Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts

Report: Jags sign Nick O’Leary after injuries at TE position

The Jags sustained another big injury at tight end and has signed former Florida State TE Nick O’Leary.

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With the Jacksonville Jaguars taking several hits at the tight end position, the team has decided to bring in some help. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, they signed former Florida State alum Nick O’Leary Monday.

O’Leary, 27, was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth-round of the 2015 NFL Draft and was with the team until 2018. Afterward, he was with the Miami Dolphins from September of 2018 to October of this year. While with both organizations, he managed to accumulate 44 catches for 596 yards and three touchdowns.

The Jags entered Week 11’s game with just two tight ends active in Josh Oliver and Ben Koyack. However, Seth DeValve was amongst the team’s inactives after sustaining an oblique injury in practice. To make matters worse, Oliver sustained the back injury mentioned by Rapoport while hauling in his only reception of the day.

Heading forward, it appears the Jags may be in a bind at the tight end position because they’ve simply had bad luck there. Earlier in the season, the team placed both Geoff Swaim and James O’Shaughnessy on injured reserve, and if Oliver has to join them, the Jags will be left relying on whatever free agent they can find down the road.

Report: Josh Oliver suffered small back fractures vs. Colts

The Jags have taken a hit at a position they couldn’t afford to.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars rolled into Week 11’s game against the Indianapolis Colts thin at tight end due to Seth DeValve sustaining an oblique injury in practice a few days before. Unfortunately, they exited the game in even worse shape at the position as Josh Oliver, one of the team’s two healthy tight ends, exited the game with back fractures that could cause him to miss more time.

The injury seemingly occurred on his only catch of the day, which was a 5-yard reception from quarterback Nick Foles. He was brought down awkwardly by a Colts defender and immediately grabbed his back.

Despite his lack of receptions (three catches for 15 yards), Oliver’s injury is a huge blow for the staff for the simple fact that Doug Marrone is probably coaching for his job. Additionally, the hope was for Oliver to get more involved down the line at a position that the Jags need production from given how the scheme works.

Oliver had already missed the first seven weeks of the season recovering from a severe hamstring injury he suffered early in training camp. Now, it appears he has a strong chance to finish the season on injured reserve, though the Jags could keep him on the roster if they believe the injury isn’t severe.

 

WATCH: Here’s every reception from D.J. Chark’s monster day vs. Colts

DJ Chark had another 100-plus yard day and this week it was against the Colts, who are a top-10 ranked unit against the pass.

There wasn’t a lot of positives to take from the beatdown the Jacksonville Jaguars suffered at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts Week 11 but DJ Chark at least was one player who brought some fight. The second-year receiver came into Week 11 as one of the AFC’s top receivers and showed the Colts’ No. 9 ranked passing defense exactly how much he’s improved since his rough rookie campaign.

By the time the game was over, Chark accumulated over 100 yards on the day and two touchdowns, at least leaving those who own him on their fantasy rosters happy. Here are all of his catches against the Colts, who seemingly had no answers for the young speedster Sunday:

Winners and losers from Jags vs. Colts

The Jags’ performance against the Colts was very poor but Yannick Ngakoue was solid as usual.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts duked it out at Lucas Oil Field Sunday afternoon and it didn’t end well for the Jags. In fact, it was a beatdown for the Cardiac Cats, who fell by a score of 33-13.

As there is in any game there were some players (and coaches) who came out winners and losers from the process and here are four members of the Jags in particular who caught our eyes:

Winners

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

WR D.J. Chark Jr.

DJ Chark Jr. is a player who we’ve often placed here in the winners category and with Nick Foles back under center, he didn’t disappoint once again. Chark had his third 100-yard game of the year and second game with two touchdowns. He set the tone early by linking up with Foles for a touchdown pass in the first quarter and was the most consistent player throughout the game.

Although the game had gotten out of hand late, he added another touchdown reception to his résumé, giving him eight on the season which is tied for the most in the league. The 104 yards he was able to accumulate on the day also put him at 796 yards total on the season, good for ninth in the league.

Chark’s performance against the Colts No. 9 ranked defense further makes his case to attend the Pro Bowl this season after a drastically improving upon his rookie season. At the rate he’s going he’ll eclipse 1,000 yards in two to three weeks, which hasn’t been done since 2015 when the Allen Brothers did it.

