Josh Allen and head coach Sean McDermott were asked about their thoughts on going up against a couple of familiar faces.

Both wide receiver Gabe Davis and center Mitch Morse will be making their return to Orchard Park, NY on Monday. Morse was with the Bills from 2019-2023, while Davis was a member of the team from 2020-2023. Both players served as captains in Buffalo and left their mark on the fans, coaches, and players in the locker room.

“I wish those guys well,” McDermott said during a press conference Wednesday. “Two studs as it relates to what they added here and two guys I love being around. They helped us have the success that we had when they were here. We’re happy if they’re happy and their families are happy.”

Allen, having taken snaps from Morse for five years, and throwing passed to Davis for four years, expressed how much the two mean to him during a press conference Thursday:

“Two guys that mean a lot to me… not just football-wise but off-the-field-wise. There’s a lot of conversations that we’ve had over the years that I wouldn’t take back for anything. They’ve been brothers to me and I hope they feel the same about me. I have so much respect for those guys.”

The Week 3 game has probably been circled on the calendar of both Morse and Davis since the 2024 schedule was released. Morse played a big role in Allen’s development, being a veteran and a steady force for him under center following a wildly up-and-down rookie year. And, we will always have the “Gabe Davis game” to remember from the 2021 postseason, as he scored four touchdowns and racked up over 200 receiving yards.

The Bills have lost their last two matchups to the Jaguars (2021, 2023) so they’ll be focused on the task at hand come Monday.

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