Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars

Doug Marrone says Yannick Ngakoue has improved both against the run and as a pass rusher

Yannick Ngakoue hasn’t let the fact that the Jags elected not to pay him this offseason bother him, instead he’s made a stronger case.

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Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue may not have received the contract extension he was hoping for this offseason, but that hasn’t stopped him from going on the field and proving himself. In fact, despite having to battle through an injury, he’s been one of the defense’s best players (which is no surprise) accumulating 23 tackles, four sacks, a pick-six and a Pro Football Focus grade of 70.4.

Of course, one person who has taken note to Ngakoue’s 2019 campaign is Jags coach Doug Marrone, who praise the fourth year edge rusher’s efforts and told the media that he’s improved both as a pass rusher and run defender.

“When you see the production by him you have to remember that teams are doing a lot to stop him, especially in the pass rush phase,” Marrone said about Ngakoue. “He’s had a bunch of quality rushes, but he also has a bunch of double teams that he’s fighting through or chips. I think he has improved greatly in the run game; I think he’s done a really good job there, and I think he has improved as a pass rusher and has done an excellent job.”

Clearly, Marrone understands that having Ngakoue makes his roster better. He also understands that Ngakoue has been a key figure in his locker room when it comes to leadership — something the Jags lacked in 2018.

The Jags reportedly shot Ngakoue at least one deal this offseason which would’ve paid him over $50 million over two years and would’ve came in at an annual amount of $19 million, however, the guaranteed amount that would’ve came with that deal is unknown. At the rate he’s playing, there is certainly now a stronger case for a better deal and one in which should exceed two to three years. Add in the fact that the team already loss Jalen Ramsey earlier this season and it appears Ngakoue could put the Jags in a predicament where not paying him would absolutely look bad on the organization’s part.

Doug Marrone just discovered the RedZone channel, and it blew his mind

Doug Marrone made a shocking discovery this past weekend when he got to sit down and watch NFL Network’s RedZone for the first time.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars having to claw for all of their victories while also dealing with the absence of Nick Foles, the trade of Jalen Ramsey and the emergence of Gardner Minshew II, it’s easy to see why coach Doug Marrone hasn’t had a lot of time to watch television. However, with the Jags on their bye week last week, he got a chance to check out the rest of the league’s teams.

In the process, he discovered NFL Network’s RedZone channel, which blew his mind.

“Well, I’ll tell you, yesterday was the first time I was able to kind of watch some stuff, and I don’t normally do it,” Marrone said about the upsets that happened during Week 10. “But I got around and I watched that NFL Network RedZone. That stuff’s crazy. It goes from game to game to game. It was crazy. I didn’t know they had that stuff.”

Yes, Coach, I completely agree, NFL RedZone is indeed crazy. It’s also been around for 10 years.

Marrone continued by stating that the upsets he witnessed Sunday are proof that each NFL organization has to bring it week in and week out. Heading forward, that will also need to be a point of emphasis for the Jags, who can’t afford to slip up like they did several times before the bye week.

“I think it goes back to the same thing I said before, I think that it is extremely difficult to win on Sundays,” Marrone said. “I know sometimes you look at it, and you look at records and all this stuff, and you’re like, ‘Well, this team should win,’ and then all of a sudden at the end of the day, get a couple turnovers, this happens and the next thing you know a team that you thought should win on paper doesn’t win.”

Unfortunately for Marrone, Sunday was probably the only time he’ll get to use his RedZone subscription this year as there is a lot of work for the Jags to do.

AFC playoff picture: Jaguars exit Week 10 with No. 10 seed

The Jags came out of their bye week in the hunt for the wild-card, but their loss to the Texans really hurt.

Although we’re over a week removed from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Houston Texans, fans still are well aware of how costly it was. At the time, the victory would’ve put the Jags in second place in the AFC South with a 5-4 record and right in the heat of the battle for a wildcard seed when considering Week 10’s games. Instead, they will have to settle for the No. 10 seed with a 4-5 record.

As for the rest of the AFC, the standings for this week are as follows:

1. New England Patriots (8-1)
2. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
3. Houston Texans (6-3)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
5. Buffalo Bills (6-3)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)

7. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
8. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)
9. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

Obviously, a wild-card spot is what the Jags will have to settle for because they have a lot of ground to make up to catch the AFC South leading Texans, who are 6-3 and have two victories over them. That said, they definitely need to win Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, who ironically are ahead of them in the playoff race and are in the same division. A win would put the Jags in second in the division with a 5-5 record and would help them leapfrog the Titans (due to Jacksonville’s Week 3 win), who also have a 5-5 record.

The key game to watch aside from the Jags’ during Week 11 will take place on Thursday night between the sixth seeded Pittsburgh Steelers and their divisional foes: the Cleveland Browns. The team’s typically play each other tough and a loss would knock the Steelers down to 5-5. Meanwhile, the fifth seed Buffalo Bills will take on the Miami Dolphins, while the seventh seed Oakland Raiders will take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Lastly, the ninth seeded Titans will be on their bye week.

