Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars

Prospects for Jags fans to watch: Alabama OT Jedrick Wills

The Jaguars are in need of some offensive line help this coming offseason and I think Alabama RT, Jedrick Wills, could just be their guy.

The Southeastern Conference has become the meat and potatoes of the college football world. The conference churns out the country’s best trench play, becoming a factory for the NFL teams in need of some big men. That’s especially the case for Alabama, a university that has routinely sent offensive and defensive lineman to the league.

Like most years, Alabama is again flooded with NFL talent all over their starting lineup. Both of Alabama’s offensive tackles have garnered the close watch of NFL scouts, those being left tackle, Alex Leatherwood, and right tackle, Jedrick Wills. While Leatherwood is a talented lineman in his own right, I wanted to focus on Wills in this particular post.

The Jaguars’ offensive line play has been plagued with penalties and has been too inconsistent to be considered a finished product. Knowing Tom Coughlin and Doug Marrone’s tendency to focus heavily in the trenches, the offensive tackle position certainly isn’t out of question. Whether the team would move a player like Wills inside or not, he should, without a doubt, be on their scouting radar.

Wills is an absolute powerhouse. Alabama plays some nasty, physical football and Wills is no different. Wills’ favorite breakfast meal has to be a big stack of pancakes, because this guy sure knows how to make them.

Wills is just plain mean in the run game. He’s physical and gets to the second level nicely as a run defender. He can clear out massive lanes and is always looking to make defenders become acquainted with the ground. Most scouts who’ve watch him tend to believe that both traits are his greatest strengths.

If that wasn’t enough, here is another clip of just how effective Wills is in the run game:

While his strength is definitely in the run game, Alabama’s No. 74 is no slouch in pass protection. Wills strength again helps immensely in pass protection. He has some heavy hands and has quite the strong anchor. I would like to see him become a little cleaner with his technique, but the 6-foot-5, 316 pound tackle is still very much developing.

Here in this clip against Ole Miss, Wills physically abuses the Rebel defensive end, hitting him with a strong initial punch which eventually causes the defender to get off balance. This goes on to further demonstrate the type of strength that Wills has.

While his strength allows him to bully edge rushers, he does a nice job of reading and reacting to rushers as well. He does not possess the quickest feet, but can mirror defenders fairly well for a man of his size.

In pass protection he does not offer the same type of dominance as he does in the run game, however, he’s solid enough in the category for scouts to believe in him as a starter. Besides, with a team like the Jags, it’s his abilities as a run blocker that will count the most.

If the Jaguars were to select Wills, he could see a move to guard. With the uncertainty of Norwell and Cann, this could be a very realistic situation. Using their best available player philosophy could land them a player like Wills in 2020, and with their willingness to keep Cam Robinson at left tackle while Jawaan Taylor develops at right guard, Wills without a doubt would give the Jags a mauler at guard and an upgrade they could really use.

For those who to watch Wills this week, the Alabama Crimson Tide will be taking on the Mississippi State Bulldogs Saturday, Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. EST on ESPN.

Colts vs. Jaguars: How to watch, stream in Week 11

Game information in Week 11.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-4) and Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) are set to battle in Week 11 in what is expected to be a physical and vital matchup for both teams.

Game Information

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) vs. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)
Sunday, Nov. 17 — 1:00 p.m. ET
Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN

Television

Broadcast: CBS (regional)
Announcers: Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), James Lofton (color analyst), Michael Grady (sideline)

TV map: Those in the yellow region of the broadcast map get the game on CBS, courtesy of 506 Sports.

Radio

WFNI — Indianapolis, IN
WHLK — Indianapolis, IN
Sirius XM Radio (Colts) — Channel 108 (XM App 229)
Sirius XM Radio (Jaguars) — Channel 121 (XM App 387)

Streaming

fuboTV (try it free)

Injuries

Colts injury report
Jaguars injury report

Opponent Site

Jaguars Wire

Social Media

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Download the Sports Wire App (Apple Devices | Andriod Devices)

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Colts vs Jaguars: 3 keys for the defense in Week 11

Keys for the defense in Week 11.

