Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars vs. Colts: 3 causes for concern against Indianapolis

The Jags way be coming off their bye, but there are still some things to be concerned about as they take on the Colts.

Most fans would agree that it’s go time for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will enter Week 11 one game away from .500. Up next for them is their longtime divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts, who will be viewing things in the same light with them being on a two-game losing streak. It goes without saying the Colts and Jags know each other well enough to where fans on both ends are concerned heading into Sunday. Here are three concerns of our own as the Cardiac Cats travel up north to Lucas Oil Stadium:

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Foles showing rust 

Nick Foles will be taking back his starting position Sunday after being cleared to play from the broken collarbone he sustained Week 1. With the Jags having a 4-5 record, however, he’ll need to be instantly productive for the Jags Sunday, as the game is a must-win with the Colts (who are the No. 8 seed) being ahead of the Jags (No. 10 seed) in the wild-card race.

While the Colts aren’t quite what they used to be on offense, their passing defense is ninth in the league (223.2 YPG average) and their defense as a whole is ranked tenth in terms of total yards allowed (327.6 YPG average). Simply put, this could lead to struggles in the passing game for the Jags, especially for Foles who will be playing in his first game in months.

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Jags enter Week 11 as 3.5-point underdogs to Colts

The Jags have entered Week 11 as underdogs to the Colts as both are coming off embarrassing losses.

After missing out on a chance to acquire the second place spot in the AFC South Week 9 against the Houston Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) will have another shot at the same spot when they take on the Indianapolis Colts (5-4) Sunday. However, it appears they will have to do so as underdogs on the road as BetMGM has the Colts favorited by 3.5-points.

Both teams will be coming off of embarrassing Week 11 losses. The Jags will be looking to get over a recent 26-3 beatdown courtesy of the Texans, while the Colts will be looking to get over a 16-12 loss to one of the worst teams in football: the Miami Dolphins. They both also will be looking to stay in the hunt for a wild-card playoff spot as the Jags are currently the sixth seed, while the Colts are the eighth seed.

Part of the reason the Colts struggled Sunday was due to the absence of starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who missed the game due to an MCL sprain he sustained Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His status for Week 11’s game is unknown but we’ll know more Wednesday when the first injury report is released.

Meanwhile, the Jags will be getting their starting signal-caller back as Nick Foles is ready to return from the collarbone injury he sustained Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. With the Jags in a spot where a loss would really hurt their playoff chances, they will need the veteran to quickly be the late season savior he was in Philly and bring the Jags their second divisional win of 2019.

The total for Sunday’s game is currently set at 44.5 points. The money line is set at +135 for the Jags, which means a wager of $100 on the Cardiac Cats would pay out $135.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Where do Colts sit in AFC South standings in Week 11?

How do the standings look in Week 11?

As Week 11 begins, the playoff races are beginning to heat up. The Indianapolis Colts took a tumble in the AFC playoff picture following their rough loss against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Even with two of the teams in the division enjoying their bye week, the Colts’ loss at home slid them down the standings in the AFC South all the while giving some breathing room to the leaders.

Here’s how the AFC South standings look entering Week 11:

1. Houston Texans (6-3)

One of the teams that enjoyed their bye week, the Texans gained a half-game in the standings thanks to the Colts’ loss. Now, Houston has a full one-game lead over the Colts in the division and have a chance to control their fate down the stretch of the regular season.

In Week 11, the Texans have a tough matchup on the road against the Baltimore Ravens (7-2).

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

Even with Brian Hoyer replacing the injured Jacoby Brissett, this matchup seemed like a cakewalk. However, it would turn out to be the complete opposite. A bad showing from the offensive line and an even worse showing from Hoyer led the Colts into one their worst upset losses in recent memory.

The Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 11.

3. Tennessee Titans (5-5)

It seems most of the AFC South has the Kansas City Chiefs’ number. The Titans are the latest team in this division to beat the Chiefs in an upset win. Derrick Henry had another monster game taking 23 carries for 188 yards and two touchdowns while the Titans blocked Harrison Butker’s attempt to tie the game in the final seconds.

The Titans get to enjoy their bye week coming off of a huge home win against one of the best teams in the NFL.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

The Jaguars may be in last place, but they are still just two games behind the leading Texans. They also just go their starting quarterback to return as Nick Foles is ready to take snaps under center for the first time since breaking his collarbone in Week 1.

The Jaguars are on the road against the Colts in Week 11.

Colts open as 3.5-point favorites vs. Jaguars

Colts open the week as favorites.

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The Indianapolis Colts (5-4) will be looking to bounce back from their crucial loss to host the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 11.

Despite the Colts coming off of their worst loss in recent memory, they are opening the week as 3.5-point favorites over the visiting Jaguars, per BetMGM. The total is set at a modest 44.5 points for the Week 11 divisional matchup.

The Colts are trying to shake off the loss against the Miami Dolphins—one that was both shocking and listless in Week 10. Indy was down several starting players, but they still allowed one of the worst teams in the NFL to beat them in their own stadium.

The Jaguars, meanwhile, are coming out of the bye week and are trying to put their own embarrassing loss behind them after what the Houston Texans did to them overseas in Week 9.

It isn’t clear if the Colts will see the return of quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The 26-year-old missed the Dolphins game due to an MCL sprain, and the Colts had to ride with Brian Hoyer, who turned in a ghastly outing.

On the other side, it has already been confirmed that Nick Foles will be the starting quarterback for the Jaguars as he makes his return from a broken collarbone he suffered all the way back in Week 1.

It should be a physical battle in the trenches in Week 11, but the Colts are being viewed as slight favorites to open the week.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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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