Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Minnesota Vikings

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: LB Joe Schobert

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

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

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

Loser: Luq Barcoo

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

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

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

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

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

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

Winner: Dawuane Smoot

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

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

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

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

Loser: Mike Glennon

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jags Week 13 inactives: Starting CB Sidney Jones to miss his third game

The Jags will be without their best cornerback as they take on the Vikings Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars listed six players to their inactives list for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. The group included three of the five players who were ruled out Friday in cornerback Sidney Jones IV (Achilles), and linebackers Dakota Allen (hamstring) and Kamalei Correa (hamstring).

As for the others, quarterback Jake Luton, tight end Tyler Davis, and defensive end Reggie Gilbert were also listed

Of the names on the list, Jones is the biggest as he’s their best cornerback. Sunday’s game will be the third he’s missed for the Jags and his presence has clearly been missed when looking at the Jags’ struggles to stop their opponents top receivers. It’s also hurt them as far as turnovers goes because he leads the team in picks with two and has also caused a forced fumble.

Taking his place in the lineup will likely be rookie Luq Barcoo, who flashed last week against Cleveland. It was his second game as an active player and he finished it with four tackles, one of which was for a loss.

As for the Vikings, tight end Irv Smith Jr. was amongst their notables to be listed on the inactives list.

3 keys to a Jags victory vs. the Vikings

The Jags could upset the Vikings Sunday and shockingly Mike Glennon could be a keying doing so.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will conclude the third quarter of their season with a trip to Minneapolis Sunday to take on the Minnesota Vikings, who are red hot after winning four of their last five. As a result, a win for them this week and a loss for the Arizona Cardinals would give them a playoff spot as the No. 7 seed, so they will undoubtedly be playing hard.

However, despite their determination, the Vikings are a very beatable team and the Jags can upset them Week 13. Here are three keys that could make that happen and give the Jags their first win against the Vikings since December of 2001:

Let Mike Glennon continue where he left off Week 12

To the surprise of many, veteran quarterback Mike Glennon played well Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns and kept the Jags in the game throughout the whole process. While he ended the day with a completion rate of just over 57% (20-of-35), he ended the day with 235 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a QBR of 96.7.

This has seemingly made people on the Vikings’ end nervous as they’ve had a few games where they’ve played down to their competition. Two prime examples are their games against the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons where the Vikings lost by the totals of  31-28 and  40-23, respectively.

With that being the case, the Jags might as well ride the momentum of Glennon because the Vikings’ passing defense is ranked 24th overall, allowing an average of 270.6 yards a game. The key player who could aid Glennon in doing so could be Collin Johnson, who was his most explosive target last week after garnering four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.

Simply put, coordinator Jay Gruden needs to look to the Glennon-Johnson early connection early. If he can do that, it could be a long game for Minnesota.

But don’t forget about James Robinson

The Jaguars don’t want to get in an offensive shoot out with the Vikings by solely letting Glennon drop back in the pocket, especially when considering the state of their defense. That said, a little clock management wouldn’t hurt which would involve the Jags’ most consistent weapon, James Robinson.

Robinson is putting up a historic rookie campaign as an undrafted player.  He will enter the game with 890 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. That means 120 yards on the ground would put him at the 1,000-yard mark, which would be one awesome tidbit to come from a rough season for Jags fans.

As we’ve seen in the past, the Jags are their worst when they fall behind and don’t give Robinson 20 carries or more as a result of trying to play catch up. They must find that balance of utilizing Johnson and Robinson Sunday afternoon, and if they do, they will have a chance to beat the Vikings.

Garner turnovers through rattling Kirk Cousins, somehow

Believe it or not, the Vikings have a worse turnover margin figure than the Jags — albeit just barely (-5 to -6). A big reason for that is quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, who has the second-highest pick total in the league (11).

Cousins has had three games with two picks or more this season and all were losses. That said, the Jags need to manufacture a way to get to him, and that may involve moving away from their bend but don’t break style of defense. At this point, defensive coordinator Todd Wash has nothing to lose as the staff isn’t expected to be retained, so why not go against the grain and blitz a little more?

As of today, the Jags’ blitz percentage is 31.2%, which is good for 14th in the league. However, a slight increase in the category may be enough to rattle Cousins and make it a two-pick performance for the veteran, and as we saw against the Green Bay Packers, the Jags fare a little better when the turnovers come.

