Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars

PFF names DJ Chark Jags’ most underrated player

Just as the fans do, PFF seems to believe DJ Chark is one of the league’s most underrated players.

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There haven’t been a lot of positives to smile about surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars but all fans of the team tend to agree that receiver DJ Chark Jr. has been impressive to watch all season. The good people over at Pro Football Focus would agree with those sentiments as they have him down with an overall grade of 81.8.

The database also took a league-wide view at each respective team’s most underrated players recently and the second-year receiver was the player to make the list for the Jags.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: WR D.J. CHARK JR.

To say D.J. Chark Jr. is the most improved wide receiver in the NFL from 2018 to 2019 isn’t enough — he may very well be the most improved player regardless of position. After finishing the 2018 season ranked 112th out of 114 wide receivers in PFF receiving grade—and dead last among that group in drop rate—Chark is currently 14th in PFF receiving grade and has the ninth-lowest drop rate in 2019. More specifically, his deep receiving in 2019 has been excellent, as he is currently PFF’s fourth-highest-graded receiver on targets of 20-plus yards — he has the third-most deep catches and fourth-most deep yards so far this year.

Just as we’ve said in the past, PFF seems to believe Chark is one of the most improved players in football. Of course, part of that is because the bar was set kind of low during Chark’s rookie season where it felt like he could do no right between drops, penalties and injuries.

Chark will head into Week 12’s game with just under 800 yards while leading the league in receiving touchdowns with eight. He’s also found himself in Pro Bowl discussions, and if he became the Jags’ first receiver since Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns (2016) to accumulate 1,000 yards, he’ll have strong support from the Jacksonville community as far as votes go.

Todd Wash on Myles Jack changing positions: “He’s our mike linebacker”

Fans wanting a position change for Myles Jack can keep wishing as DC Todd Wash shot down any chances of it happening this season.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars elected to give middle linebacker Myles Jack a new contract extension in late August, and so far, it’s a move that isn’t paying off. The young linebacker has struggled mightily at the mike linebacker position, constantly finding himself out of place or failing to shed blocks. As a result, many fans have proposed the question as to whether the former first-round pick should change positions, however, that’s seemingly not even a thought in the mind of defensive coordinator Todd Wash.

At this point in the season, it’s not shocking that a position change isn’t a thought in the mind of Wash, but it definitely should be a possibility next season regardless as to who is coaching the team.

A lot of fans have been on record for saying Jack has the skillset to play at the weak-side position where Telvin Smith formerly played, however, the fourth-year linebacker has never played at the position. During his rookie campaign, he saw time solely at the strong-side linebacker position, then played a mix of strong-side and middle linebacker in 2018. That said, it seems as though Jack’s chances to move to the outside are pretty slim — at least as long as Wash is in charge.

Heading forward, Jack will have ample opportunities to prove himself at mike linebacker. That starts this week with their longtime rivals in the Tennessee Titans next on the schedule, who undoubtedly are going to test Jack and the defense in the interior.

Leonard Fournette ready to roll after encouraging chat with father and Hall-of-Famer Marcus Allen

Leonard Fournette talks about reaching out to a few encouraging people in the process of going through a rough patch in his career.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled offensively as of late and most would say it’s been because they’ve gotten away from running back Leonard Fournette. In their last two games, they’ve only given him 19 rushing attempts for 63 rushing yards, which clearly isn’t the recipe for success.

Needless to say, Fournette’s lack of touches hasn’t just been frustrating for the fanbase but him as well, however, the third-year tailback told the media he’s now refueled after speaking with the coaches, his father and Hall-of-Fame tailback Marcus Allen, who he’s known since high school.

Nothing like receiving advice from a top-15 rushing leader who has seen it all, right?

There were rumblings from the local media that Fournette left Sunday’s game  extremely frustrated, and quite frankly, it’s hard to blame him. After how their battle with the Houston Texans ended Week 9, most believed offensive coordinator John DeFilippo would get back to utilizing Fournette, who was the AFC’s top rusher not that long ago. However, that wasn’t the case against the Colts and the results may be proof of what the issue is.