The Indianapolis Colts defense is playing its best ball at the right time of the season. The unit has made a complete 180 turn from the first four weeks of the season.

In Week 11, the Colts get a familiar opponent in the Jacksonville Jaguars but with a new quarterback under center in Nick Foles. Jacksonville has had rookie Gardner Minshew under center since Week 1 when Foles broke his collarbone.

One thing that works in the Colts’ favor is the familiarity the coaches have with Foles. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus coached against Foles when Eberflus was the linebackers coach in Dallas, and Foles was the quarterback for Philadelphia. Plus, head coach Frank Reich was Foles’ offensive coordinator when the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in 2017 with Foles as the quarterback.

The familiarity should play a major factor in Sunday’s game, but let’s look at some keys for the Colts defense against the Jaguars offense:

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

1. Stop the run game

The Jaguars’ mantra is to run the football, and they can do it to great success. When Jacksonville can run the ball, they win, and the stats show. In their four wins, the Jaguars have averaged 171 rush yards per game. In losses, they average only 98 yards, and in three of their five losses, they rushed for fewer than 90 yards.

Since Week 4 the Colts run defense has stiffened up. Over the first four games of the season, the Colts were allowing over 132 rush yards per game, but over the last five games, only 81 yards. One of these has to give on Sunday, and hopefully, for the Colts’ sake, it’s the Jaguars run offense.

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How to watch, stream, listen to Jaguars vs. Colts

The Jags and Colts will be in a Week 11 battle in which both teams must win to keep their playoff hopes alive, here is how fans can tune in.

The wait is almost over for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ return to the field as they will be coming off a much-needed bye. However, they will need to be much more successful from this point on if they are to make the playoffs, starting with Week 11’s opponents: the Indianapolis Colts.
Both teams will have their starting quarterbacks returning to the field in Jacoby Brissett and Nick Foles. Brissett will be returning from a MCL sprain that caused him to miss some time against the Pittsburgh Steelers Week 9 and a full game against the Miami Dolphins Week 10. That also caused the Colts to go on a two-game skid in which they will be desperately looking to get out of.
Foles, on the other hand, missed even more time on the field as it’s been two months since he last played. The veteran broke his collarbone in the Jags’ season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs and now the team is 4-5 with a small chance to make the playoffs. However, that’s better than nothing, especially if the veteran can have the late season success he’s had in the past.

Here is how you can watch, stream and listen to Sunday’s AFC Showdown:

Game Information

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Streaming

fuboTV (try it free)

Television

CBS47 (locally)

Coverage map can be viewed here

Radio

1010XL AM and 92.5 FM (flagship)   Jaguars Radio Network

Sirius: Jaguars internet channel 814 (feed channel 103) Colts internet channel 813 (feed channel 146) 

Extras

Connect with us on Twitter (@TheJaguarsWire) and Facebook

Follow our comrades over at Colts Wire

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Jags remain 3.5-point underdogs to Colts

The spread for the Jags’ matchup against the Colts is still set at 3.5-points as of Sunday despite Indy being down two receivers.

With the final injury reports now official, the Jacksonville Jaguars are still underdogs to the Indianapolis Colts in the eyes of the oddsmakers in Vegas. As of Saturday morning, they still are listed as 3.5-point underdogs on the road per BetMGM in what is being viewed as a must-win game for both teams.

The Colts announced that starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett will play Friday after sustaining an MCL sprain two weeks ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, they will be without receiver Paris Campbell (hand) and starting receiver T.Y. Hilton (calf), which could be an issue for Brissett.

Meanwhile, the Jags only had one player on the injury report in tight end Seth DeValve (oblique), who was ruled doubtful. However, the biggest news of the week for them was the return of starting quarterback Nick Foles, who missed eight games with a collarbone injury.