Jags defensive assistant Dwayne Stukes to miss Week 13’s game

The Jags traveled without one of their defensive assistants, Dwayne Stukes, who will miss his second game due to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without at least one assistant due to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol for the third consecutive week when they take the field against the Minnesota Vikings. This week it will be defensive assistant Dwayne Stukes.

Filling in for him will be assistant linebacker coach and former Jags player Tony Gilbert.

The news concerning Stukes comes after he missed last week’s game against the Cleveland Browns alongside defensive coordinator Todd Wash and defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich. Rebrovich also missed Week 10’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This season marks Stukes second as he joined the Jags’ staff in February of 2019 to assist Rebrovich and has 12 years of NFL coaching experience. Gilbert, on the other hand, is entering his first season as an NFL coach and coached on the collegiate and high school level from 2011-19.

Will the Jags-Vikings Week 13 game be on TV in your area?

The Jaguars-Vikings game won’t have a win range of coverage down south, but will I the norther part of the Midwest.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be traveling to Minneapolis Sunday to face a Minnesota Vikings team that has won four of their last five. After a slow start to the season, that run has put them at a game away from .500 and one spot away from a playoff seed.

As for the Jags, they could once again make Sunday’s game very entertaining for their fanbase, who mostly don’t want to win any more games, but don’t mind looking at a watchable product. While they haven’t won since Week 1, three of their four last games have been decided by no more than four points.

As we’ve seen every week aside from when they were on primetime television, the game will kickoff at 1:00 pm EST on Sunday, Dec. 6 on CBS. Per 506 Sports, those who live in the green shaded areas will be able to see the game.

This week will involve a historic moment in history as Beth Mowins will become the first woman to take on NFL play-by-play duties on network television. Meanwhile, Jay Feely will be handling the color commentator duties.

The Vikings will enter Sunday’s game as the leader of the all-time series between them and the Jags with a 5-1 record against them. The Jags’ only win against the Vikings came in December of 2001 in the form of a 33-3 victory. That said, the Cardiac Cats will be battling against a lot of bad history Sunday as they are currently listed as 10.5 point underdogs, per BetMGM.

Mike Glennon to start vs. Vikings despite Gardner Minshew being cleared

After a respectable performance against the Cleveland Browns, Mike Glennon will remain the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starter at quarterback. Coach Doug Marrone informed the media of the decision Wednesday morning as it appears the team doesn’t want to …

After a respectable performance against the Cleveland Browns, Mike Glennon will remain the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starter  at quarterback. Coach Doug Marrone informed the media of the decision Wednesday morning as it appears the team doesn’t want to stop the veteran’s momentum.

In addition to declaring Glennon the starter, Marrone also stated that Gardner Minshew II was cleared after recovering from a thumb injury. With that being the case, many expected him to get his job back, however, Glennon earned a second start by going 20-of-35 for 235 yards and two touchdowns Week 12.

Minshew has been sidelined since the Jags’ bye week (Week 8) after trying to play through the thumb injury he sustained Week 5 against the Houston Texans and didn’t disclose. Rookie Jake Luton was given the first crack at filling his role (Weeks 9-11), however, he was benched after struggling against the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Glennon, on the other hand, kept the Jags in their game against the Browns. However, Week 13’s game in Minneapolis could be challenging as the Vikings are hungry and knocking on the door of playoff contention.

Jags currently 8.5-point underdogs to Vikings

The Jags will once again be underdogs as the travel up north to take on the Vikings who are close to acquiring a playoff spot.

The trend for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020 has been to enter most of their games as underdogs and that hasn’t changed for Week 13. With a trip to Minneapolis coming up Sunday, BetMGM has them down as 8.5-point underdogs against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Jags are currently a +325 underdog on the money line, which means a $100 wager on the Jags would net a bettor $325. Meanwhile, the over/under is set at a figure of 51.5.

When looking at the Jags’ history against the Vikings, it isn’t all that great as they are 1-5 against them. Their last regular season meeting occurred in 2016 in Jacksonville and the Vikings were able to get the win by a score of 25-16. The Vikings also won the meeting before that in 2012 (by a score of 26-23 in overtime), which was the last game played between the two in Minneapolis.

So far, the Vikings haven’t been all that great at U.S. Bank Stadium with a 2-4 home record. However, after a win Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, they have a little bit of momentum and motivation as they are the No. 8 seed in the NFC Playoff hunt.