Jaguars vs. Colts inactives: Richardson, Engram out of Week 5
Jacksonville and Indianapolis’ Week 5, AFC South matchup in Jacksonville will be without a lot of offensive star power.
The Jaguars and Colts officially ruled a combined six starters out in the hours before kickoff Sunday, including four key offensive contributors, tight end Evan Engram on Jacksonville’s side and quarterback Anthony Richardson, running back Jonathan Taylor and center Ryan Kelly on Indianapolis’.
Find Jacksonville and Indianapolis’ inactive lists for Week 5 below.
Jaguars inactive list
TE Evan Engram
OL Javon Foster
OL Cole Van Lanen
DE Myles Cole
DT Jordan Jefferson
LB Yasir Abdullah
S Daniel Thomas
Analysis: Jaguars starting tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) will miss his fourth consecutive game, despite his return to practice in a limited capacity this week. Brenton Strange will likely start in his place.
Jacksonville safety and special teams ace Daniel Thomas entered the weekend questionable with a hamstring injury and is inactive for Week 5.
Notably not on the Jaguars’ inactive list are starting linebacker Devin Lloyd (knee) and safety/nickel cornerback Darnell Savage Jr. (quadriceps), who Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson on Friday said he expected to return from injury this week.
Savage, a March free-agent signee by Jacksonville, returns to the lineup following three games of absence. Lloyd missed Week 4 against Houston after appearing on the injury report that Thursday.
Colts inactive list
QB Anthony Richardson
RB Jonathan Taylor
WR Anthony Gould
OT Blake Freeland
C Ryan Kelly
DE Kwity Paye
CB Kenny Moore II
Analysis: Colts starting quarterback Anthony Richardson and center Ryan Kelly were officially deemed inactive Sunday morning, joining three fellow starters, running back Jonathan Taylor, defensive end Kwity Paye and nickel cornerback Kenny Moore, in being out of Sunday’s matchup.
Seventeenth-year NFL quarterback Joe Flacco will start in place of Richardson at quarterback for Indianapolis.
Playing for the injured Deshaun Watson with Cleveland last year, Flacco threw for 311 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against the Jaguars in a 31-27 Browns victory in Week 14.
Week 10 marked another disappointing loss for the #Jaguars, but stunningly it wasn’t because of the defense.
The Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t able to secure their first winning streak since 2019 on Sunday after falling to the Indianapolis Colts in a battle where they fought to the end. Ultimately, with the Jags surging late in the game, the Colts were able to do enough to hold them off and move to 4-4 after a 23-17 victory.
While the game put another figure in the loss column for the Jags (now 2-7), it wasn’t all bad for the Jags as we’ve seen with some of the losses of the past. At the same time, there were a lot of costly mistakes that could end up making the team better down the road if they look to correct them.
With that being the case, here are the good, bad, and ugly takeaways we came away with after assessing Sunday’s loss:
After missing Week 9’s game against Buffalo due to the heel injury he sustained Week 8 in Seattle, Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson will play against the Indianapolis Colts. The news comes as Robinson was deemed a game-time decision and had to work out for the team before Week 10’s away game.
Robinson was limited in practice Thursday and Friday after being a game-time decision last week. He was listed as questionable on the final injury report as a result.
The Jags’ doctors were obviously encouraged enough by what they saw out of Robinson during his pregame work out and his addition to the offense is huge, though he may not be at 100%. The team has only scored 19 points the past two weeks and could use its top scorer in Robinson who has four touchdowns to his name this season with 482 yards.
Even with Robinson back, though, Urban Meyer said the plan will be to utilize Carlos Hyde, too. The team also has Dare Ogunbowale listed among its active players for Sunday’s game, so he will be the No. 3 option at running back while also contributing on special teams.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport provided an update on James Robinson’s status Sunday morning.
#Jaguars RB James Robinson (heel) is a true game-time decision today, sources say. Playing likely won’t make it worse, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll go. Robinson will work out pre-game.
Just as he was last week, Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson will be a game-time decision. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the second-year running back will work out before Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Then, once that’s completed, they will then decide on Robinson’s status.
Robinson was ruled questionable on the final injury report, and coach Urban Meyer said he was hoping to know about Robinson’s status after Friday’s practice or Saturday. However, it appears Robinson didn’t completely look comfortable whenever the Jags looked at him, though it may be an injury he can play through as Rapoport suggests.
Regardless of Robinson’s status, Meyer said the team had plans to utilize No. 2 running back Carlos Hyde alongside him. That indicated that Robinson likely wouldn’t be 100% from the injury, which he sustained Week 8 against the Seattle Seahawks after he was pushed out of bounds.