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

DE Yannick Ngakoue

In a performance where the Jags’ defense was gashed and allowed 264 rushing yards, there was some good play on the edge. Yannick Ngakoue, in particular, was a player who caught my eyes on several occasions as he was a handful for the Colts talented offensive line.

Ngakoue ultimately finished the day with four tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Unfortunately, the Jags weren’t able to recover the fumble, however, that’s certainly not his fault.

Many fans already had questions as to why Ngakoue hasn’t gotten paid yet and the performance he had against a quality Colts unit will only make fans scratch their heads more. Then again, maybe the front office will have a change of heart and get something done as Ngakoue now has 34.5 career sacks to his name and has been a turnover causing machine for the franchise

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Nick Foles says Jags must remain poised for next games despite loss to Colts

While the Jags loss to the Colts was a big blow to their playoff hopes, Nick Foles says the team must remain poised heading forward.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars 33-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts is one in which the fans may not be taking well but the players on the team understand they must quickly put it behind them. As one of the leaders on the team, quarterback Nick Foles especially has to have short-term memory despite his return being a rough one.

“I think the big thing is don’t press,” Foles said after the game per Mike DiRocco of ESPN. “I think it’s easy to press in this situation and think the sky’s falling, the world is over. It’s not. We’re blessed to play a game. The big thing for guys right now is go home. You’ve got family at home. You have a wife. Go love her. Go be with her. If you have kids go be with your kids. […] We are 4-6. That is the situation. But we can’t win six games at once.”

Foles’ heavily anticipated return got off to a a solid start. He was able to hit DJ Chark Jr. for their second touchdown connection of the year with roughly seven minutes left in the first quarter. After that, however, he wasn’t able to make many impact plays heading forward. In fact, he had some ball placement issues, threw in double-coverage on occasions and threw a pick in the process of going 33-of-47 for just under 300 yards.

In years past, fans would have to worry about how the locker room would handle a loss of this magnitude but it appears Foles has the right mind-set to relay to his comrades. Hopefully, they take his advice for Week 12’s game against the Tennessee Titans, which would give them a sweep over their longtime rivals.

Instant analysis: Jags get embarrassed by Colts despite Nick Foles’ return

The Jags entered Sunday’s must-win game needing to show some life and did the exact opposite.

The Jacksonville Jaguars came into Week 11’s game against the Indianapolis Colts looking to capitalize on a must-win situation but that did not happen. In fact, it wasn’t even a close game as the Jags fell flat with the final score being 33-13.

The Jags were coming off their bye week almost at full strength with just one player on their injury report, while the Colts were without their top receiver, T.Y. Hilton, however, that did not matter. The Colts offense still found success on the ground as the Jags’ defense had another terrible outing against the run. By the time the clock hit 0:00 the Colts had garnered 264 rushing yards mostly thanks to Jonathan Williams, who had 116 yards and Marlon Mack, who exited the game early with an injury but had 109 yards and a touchdown. Simply put, Week 11 marked yet another poor showing from Todd Wash, which should leave the status for his job potentially in the air.

The Jags’ offense wasn’t much better, however, and that was despite the return of Nick Foles from his Week 1 collarbone injury. The veteran had a forgettable day despite the plethora of passing attempts he made (33-of-47) and passing for just under 300 yards and a pick. Of course, those stats were padded due to the Jags being behind for most of the game. Additionally, he had some poorly thrown balls throughout the game, but it’s worth noting he’s just returning from a two-month hiatus. Still, it was not a performance fans will be happy about — and rightfully so.

The Jags also had some questionable offensive play-calling by John DeFilippo. Similar to their previous loss to the Houston Texans in London, the team didn’t give Leonard Fournette a lot of carries early and it resulted in him finishing the game with just eight total carries (for 23 rushing yards) on the whole day. With him being one of the league’s top rushers many fans will question his usage, which is puzzling, to say the least.

In all probability, the Jags have played themselves out of postseason contention although the Houston Texans lost handily Week 11 as well. Still, they will have to get over this loss quickly with a trip to the Tennessee Titans coming up. Kickoff for that game will be at 4:05 EST on Nov. 24 via CBS.

Injury news: DE/LB Lerentee McCray sustains hamstring injury vs. Colts, questionable to return

The Jags exited the first half of their game against the Colts with an injury to one of their reserves on the defensive line.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars came into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts relatively healthy but will leave it with at least one injury. Defensive end/ linebacker Lerentee McCray exited the first half with a hamstring injury and is questionable to return.

It’s unknown as to what play the injury was sustained on but if he can’t return the Jags have plenty of depth on defensive end with Yannick Ngakoue, Josh Allen and Dawuane Smoot.

McCray hadn’t registered any stats before the injury, however, he has five total tackles on the season.

WATCH: Nick Foles throws first TD pass to DJ Chark in return from injury vs. Colts

Nick Foles is continuing where he left off Week 1 with the Jags by linking up with the receiver he threw his first regular season TD pass to.

It looks like Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles is picking up right where he left off.

The veteran put the Jags on the board with a brilliant 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Chark Sr. with nearly seven minutes left in the first quarter:

Chark turned on the jets and completely blew by Colts safety Malik Hooker and cornerback Marvin Tell III for the score.

The Colts are up by a score of 10-7 currently in the second quarter. The Colts’ last score came from kicker Adam Vinatieri, which gave them the lead after running back Marlon Mack previously scored a rushing touchdown.

3 Jaguars to watch on offense vs. Colts

With kickoff just a few hours away, here are three Jaguars to watch on offense vs Indianapolis.

Despite an embarrassing showing in London against the Houston Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a chance to be the provisional number six seed with a win over the Colts. Yes, the Oakland Raiders would also have to lose to an 0-9 Cincinnati team, but there’s a chance.

Head Coach Doug Marrone made the decision to go with now-healthy veteran quarterback Nick Foles after the bye week. With him only seeing the field for two series this regular season, fans will be eager to see what he has to offer against the Colts.

With the game just under an hour away, here are three players on offense to keep your eye on vs Indianapolis:

1. QB Nick Foles

He’s the player everyone is talking about. However, some fans and media members were onboard to see Minshew Mania throughout the rest of the season. In my opinion though, Marrone has done the right thing by rolling with the veteran as Jacksonville tries to make a late charge to the post-season.

The buzz around the improved aerial attack coming out of training camp was palpable. It was such a shame to see all of that momentum wiped out in the opening game. Hopefully, Foles is able to put on a show Sunday afternoon and remind us why the Jaguars felt comfortable giving him the most expensive contract in team history through free agency.

2. TE Josh Oliver

The rookie tight end was sidelined for the start of the season, but since returning to action in Week 7, his snap count is increasing more over time.

For Jacksonville, the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time as they prepare to run the table with three more divisional games. The extra week allows Foles to come back into the fray, whilst also giving Oliver the opportunity to establish himself in the offense. His return has seen Seth DeValve’s snap count drop week by week and this game will likely be the first time Oliver is used as the primary tight end.

3. RB Ryquell Armstead

The Jaguars offense has worked better when coordinator John DeFlippo uses other backs to take some of the pressure off Leonard Fournette. Over the last three games, Armstead has gradually been getting more involved in the offense. The rookie was one of a handful of standout players in England, catching five passes for over 60 yards, including a 35-yard reception which was the longest play of the day for Jacksonville.

It will be interesting to see if Jacksonville utilize him more, as he has shown his potential when asked to catch out of the backfield. That’s something Fournette is getting a chance to showcase more but Armstead may be an even better receiving tailback.

2 Jaguars X-factors to watch vs. Colts

Chis Conley might be the Jags’ X-factor on offense against the Colts, while Ronnie Harrison may be for the defense.

Heading into Sunday’s game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts, there are many players who fans are expecting to put up solid stats. In the Jags’ case, Leonard Fournette, D.J. Chark, Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue all fall in that category. However, in some games, there is an unexpected player who impacts the outcome, also known as X-factors.

Let’s take a look at a player on each side of the ball who could be that player for the Jags in their must-win game against Indy:

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

WR Chris Conley

With quarterback Nick Foles back, fans shouldn’t rule out the passing game having a good day in general although I tend to think there will be some rust. However, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Foles link up with the target he’s the most familiar with in Chris Conley, who was a teammate of his with the Kansas City Chiefs, too.

Conley has only registered one 100-yard game so far this regular season and that was against the New York Jets. It may remain that way by the end of Sunday’s game, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Foles and Conley link up for multiple key connections. It also wouldn’t shock me to see Conley get over five receptions, something the hasn’t happened since Week 1.

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