While there wasn’t a change in the spread, the money line dropped from +135 to +125, which means a wager of $100 on the Jags would pay out $125. The total for Sunday’s game remained the same though, at 44.5.

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Jags vs. Colts: 5 matchups to watch in Sunday’s AFC South showdown

Myles Jack is going to have his hands full with Marlon Mack but that’s just one of many key matches to watch when the Jags and Colts meet.

The preparations for Sunday’s AFC South battle are now behind the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts and all that is left to do is take the field and see who the better team is. With it being a divisional game in which both teams feel is a must-win, the battle is going to come down to a few key matchups. Here are five matchups that we’ll be watching as both teams duke it out at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday:

LB Myles Jack vs. RB Marlon Mack

Marlon Mack will enter Sunday’s game as one of the Colts’ top weapons, while the Jags’ defense will enter it ranked 22nd against the run. They’ve had several blunders against the run as fans witnessed against the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans (Week 9). In both of those games, they allowed over 200 rushing yards, which can’t happen against Marlon Mack, who is the league’s ninth leading rusher with 753 yards.

With the Colts ruling two of their speedster receivers out in T.Y. Hilton and Paris Campbell, they might elect to run the ball more than they ever have this year. It will then fall on Myles Jack as the defense’s enforcer at linebacker to make sure Mack doesn’t get out of hand. The Jags’ defense will need to be fundamentally sound, too, by not allowing a lot of broken tackles which Mack is good at taking advantage of.

DL Calais Campbell vs. OG Quenton Nelson

As we witnessed last year, there are going to be times where the Colts’ best offensive lineman, Quenton Nelson, lines up against the Jags’ best defensive lineman in Calais Campbell. The veteran had some success against Nelson last season, who was then a rookie, but he’s a significantly better player this year, upping his Pro Football Focus grade from a 74.3 in 2018 to an 89.4 this season.

As previously stated, the Colts could look to run the ball and Nelson is a big part of what makes them successful there, so it will be imperative for Campbell to keep him from reaching the second level. Campbell and company also need to win against Nelson during passing downs as Jacoby Brissett has shown the tendency to hold on to the ball too long in the past.

CB Tre Herndon vs. WR Zach Pascal

The Colts may be without Hilton and Campbell Sunday but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have threats through the air. In fact, Zach Pascal statistically has 13 less receiving yards than Hilton, who leads the team in receiving with 360 yards. He also has on less touchdown than Hilton, who has five. That said, with a 75.0 PFF grade to his name, he’ll be the Colts’ best receiver on the outside Sunday.

Like most opponents have, the Colts will likely target Tre Herndon early and often and will likely target him when he and Pascal are lined up against each other. It’s on Herndon on whether or not he’ll be up for the task as he’s had some highs and lows since the Jags traded Jalen Ramsey.

RB Leonard Fournette vs. LB Darius Leonard

We’ll call this one the Battle of the Leonards.

As we’ve said multiple times, fans should expect a physical one in between the tackles. With Leonard Fournette only receiving 11 carries Week 9 against the Houston Texans, coordinator John DeFilippo should be looking to get him more involved Sunday because he’s the engine for the Jags’ offense.

Meanwhile, Darius Leonard is viewed in the same light for the Colts’ defense. He’s been a tackling machine, accumulating 10 or more tackles in four of the games he’s played in. Simply put, that points to him being very active if Fournette receives more than 20 carries as he should.

WR D.J. Chark Jr. vs. CB Kenny Moore II 

This matchup is simply a battle between the Jags’ best receiver and the Colts’ best corner who will see a lot of each other Sunday. Chark has emerged as the Jags’ best receiver this year and is one of the league’s most improved players with just under 700 yards to his name for six touchdowns. With Nick Foles returning to the lineup, the two could be looking to link up deep as they did for the Jags’ first touchdown of the year.

Moore seems to be an improved player, too. He currently has a PFF grade of 73.1 and has been good for the Colts’ passing defense which is tenth against the pass. However, at 5-foot-9, Moore will be at a height disadvantage against the 6-foot-4 Chark when they line up against each other, which could set the second-year player up for another 100-yard day.