Jaguars announce LB Jake Ryan will begin practicing

Following a significant setback while rehabbing his ACL injury, Jaguars LB Jake Ryan is officially healthy and ready to start practice.

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In the 2019 offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars were looking for some playmakers on the defensive side of the ball following the losses of Tashaun Gipson and Malik Jackson. That led to them adding an extra evaluator on that side of the ball in NFL legend, Dom Capers, who quickly identified a free agent he thought the team should sign. That player was a former player of his while in Green Bay in linebacker Jake Ryan.

The Jaguars signed Ryan to a two-year deal worth over six million dollars this offseason. With the news of Telvin Smith’s absence occurring this summer, some fans believed the team had plans to potentially pair Ryan with Myles Jack in some manner to give them two of their three starting linebackers. However, that potential opportunity never occurred.

Back in Green Bay, Ryan had a fairly successful start to his NFL career. The veteran linebacker managed to accumulate 206 total tackles in his three seasons of work (2015-2017). Unfortunately in 2018, Ryan suffered an ACL injury that kept him out for the entirety of the regular season.

While rehabbing in Jacksonville this summer, Ryan suffered a setback that has kept him off of the field — until now that is. According to Jags coach Doug Marrone, the young linebacker is now at 100 percent and will begin practicing with the team, which could lead to him being released off the NFI list.

This is great news for Jacksonville as the team could use some help at the linebacker position with members of the group struggling to stay healthy. At times, they’ve also struggled against the run (like in their last game against the Houston Texans) and that’s an area in which Ryan could help them.

When healthy, expect Ryan to make an immediate impact. He is one of a few linebackers on the roster that has over five years of experience at the position. That in itself could go a long way.

Jags sign DE Chuck Harris to practice squad

The Jags filled out their practice squad with some help on the edge by adding DE Chuck Harris.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars filled their last practice squad spot by signing defensive end Chuck Harris to the unit. The team announced the move Monday though Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle previously announced it last week.

Harris, 21, played collegiately at the University of Buffalo where he accumulated 149 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks while participating in 40 games. Afterward, he went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears. While there he played in all four preseason games and accumulated four tackles.

According to the Jags official page, he’ll wear the No. 96.

AFC South recap: Texans watch Colts lose, Titans win

While the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars took a bye week, the Indianapolis Colts lost and the Tennessee Titans won in Week 10.

The AFC South was not at full-power in Week 10. Half of their division took a bye week, with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars recovering after a Texans win in London. Nevertheless, the division continued to bring drama by way of the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.

With the Titans picking up a win and the Colts losing, the official AFC South standings heading into Week 11 have the Texans on-top. Here are the standings:

AFC SOUTH
1 Houston Texans 6-3
2 Indianapolis Colts 5-4
3 Tennessee Titans 5-5
4 Jacksonville Jaguars 4-5

After the bye, Houston will face the 7-2 Ravens in Baltimore. The Jaguars will host the Colts.

Ryan Tannehill leads the Titans to a comeback win over the Kansas City Chiefs

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

His stats aren’t gaudy, his game isn’t flashy, but Ryan Tannehill is starting to establish himself as “the guy” in Nashville. In his third game as the starter, the former Texas A&M Aggie had his first signature win as the starting quarterback of the Tennessee Titans.

In a back and forth affair, Tennessee’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs — with Patrick Mahomes— got wild in the fourth quarter. Up by five with less than two minutes left, the Chiefs attempted a field goal. It wound up mismanaged, giving the Titans ideal field position to string together a win.

Tannehill drove his Titans down the field on a four-play, 61-yard drive that took 58 seconds off the clock. The last score came on a decisive 23-yard touchdown pass to slot receiver Adam Humphries. That score decided that Tennessee still has a fighting chance in the division.

The Titans will enjoy a bye week before facing the Jaguars in Week 12.

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Good, bad, and ugly as the Jags return from bye week

The Jags will get Nick Foles back after the bye week, but the question remains as to if he’ll be able to step in and have success right away.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t have a game this week but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to talk about.

As of now, the Jaguars currently sit in fourth place in the AFC South due to the Tennessee Titans’ victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jaguars will get the chance to improve on their standing in the division when they take on their AFC South rivals in the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

As the Jaguars prepare for their matchup, here are some good, bad and ugly tidbits as the exit their bye week.

The good: So you’re saying there’s a chance?

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If the Jags want to make a playoff push, they have the schedule to do it.

The Jaguars’ opponents have a combined record of 29-36, which is good for a .402 win percentage. The Jaguars have not lost to a team with a win percentage below .500 this year, going 4-0 in those specific meetings. The three teams who they will face after the bye week with losing records include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons.

This could be a prime opportunity to make a run for the postseason.

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