Hyde, who started last week, was able to accumulate 21 carries for 67 yards against the Buffalo Bills, which was good for a 3.2-yard average. Dare Ogunbowale was the No. 2 running back behind him and received a carry that only went for a yard.
With Robinson being the motor of the Jags’ defense, it would be huge to have him back, even if it’s on a limited basis. However, if the injury won’t allow him to focus on being at his best as he said on Thursday, holding him out one more week would be a smart decision.
While the Jags ended up losing Sunday to the Colts, receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. couldn’t be stopped on offense.
It seems that victory has escaped the Jacksonville Jaguars even in the new year.
The Jacksonville Jaguars ended their season on a sour note as they fell to their AFC South rivals in the Indianapolis Colts by the score of 28-14. With the loss, the Jaguars end the 2020-21 season with the NFL’s longest losing streak at 15 games and finish the season with the worst record in the NFL with a 1-15 mark.
While the losses have been frequent, the silver lining is that the Jaguars will finish the season with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and a whopping eleven draft picks overall.
The Jaguars looked to repeat their Week 1 magic where they defeated the Colts 27-20, but that would not be the case as a strong running game and pass rush guided the Colts to victory. It was not all bad, though, as some players on the Jags’ side shined while some faded to the background.
Here are the winners and losers from the Jaguars’ season finale loss to the Colts:
The Jaguars could have possibly found their cornerstone wide receiver in Laviska Shenault Jr.
The rookie out of Colorado had an incredible day, finishing it with the first multi-touchdown game of his career along with six catches for 68 yards. When factoring in last week’s game, Shenault ended the season with a touchdown in the Jags’ last two contests.
The No. 42 overall pick of April’s draft finished his rookie campaign with five scores on the season to go along with 532 yards and 52 receptions. He has also shown some versatility as he’s also lined up in the backfield 17 times, averaging a 5.5 yards per carry clip.
Shenault has shown great ability to shed off tacklers with his imposing 6-foot-1, 227-pound frame and become a trusted safety valve for each of the Jags’ quarterbacks. He will be a crucial part of a young Jaguars’ offensive core going forward with fellow receiver D.J. Chark Sr. and running back James Robinson.
Loser: The offensive line, yet again
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
The Jaguars offensive line did not have an easy day against one of the premier defenses in the NFL.
The Jags’ offensive linemen gave up a whopping six sacks on the day and had zero answers for Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner as he finished his day with two sacks. Colts stud linebacker Darius Leonard got in on the action as he not only got a sack but also was credited with a forced fumble that was eventually recovered by cornerback TJ Carrie.
The Jaguars pass protection has been a mixed bag of results as they have had stretches where they have played well, such as Weeks 12-14 where they only gave up only two sacks. However, this was a game where they did not hold up well against a Colts defense that only ranked No. 16 in sacks.
Winner: Chris Conley
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports)
With the receiving corps missing their main weapon in Chark, Chris Conley stepped up positively.
Conley finished with a season-high of 87 receiving yards and seven receptions. His yardage output was his most since Week 1 of 2019, where he had 97 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. Conley has been a secondary weapon of the Jaguars offense but filled in quite admirably when called upon to be a major part of the offense.
Conley will be an unrestricted free agent after the season after coming to Jacksonville on a two-year $4.5-plus million deal. With his ability to stretch the field vertically, time will tell if he will be back in Duval.
Losers: Joe Schobert/Myles Jack
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
The Jaguars linebacking corps may have had their absolute worst game all season.
While the defense played solid against the Colts by the standards of a one-win team, Joe Schobert and Myles Jack struggled. Colts rookie running back Johnathan Taylor had his way with the pair as he ran en route to a season-high 253 yards and two touchdowns.
Schobert took poor angles all day in the run game, and one prime example was on Taylor’s 45-yard touchdown where the Jags’ linebacker got faked out in the trenches and was beaten for the long score. Schobert was also practically nowhere to be found on the rookie’s 56-yard run that later led to a one-yard touchdown.
Jack couldn’t find any room to get open as his block shedding left a lot to be desired. The star linebacker had issues when blocked by Colts tight end Jack Doyle and was completely erased from the play previous to Taylor’s 56-yard touchdown run. Jack was also virtually nowhere to be found on any of Taylor’s large runs leading to a practical one-man dissection of the Jags’ linebackers.
The defense overall did a great job in pass coverage in slowing down Colts quarterback Philip Rivers, however, Taylor ran roughshod over two of the more talented linebackers in football. While both have played well this season, this game against the Colts was one where they definitely might want to forget about.
Finally, the Jags’ 2020 season has ended, but not without another loss.
Finally, it’s over.
The Jacksonville Jaguars concluded their 2020 season Sunday after falling to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium by a score of 28-14. As a result, the Jags finished the season with the worst record in the league and in their franchise’s history, while the Colts will advance to the playoffs.
Sunday’s game was one in which the Colts started hot and never looked back. They got off to a 20-0 start against the Jags with the first touchdown coming from T.Y. Hilton early in the first quarter. As for their second touchdown, it came as the result of Indy taking advantage of a Mike Glennon fumble (caused by Darius Leonard) at the Jags’ 36-yard line. The Colts were also able to add two field goals before the half courtesy of Rodrigo Blankenship.
However, before the half could end, receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. put the Jags on the board after scoring off a slant pattern where he beat cornerback TJ Carrie. As a result, the Colts went into halftime up 20-7.
After the half, Shenault would continue his success through the air by snagging another touchdown during the Jags first drive of the third quarter. He was able to link up with Glennon on an outside post where he got a step on Leonard and was hit with a perfect pass from his veteran cornerback. Of course, that was the last score of the game for the Jags and also was the only score of the quarter, putting the game at a score of 20-14.
With their playoff hopes being threatened, the Colts went ahead to finish the job thanks to rookie tailback Johnathan Taylor. With the ball at around the mid-field point, Taylor was able to bust a 45-yard rush open and take it to the house, putting a dagger in the heart of the Jags. Afterward, Hilton was able to help with a 2-point conversion, which gave Indy a two-touchdown lead and put the game at its final scoring figure.
The loss marked another game in which the Jags’ defense allowed over 400 yards (437 to be exact), which is an issue that has been an ongoing problem all year. A majority of those yards came from Taylor, who had a whopping total of 30 carries for 253 yards and two touchdowns.
As for the Jags, it was pretty much a roller-coaster day for Glennon, who took the field for his fourth start of the season and finished his day 26-of-42, for 261 yards, and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, receiver Chris Conley led the way in receiving with seven catches for 87 yards and Dare Ogunbowale was the rushing leader with 14 carries for 50 yards.
With Week 17’s game in the books, it’s now on to the 2021 offseason, which will involve many changes. That includes the fate of coach Doug Marrone, who will meet with ownership Monday and is expected to be fired in the coming days.
Afterward, they will be tasked with finding his replacement and a new general manager, then it’s on to the 2021 NFL Draft where the Jags have 11 selections, including the No. 1 overall pick.
The Jags will be underdogs by their largest deficit of the year Week 17 against Indy.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will end their season just as they entered it: as underdogs to the Indianapolis Colts. This time, however, it will be by 15 points, per BetMGM — their largest spread deficit of the year.
Taking the Jags on the money line this week would pay well if the Jags were to upset Indy as the Cardiac Cats are a +725 point underdog there. Meanwhile, the over/under is currently set at a 49.5 figure.
There could be playoff implications on the line if the Colts receive help in the form of a Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, or Cleveland Browns loss this Sunday. At that point, it would be on the Colts to defeat the Jags for a wildcard playoff spot.
While the Jags have had the roughest year in team history to this point, the one win they have been able to accumulate was Week 1 against Indy. In that game, they beat the Colts at TIAA Bank Field by a score of 27-20.
Overall, the Colts have been the most successful team in their rivalry with the Jags, owning a 24-15 record against them. They will also have recent history by their sides as they are 7-1 against the Jags at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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The Jags will need their offense to lead the way if they are to beat the Colts Sunday and, of course, Gardner Minshew is one of many keys.
Today is finally the day. Jaguars football is back on our screens in just a matter of hours. The offseason has been filled with a multitude of storylines, some controversy, and distress for fans. Opening day represents something entirely different: when the hope has yet to be taken away, and the air is thick with Bud Light, excitement, and anticipation.
However, this year the anticipation is different and it’s because football is not going to look like it has in the past. For much of the year, the mere prospect of football was very much in doubt, but thanks to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols and each franchise’s diligence, the season is here.
On today’s slate of games, the only matchup that will have fans is the one being held in Duval County as the Jags will host the Indianapolis Colts. If the Jaguars fans in attendance are to go home happy, the three players below need to have a good game:
RB James Robinson
The undrafted rookie running back from Illinois State was supposedly a large factor in the team’s decision to move on from former top-5 pick Leonard Fournette. With the likes of Devin Ozigbo and Ryquell Armstead both unavailable for the game, James Robinson looks set to become the feature back for Jay Gruden’s offense early on this season.
If he gets off to a hot start, the Jaguars running back might join the likes of Philip Lindsay and Austin Ekeler, two undrafted running backs who’ve held their own for their respective teams. The Colts’ front seven is beginning to come into its own and the addition of second-team All-Pro DeForest Buckner will only help them.
Simply put, Week 1 will provide a tough test for Robinson in his pro debut. However, if he shines, he might be the long-term future at the position for the Jaguars.
LT Cam Robinson
Someone whose long-term future is by no means certain is left tackle Cam Robinson. As of now, there hasn’t been any news about the Jags looking into an extension, so it’s possible they will let the season play out to evaluate him.
Robinson missed nearly all of 2018 after suffering a torn ACL in a Jaguars win over New England and hasn’t been able to consistently perform at the same level since his return. The reports coming out of camp suggest that this is the best he has looked for quite some time, having been able to rehab properly over the course of the offseason.
The former Alabama star will need to play up to his full potential if he hopes to secure a new deal with the team who drafted him in the second-round back in 2017. Having a solid showing against Justin Houston Week 1 would be a great start towards getting that new deal.
QB Gardner Minshew
The 2020 season is Gardner Minshew’s audition for the role of franchise quarterback. In his rookie year, Minshew played well enough to bench $88 million man Nick Foles, but more importantly, he did enough to prevent Dave Caldwell from taking a quarterback early in the draft.
Make no mistake, if he underperforms this year then the Jaguars will almost certainly be moving on from MinshewMania for 2021. For that reason, it’s vital that the second-year passer gets off to a hot start.
Everybody outside of the Jaguars’ facility seems certain that the team is “tanking for Trevor Lawrence,” but those within the organization are hopeful that their current quarterback can show he’s able to lead the team to wins. That would not only save his jobs, but also Caldwell’s and Doug Marrone’s.
Minshew’s only game against the Colts (2019’s season finale) is one of the best so far in his career. He was able to put up almost 300 passing yards for three touchdowns in a 38-20 victory. If he’s able to come anywhere close to that production today, there is a real chance the Jaguars can shock the league and start out 1-0.
The Colts will be the heavy favorites in their Week 1 game against the Jags, who are the leagues youngest team.
It has been a much-maligned start to the season for the Jacksonville Jaguars, to say the least.
After having a well-received draft that was highlighted by the selections of wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. and edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, the hype train surrounding the team has lost a lot of momentum. The reason for that, of course, is a recent series of controversial moves on the front office’s part.
One of those controversial moves was trading defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings. The second was releasing former 2017 No. 4 overall pick Leonard Fournette, who ended up with the Jags’ in-state rivals in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A less-glamorous third transaction came in the form of trading starting safety Ronnie Harrison to the Cleveland Browns a few days after.
Those moves did not instill any hope in the Jags fans and it apparently hasn’t done the same to the sportsbooks either. The Cardiac Cats will open as a 7.5-point underdog in their season-opening matchup against their divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts, according to BetMGM.
When looking at last season’s series, the Jaguars and the Colts split their season matchups with the Jaguars winning the last meeting by the score of 38-20. The Colts beat them handily over a month before by a score of 33-13. As for their all-time record against Indy, it isn’t pretty as the Jags will enter Week 1 with a 14-24 overall record versus the Colts.
The Jags are also a +310 underdog on the money line meaning that a $100 bet on the Jaguars to win will net a $310 winning plus the original bet amount.
Time will tell if this the first of many underdog bets in the Jags 2020 season.
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Fans feel as though there wasn’t a lot of good to take from the Jags loss to the Colts but at least Foles looked to be 100% from his injury.
Time is slowly ticking away on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ season.
The Jaguars concluded Week 11 with a brutal 33-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. With this loss, the Jags sit at 4-6 on the year and will move further down the standings in the AFC. This all but eradicates their chances of making the playoffs.
Sunday’s game was also a huge deal because it marked Nick Foles’ return from the collarbone injury he sustained Week 1.
How would Foles measure up to a tough division rival in the Colts? Here are the good, the bad and the ugly moments from the Jaguars loss vs. the Colts:
1. The good: Foles’ shoulder looks well and healthy
Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
While the final result on the scoreboard wasn’t particularly desirable, Foles showed that he is perfectly healthy and appeared to show no setbacks from his injured shoulder. Foles threw 47 passes and had 33 completions, proving that he can handle a high volume of passes. He even showed off some great intermediate accuracy on his two touchdown throws to wide receiver DJ Chark Jr.
There were many questions as to rather or not Foles would be able to return to form after his injury and it seems for now that everything looks fine health-wise for him. It’s an encouraging sign for a quarterback that the Jaguars will be committed to for three more years.