Both DeFilippo and Marrone took full responsibility for the Jags’ game-planning as of late and it seems things may be hashed out now. With the Jags looking desperately for a playoff push, fans should look for their approach to change and expect Fournette to receive 20 carries or more Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

Jags have close to full participation in practice Thursday

The Jags had all but two players participate in their practice session Thursday in TE Seth DeValve and Dede Westbrook.

The Jacksonville Jaguars only had two players to sit out of practice Thursday for their upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans in tight end Seth DeValve (oblique) and receiver Dede Westbrook (illness), who was a new addition to the injury report. Aside from those two every player on the injury report participated to some capacity.

Receivers D.J. Chark Jr. (hamstring) and Chris Conley (hamstring) and nickelback D.J. Hayden (hip/wrist) were the three players from Wednesday’s injury report who were upgraded from limited to full participation. Safety Ronnie Harrison (eye) and offensive tackle Cam Robinson (knee) also were full participants.

Veterans Calais Campbell (back) and Brandon Linder (shoulder) were the only two limited participants on Thursday’s report. Both were on last week’s injury reports for the same injuries but were able to play in Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Todd Wash discusses why Jags are having issues against the run

The Jags’ linebacking corps has been an issue all year and DC Todd Wash confirmed the main issue most fans have been pointing to all along.

The Jacksonville Jaguars team as a whole has struggled in their last two games but the fans especially have been pointing fingers at the defense, who’ve struggled mightily against the rush. Dating back to their loss to the Houston Texans in London they’ve given up 480 total yards to opposing rushers and many fans have pinned those issues on the team’s linebacking corps.

Heading into this regular season, the linebacker position was an area of concern with Telvin Smith’s retirement and Myles Jack not having a strong 2018 season. Now, the fears of the fanbase have seemingly come true, as the group is struggling with shedding blocks, which has led to some of the Jags’ issues against the rush.

Jags defensive coordinator Todd Wash pretty much confirmed what some fans were speculating about the linebacker play Thursday and admitted he has to do a better job prepping his unit in general.

“Well in our system we’re an attack front, so it’s not like we sit and try to cover up linemen and keep them off the second level, Wash said. “So, within our system that’s not what we do. Some systems they do, but for us, we’re an attack system and then when you get on a block you have to get off a block is basically the way our system is built from the front seven and nickel, or the front eight and base.”

Wash added that playing “downhill,” as some have suggested, isn’t necessarily the answer either because in today’s game that would put the linebackers out of position to help out in the passing game, too.

“Not that everybody knows, but if our linebackers just run downhill, we’re going to get killed in the passing game,” Wash added. “It’s just the way we play our system. It’s the way Gus [Bradley] plays it, it’s the way [Robert] Saleh plays it, it’s the way they play it in Seattle. Your linebackers can’t get just downhill, a lot of people don’t understand that, a lot of people don’t understand football to be honest with you. So, our scheme allows them to go east and west, but when he does see it, we need to see our linebackers getting downhill better than we have.”

Of course, all of the statements above are not to say the linebackers are solely to blame, but they’ve clearly been a big part of the defense’s issues. Add in the loss of Smith’s pursuit speed and now fans are looking at a defense that is significantly worse than 2017’s group, which led the team to the AFC Championship.

Needless to say, the Jags’ inability to get off blocks are just some of the fundamental things the team has likely emphasized in practice this week. However, with the Tennessee Titans, Derrick Henry and their powerhouse mentality up next, we’ll see just how much they have improved throughout practice as Wash’s job could hang in the balance.

Jaguars expect to face a much different Titans team on Sunday

Things weren’t pretty for the Tennessee Titans offense in Week 3’s 20-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Things weren’t pretty for the Tennessee Titans offense in Week 3’s 20-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But a lot has changed since then.

Ryan Tannehill has since replaced Marcus Mariota at quarterback, and has posted a 3-1 record as a Titans starter while doing so.

He’s completed 71.3% of his passes this year, throwing for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. Tannehill has looked much more confident and decisive in the pocket than Mariota did at the beginning of the season, and it’s clear the offense is running more efficiently with him at the helm.

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Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone expects to see the team at full force, and believes this is the best version of Tannehill he’s gone up against.

This is a team that will likely put points on the board much earlier than it did in the third week of the season, when the Titans remained scoreless until the fourth quarter.

“I think, obviously, they’re getting healthier,” Marrone said on a conference call.

“With Ryan (Tannehill), obviously I was in Buffalo when he was in Miami. Watching him now, I really think he’s playing the best I’ve seen him play. He’s playing with a lot of confidence. He’s putting the ball into tight windows, he’s able to run. Obviously, Derrick Henry is an outstanding runner behind a very good offensive line. You’ve got guys on the outside and four tight ends. I mean, there’s a lot of challenges. When you look at them on offense, it’s almost like pick your poison. If you try to stop one, the other guys are good enough to kick your butt. Our defense is going to have to play real good, sound football all the way around.”

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The Titans’ offensive line set a low bar for themselves the last time the team took on Jacksonville, allowing a total of nine sacks in one game.

Marrone looks to see better pass protection and overall more improved o-line unit overall this time around.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s always tough,” he said. “They’ve got one of the better offensive lines in the league, the quarterbacks playing really well, so it’s a challenge every week.”

The Titans and Jaguars are set to kick off at 3:05 p.m. CT on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans odds, picks and best bets

Previewing the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans sports betting odds and lines, with NFL Week 12 matchup analysis, picks and tips.

Led by QB Nick Foles, the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6) will visit the Tennessee Titans (5-5), who are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive. This AFC South Week 12 matchup will kick off at 4:05 p.m. ET from Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

Jaguars at Titans: Week 12 preview, betting trends and notes

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  • The Jaguars have lost four of their last six games outright, also going 2-4 against the spread across those six games.
  • Tennessee is 3-1 ATS and straight up in its last four games, most recently beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.
  • The Titans are 6-4 in their last 10 meetings with the Jaguars, going 5-4-1 ATS in those games. They’ve averaged 21.9 points per game in those contests, allowing 20.0 per game to Jacksonville.
  • The Titans are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against Jacksonville.
  • The total has gone Over in four of the Titans’ last five games.
  • Tennessee is 5-0 SU against the Jaguars in their last five games.
  • The total has gone over in two of the Jaguars’ last three games.

Jaguars at Titans: Key injuries

Titans TE Delanie Walker (ankle) is questionable. DT Jurrell Casey also has a shoulder injury, while WR Corey Davis is nursing a hip injury.

Jaguars at Titans: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Titans 27, Jaguars 20

Moneyline (?)

Despite Foles being back for his second straight game, the Titans are the better team. Led by QB Ryan Tannehill and RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee’s offense is more than capable of knocking off the Jaguars.

Bet the TITANS (-175) to win this game outright over the Jaguars. Jacksonville is allowing 134.6 rushing yards per game, which Tennessee will exploit.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Titans to win outright would return a profit of $5.68.

Against the Spread (?)

The Titans are 3.5-point home favorites over the Jaguars in this AFC South showdown. They’ve covered the spread in three of their last four games, and they’ll make it four of five Sunday.

Take the TITANS (-106) to cover the spread in this matchup, winning at home by a touchdown.

Over/Under (?)

The projected total is only 41.5 points in this game, which isn’t very high. The Titans have scored at least 23 points in each of their last four games and Jacksonville still has talent on offense with Foles, RB Leonard Fournette and WR DJ Chark, too.

Bet the OVER (-115) in this matchup.

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Will the Jags-Titans Week 12 game be on TV in your area?

The Jags and Titans game is a must-win for both teams, however, the coverage on the game won’t be huge around the nation.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be traveling north for the second consecutive week to face another group of divisional opponents in the Tennessee Titans. After sustaining a loss Sunday thanks to the Indianapolis Colts, the Jags will head to Nissan Stadium in desperation mode, but with the Titans currently at 5-5 with the No. 9 seed in the AFC South playoff race, they will be equally desperate.

Sunday’s game will mark the second time the Jags and Titans have met. The first time was a rather memorable night as Minshew Mania got its start at TIAA Bank Field. However, this time around, the Jags will take on the Titans with veteran Nick Foles behind center, who will be looking to improve upon a lackluster Week 11 against the Colts.

Meanwhile, the Titans will have a new starting quarterback themselves who didn’t participate in Week 3’s game in Ryan Tannehill, who has actually given the offense a little bit of a resurgence.

All of that said, this will be a must-watch game for those within the Jags’ and Titans’ fanbase and the fans who live in the blue region of the TV coverage map below will be able to tune in via CBS.

(Map courtesy of 506sports.com)

Announcing the game will be Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Dan Fouts (color commentator).

The Titans lead the series between the two teams with a 29-21 record. The Jags will have to defy history if they want to win as they’ve lost their last five games in Nashville. On top of that, they will go into the games as underdogs, as BetMGM has the Titans down as 3.5 point favorites.

Former Jags HC Jack Del Rio believes Jags have issues, but Nick Foles isn’t amongst them

Former Jags coach Jack Del Rio believes the Jags are flawed but Nick Foles isn’t the reasoning behind their issues.

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While Jack Del Rio is no longer a head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, he does occasionally speak on the team as an analyst for ESPN. With the team entering the most critical stage of their season after losing handily to the Indianapolis Colts, Del Rio discussed the Jags’ flaws this week but said he felt that veteran quarterback Nick Foles wasn’t one of them.

In Week 11’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, Foles came out strong in the first quarter but he wasn’t overly impressive past that point. However, the Jags’ run defense looked significantly worse than he did, giving up 264 rushing yards.

Heading forward, the team as a whole will need to play better and that includes Foles, who made some throws in double coverage and had a very questionable pick in which he threw off his back foot. It’s worth noting he missed eight games prior due to breaking his collarbone so his struggles are more excusable than those of the defensive unit. However, if his play doesn’t gradually improve over time, fans will begin to start calling for Gardner Minshew II to become the starter again as the experience would benefit him more, as some view him as the Jags’ quarterback of the future.

Nick Foles on Jags’ struggles: “I’m going to continue to believe in my teammates”

Nick Foles is remaining poised despite the Jags’ struggles and believes his teammates have what it takes to turn the season around.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars would have to win out all of their games if they wanted to get double-digit wins on the season, which is likely what it would take for them to make the playoffs. Despite the outlook of the team though, veteran quarterback Nick Foles has stressed remaining poised to his teammates, while at the same time showing urgency.

In his meeting with the media Wednesday, reiterated that he’s not pressing as the team prepares for the Tennessee Titans and believes in his teammates, who have the ability to turn things around. He also added that he understands things won’t come easy, which is why the team has emphasized the fundamentals in their preparation process.

“Not pressing means don’t freak out,” said Wednesday after practice. “I’ll let everyone else freak out. I’m not going to freak out. I’m going to continue to come to work. I’m going to continue to believe in my teammates. I don’t come in here and say, ‘Ah, it’s just going to happen.’ […] “We put in a lot of work. The coaches are working hard toward the game plan. We go out there and practice to fine-tune it.”

Clearly, Foles understands that he has to keep his composure as the team’s leader on the offensive side. He’ll also need to improve himself in a short amount of time as well because Sunday’s showing against the Indianapolis Colts isn’t going to cut it either. Although he was coming off a Week 1 collarbone injury, he made several throws to receivers in double coverage and wasn’t able to move the team down the field aside from in the second quarter. Ultimately, he ended the day 33-of-47 for just under 300 yards, two touchdowns and a pick.

Of course, it won’t all fall on Foles as he needs those around him to step up from the guys in the trenches to the guys on the outside not named DJ Chark. Another thing that would help is getting Leonard Fournette involved as he’s only had 19 carries for 63 rushing yards in his last two games.