Jaguars’ final injury report vs. Colts in Week 11

Jacksonville’s final injury report in Week 11.

While the Indianapolis Colts (5-4) have a few big names on their final injury report in Week 11, the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) only have one player with a designation entering the divisional matchup.

The Colts released their injury report, which included wide receivers T.Y. Hilton (calf) and Parris Campbell (hand) being ruled out. The Jaguars listed tight end Seth DeValve as doubtful with an oblique injury.

Here’s a look at their final injury report for the Week 11 matchup:

The Colts are getting quarterback Jacoby Brissett to return after missing one game. The Jaguars are also seeing the return of starting quarterback Nick Foles, who hasn’t played since Week 1.

An important game for both sides, the Colts and Jaguars are set to square off at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.

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Jaguars Week 11 injury report: TE Seth DeValve (oblique) listed as doubtful vs. Colts

The Jags will only have one player who may not suit up against the Colts in TE Seth DeValve.

With their bye week occurring last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be very close to 100% as they travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. However, there was one player who surfaced on the injury report and that was tight end Seth DeValve, who was ruled doubtful with an oblique injury.

DeValve was added to the injury report Thursday with safety Ronnie Harrison (eye) and was listed as limited upon his initial placement on the list.

Though it’s just one injury, DeValve’s situation could affect the Jags in a big way because it leaves them with just two tight ends in Josh Oliver and Ben Koyack. Before having their current trio, the Jags lost both James O’Shaughnessy (ACL tear) and Geoff Swaim (ankle/concussion), who were placed on injured reserve.

The Jags have rookie tight end Charles Jones on their practice squad who they could promote to the main roster. They also could sign a free-agent if they don’t feel comfortable with going into Sunday’s game with two tight ends.

On the positive side, linebackers Quincy Williams and Leon Jacobs, offensive linemen Brandon Linder and Cam Robinson, receiver Dede Westbrook, nickelback D.J. Hayden, and defensive lineman Calais Campbell will all play after being listed on Thursday’s report.

Colts’ final injury report vs. Jaguars in Week 11

The final injury report for Week 11.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-4) have released their final injury report ahead of the Week 11 divisional matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts already ruled out a pair of wide receivers on Friday, but they will be seeing the return of starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who will resume his role against the Jaguars.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for the Colts in Week 11:

DNP: Did not participate / LP: Limited Participant / FP: Full Participant

Name Position Injury Wed. Thurs. Fri. Game
Mo Alie-Cox TE Hip DNP DNP DNP Quest.
Parris Campbell WR Hand DNP DNP DNP OUT
Pierre Desir CB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
Jack Doyle TE Shoulder DNP LP FP
T.Y. Hilton WR Calf DNP DNP DNP OUT
Jordan Wilkins RB Ankle DNP DNP DNP Quest.
Clayton Geathers S Rest LP FULL DNP
Darius Leonard LB Abdomen LP FULL DNP
Jacoby Brissett QB Knee FP FP FP
Ashton Dulin WR Neck — DNP FP
Malik Hooker S Knee — DNP FP
Jabaal Sheard DE Rest — DNP FP

 

Colts’ Jacoby Brissett (knee) to start vs. Jaguars

Jacoby makes his return.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-4) will see the return of quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who has been named the starter for the Week 11 divisional matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5).

After seeing what the Colts have behind Brissett, who has been dealing with a knee sprain, it was evident they needed their starter to return. Now, he will be under center once again following a one-game absence.

Head coach Frank Reich told the media Friday that Brissett will return to his starting duties. He also acknowledged that while the 26-year-old isn’t fully healthy, he looked good enough during practice to return to the field.

The Colts have a huge stretch of games coming up—one that could very well determine the fate of their season. They will be down a few players, but they will see the return of Brissett.

In eight games this season, Brissett has completed 64.8% of his passes for 1,649 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions.