Tag: nfl news

ESPN considers ‘worst mistake’ Jaguars have made in last five seasons

ESPN considers ‘worst mistake’ Jaguars have made in last five seasons

Every NFL team has made its share of mistakes. Some more, and some much bigger, than others.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are, historically, no strangers to committing errors, as they have attempted to field a Super Bowl-contending team over 30 years of existence and have only 10 winning seasons to show for it.

And in their last five, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the Jaguars committed one of the biggest blunders in the league by hiring Urban Meyer as their head coach in 2021.

Barnwell considered Meyer’s short tenure in Duval the sixth-worst mistake an NFL team has made since 2020, noting the one-year Jaguars head coach’s staff choices, personal decisions and awkward moments among the flaws he committed on the job.

There are so many moments from the Meyer era that could be considered embarrassing decisions and situations in their own right. The Chris Doyle hire. Signing Tim Tebow to play tight end. Abandoning the team plane so he could go to his bar in Ohio, at which point he was filmed in close contact with someone who wasn’t his wife. An impossibly awkward handshake with Mike Vrabel. Talking about the expanded role on defense for a player who had been on the field for zero snaps. His reported unfamiliarity with Aaron Donald and Deebo Samuel. Oh, and allegedly kicking his own kicker, which finally led to the Jaguars firing him.

Meyer went 2-11, wasted a year of Trevor Lawrence’s rookie contract and set the franchise back well beyond where it was when he arrived. Doug Pederson took over as coach, and it’s a small miracle that he got the Jags to the playoffs the following season at 9-8. While Jags fans are understandably frustrated with what has happened since, even the lowlights of the Pederson era feel like Vince Lombardi in comparison to Meyer’s abbreviated run.

Jaguars Wire need not add further comment.

Barnwell faulted the Cleveland Browns for making the league’s most self-damaging move since 2020: Trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson and giving him a fully guaranteed, $230 million contract in 2022, while he faced nearly two dozen civil allegations of sexual misconduct. The NFL eventually suspended Watson for 11 games that season.

The Browns have since benched Watson after he passed for 3,365 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 19 starts, going 9-10.

All-22 review: Young Jaguars shine in back-and-forth loss to Jets

All-22 review: Young Jaguars shine in back-and-forth loss to Jets

The Jacksonville Jaguars sit at 3-11 on the season following their back-and-forth, 32-25 loss to the New York Jets. The 2024 season has been one of the most disappointing in franchise history and the blows continued on Sunday.

However, one of the upsides of having one of the worst records in the NFL is the opportunity to utilize and evaluate the young talent on the roster. Against New York, a handful of Jacksonville’s rookies and second-year players stood out.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the All-22 from Sunday’s loss to examine the potential future pieces of the roster.

WR Brian Thomas Jr.’s historic rookie season

Should Trent Baalke hold onto his job as Jacksonville’s general manager this offseason, his first-round selection of the former LSU All-American may very well be the biggest reason why.

Against the Jets, Brian Thomas Jr. caught 10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, breaking the franchise rookie record for receiving touchdowns and yards while tying its rookie record for receptions in a season, putting his season total at 64 catches for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.

Thomas has become more than just a vertical threat in the passing game. He has transcended into a true No. 1 target in the passing game with plenty of room to continue growing in the years to come.

One of the reasons why Thomas has begun to receive a high volume of targets is because of his smooth, yet sudden short-area bursts and quickness at the line of scrimmage.

Take his first touchdown for example. He does a great job setting up the man defender to get his feet stuck in the grass. This allows Thomas to break quickly inside and use his explosiveness out of the break to separate.

Here’s another example of Thomas winning at the line of scrimmage. He displays a textbook split release and forces the corner to be choppy in his footwork. The separation out of the break allows Thomas to catch and run away from the defender for his second touchdown of the day.

Thomas was not asked to sit and find green grass in LSU’s offense last season, raising concerns about his ability to succeed in this area. This is an example of how just because you couldn’t do it in college, doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

This was one of the most explosive plays from the Jaguars’ offensive explosion against the Jets. Thomas does a great job of exploding out of his stance and then quickly decelerating in green grass to sit and make his number available for the quarterback. After the catch, he splits defenders and takes off for a 41-yard pickup.

Thomas must continue to improve his overall play strength to better win at the line of scrimmage against physical press-man cornerbacks. There were a couple of reps against the Jets where All-Pro defender Sauce Garnder used his physicality to disrupt the timing and tempo of Thomas’ route.

If he can add more to his frame and be more assertive against physical corners, Thomas will have taken the next step to being one of the best playmakers in the NFL. Jaguars fans will be in for a treat regardless for years to come.

Rookie CB Jarrian Jones thriving in the nickel

A nice development for Jacksonville’s defense is the emergence of rookie defender Jarrian Jones, who was a standout cornerback at Florida State just down I-10.

Jones has flashed many qualities as a nickelback and may have emerged as the team’s future at this spot. He showed impressive recovery skills and awareness in man coverage, positioning himself to make plays on the ball or disrupt the timing of the catch with physicality against opposing receivers.

Below are two quality reps in coverage against Allen Lazard and All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.

TE Brenton Strange

With versatile tight end Evan Engram out for the rest of the season with a torn labrum, the Jaguars can see what they have in second-year tight end Brenton Strange.

Strange took over Evan Engram’s role as the F-move TE where, paired with his traditional duties in-line and as a receiver, he motioned to fullback on occasion to disguise 21 and 12 personnel looks.

Strange is an above-average athlete who was used on screens to create after the catch and shows good quickness out of breaks. He is also a reliable and tough hands catcher who caught 11 passes for 73 yards against the Jets.

Broncos’ 53-man roster for ‘TNF’ game vs. Chargers

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ 53-man roster going into a ‘Thursday Night Football’ clash with the Chargers.

The Denver Broncos made no changes to their 53-man roster ahead of an AFC West showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16.

The Chargers are set to host the Broncos on Thursday Night Football this evening. If Denver wins, the Broncos will clinch their first playoff berth since the 2015 season.

Here’s a look at the active roster going into the game.

Denver Broncos 53-man roster

Position Name Number
QB Bo Nix 10
QB Jarrett Stidham 8
QB Zach Wilson 4
RB Javonte Williams 33
RB Jaleel McLaughlin 38
RB Audric Estime 23
RB Blake Watson 25
FB Michael Burton 20
FB/TE Nate Adkins 45
TE Adam Trautman 82
TE Lucas Krull 85
WR Courtland Sutton 14
WR Marvin Mims 19
WR Troy Franklin 16
WR Devaughn Vele 17
WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey 84
OT Garett Bolles 72
OT Mike McGlinchey 69
OT Frank Crum 73
OT Alex Palczewski 63
OL Matt Peart 79
G/C Quinn Meinerz 77
G Ben Powers 74
C/G Alex Forsyth 54
C/G Luke Wattenberg 60
OL Nick Gargiulo 66
DE Zach Allen 99
DE John Franklin-Myers 98
DL D.J. Jones 93
DL Malcolm Roach 97
DL Eyioma Uwazurike 96
DL Jordan Jackson 94
DL Matt Henningsen 91
OLB Jonathon Cooper 0
OLB Nik Bonitto 15
OLB Jonah Elliss 52
OLB Dondrea Tillman 92
LB Drew Sanders  41
ILB Cody Barton 55
ILB Justin Strnad 40
ILB Levelle Bailey 56
ILB Zach Cunningham 42
CB Pat Surtain 2
CB Ja’Quan McMillian 29
CB Riley Moss 21
CB Levi Wallace 39
CB Kris Abrams-Draine 31
CB Tremon Smith 1
CB Damarri Mathis 27
CB Reese Taylor 35
DB Devon Key 26
S Brandon Jones 22
S P.J. Locke 6
S JL Skinner 34
K Wil Lutz 3
P Riley Dixon 9
LS Mitchell Fraboni 48

With a 53-man roster and a 17-player practice squad, Denver has 70 players under contract, plus several players on injured reserve.

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Cardinals sign ex-Broncos running back to practice squad

The Cardinals signed running back Tony Jones to their practice squad on Wednesday.

The Arizona Cardinals have signed former Denver Broncos running back Tony Jones to their practice squad, the team announced Wednesday.

Jones (5-11, 224 pounds) played under coach Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints from 2020-2021 before later joining the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. He reunited with Payton in Denver during the 2023 offseason.

Jones rushed for 66 yards and totaled 29 receiving yards in three preseason appearances with the Broncos that summer. He failed to make the team’s active roster as Payton opted to carry Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin on the 53-man roster to begin the 2023 season.

After being cut by Denver, Jones returned to New Orleans and he spent half the season with the Saints. Jones was picked up by the Cardinals last October. He was cut during training camp this summer and now returns to Arizona on their practice squad.

Jones, 27, has 370 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in 25 career games in the NFL (six starts).

Elsewhere on the ex-Bronco front, the Cardinals also designated kicker Matt Prater to return from injured reserve after recovering from a meniscus injury. Prater, 40, played in four games earlier this year before suffering the injury.

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Jaguars vs. Raiders: Initial injury reports

Jaguars vs. Raiders: Initial injury reports

Find initial injury reports for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 16 matchup below.

Jaguars injury report

  • TE Brenton Strange (shoulder) — limited
  • OT Walker Little (ankle) — limited
  • OG Ezra Cleveland (knee) — limited
  • OG Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder) — limited

Analysis: Tight end Brenton Strange and offensive tackle Walker Little are the only additions to Jacksonville’s injury report as both got hurt against the New York Jets on Sunday.

Strange suffered an AC joint sprain in the game, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson revealed on Wednesday, but finished the contest with 11 receptions for 73 yards, both single-game career highs.

Little briefly exited the matchup after rolling his ankle but quickly returned to action, only missing one snap against the Jets.

Raiders injury report

  • QB Aidan O’Connell (knee) — full
  • QB Desmond Ridder (hip) — full
  • RB Alexander Mattison (neck) — full
  • WR Ja’Kobi Meyers (ankle) — limited
  • CB Sam Webb (back) — limited
  • OG Jordan Meredith (ankle) — did not participate

Analysis: Las Vegas’ typical starting quarterback, Aidan O’Connell, and backup-turned-starter for Monday Night Football against Atlanta, Desmond Ridder, were both full participants in Wednesday’s practice. Starting wide receiver Ja’Kobi Meyers was limited.

3 bold predictions for Chargers in Week 16 vs. Broncos

The Chargers run offense has been poor recently, which has forced them to use Justin Herbert’s arm more than usual.

The Chargers are coming off their worst performance of the season in Week 15. They’ll have to shake it off rather quickly, though, as they now turn to face the Broncos on Thursday night.

They are 8-6 after the loss to the Buccaneers and need a win to solidify their chances for the postseason. Here are a few bold predictions for the contest between the two AFC West rivals:

Justin Herbert reaches 35+ pass attempts

Herbert has reached this mark just three times this season. The offense has been unable to run the ball lately, with J.K. Dobbins out of the lineup. Don’t expect that to change this week, as the Broncos are the fifth-best run defense in the NFL by allowing just 98.6 rushing yards per game. With that, expect the Chargers to air it out in this one. In the first meeting between these two teams, Herbert threw the ball 34 times with Dobbins active.

Ladd McConkey reaches 100+ yards for fourth time this season

The rookie wideout has been the Chargers’ best playmaker all season. McConkey is tied for 16th in the NFL in receiving yards (873) despite his recent shoulder injury that forced him to miss a game. The Georgia product has 26 catches over his last four games, including two 100-yard performances. Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II stays on the perimeter, allowing McConkey to feast on the inside in this contest.

Chargers defense snags 2+ interceptions

Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix has thrown five interceptions over the last two games, which included three against the Colts last weekend. His 11 on the year is tied for sixth most amongst quarterbacks. Meanwhile, the Chargers defense is tied for fourth in the NFL with 14 interceptions on the season. Thanks to Elijah Molden, the opportunistic secondary had one against Nix in the matchup earlier this season. With Nix being a bit overaggressive recently, expect Jesse Minter to dial up some pressure and try to force a few turnovers in this one.

Nik Bonitto snubbed for weekly award despite matching J.J. Watt’s impressive stat

Nik Bonitto is the NFL’s first player since J.J. Watt (2014) with double-digit sacks and multiple TDs in a season. Watt won DPOY in 2014.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto was not named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his impressive performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The NFL instead gave that honor to Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley after he totaled five tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups in Week 15.

Bonitto was snubbed after recording five tackles (including one behind the line of scrimmage), one quarterback hit, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, a half-sack and a 50-yard fumble-six.

Bonitto now has 11.5 sacks on the season, tied for third overall and just one sack away from Trey Hendrickson’s league-leading 12.5 sacks.

Before his fumble-six against the Colts, Bonitto had a 71-yard pick-six against the Cleveland Browns in Denver’s previous game, making him the first player in NFL history to post 50-plus-yard defensive touchdowns in consecutive games.

Bonitto is also the first player to record double-digit sacks and multiple touchdowns since J.J. Watt accomplished that feat in 2014. Watt ended that season with 20.5 sacks and he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Bonitto would probably need to lead the league in sacks to have a shot of winning DPOY this season. The 25-year-old pass rusher has three games remaining to build on his career-high 11.5 sacks in 2024.

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Surgeries completed for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, TE Evan Engram

Surgeries completed for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, TE Evan Engram

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and tight end Evan Engram had successful surgeries to address season-ending injuries this week, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday.

Lawrence underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, which he suffered in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

After missing two games due to the injury, Lawrence returned to play in Week 13 against Houston but sustained a concussion on an illegal hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

The combination of injuries led Jacksonville to place Lawrence on its injured reserve on Dec. 4, ending his season. He cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol on Sunday, allowing him to schedule his shoulder operation for Tuesday.

Engram hurt his shoulder against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, which he was originally expected to play through, per Pederson. However, testing revealed Engram suffered a labrum injury that required surgery, which he had on Monday.

Like Lawrence, Engram was moved to the Jaguars’ injured reserve on Saturday, ending his campaign.

“Everything was positive in both players’ cases and just now looking forward to recovery time,” Pederson said Wednesday.

Lawrence finished his season having completed 172-of-284 passing for 2,045 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and rushed for 119 yards and three scores, in 10 starts.

Engram, who also missed Weeks 2-5 with a hamstring injury, caught 47 passes for 365 yards and one touchdown in nine starts.

While it is unclear if Lawrence and Engram will be cleared to participate in organized team activities (OTAs), which occurred in May this past offseason, Pederson anticipates both players recovering fully from their surgeries by sometime this spring.

“Don’t know that yet. It’s hard to put a timeframe on it, you don’t want to rush it,” said Pederson. “I guess the thing is too, in both cases, they’re not long-term, lengthy-type surgeries [or] recovery time. So, at some point this spring they’ll be ready to go.”

Jaguars new starting TE dealing with shoulder injury

Jaguars new starting TE dealing with shoulder injury

Jaguars’ new starting tight end Brenton Strange is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder and will begin Week 16 limited in practice, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson revealed on Wednesday.

Strange took over as Jacksonville’s starting tight end for the rest of the year after Evan Engram was ruled out for the season with a labrum injury last week.

Strange caught a career-high 11 passes for 73 yards against the New York Jets on Sunday.

“Brenton [had an] AC sprain coming out of the game. He’ll just be a little bit limited, he’ll be fine,” Pederson said. “We’ll just limit him today, no contact, things like that.”

Jacksonville’s second-round, No. 61 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Strange has logged 34 receptions for 329 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games and seven starts this season, a breakout campaign after he hauled in only five passes for 35 yards and one touchdown as a rookie.

Strange started for Jacksonville in Weeks 2-5 as Engram nursed a hamstring injury suffered in the first game of the season, against the Miami Dolphins.

“Brenton’s been a bright spot for us,” Pederson described Strange Monday. “Somebody who we’ve always, as a staff, really have had a lot of confidence in. I think too for Brenton, it’s just a matter of getting that opportunity, and now he has it, obviously, under unfortunate circumstances. But he really has just been a bright spot.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked. He does a great job in the run game, he’s physical. Then, you’re seeing what he can do in the pass game. Great hands, ability to separate and get open, and then break tackles. That’s what you want from your tight end.”

Jacksonville will face the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Week 16, at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Bo Nix talking Super Bowl with Broncos on verge of playoff berth

Bo Nix says the Broncos aim to win their final three games and then “go into the playoffs and win a Super Bowl.” 

Well, that escalated quickly.

After winning four straight games, the Denver Broncos are now 9-5 and just one win away from clinching a spot in the NFL playoffs.

With three games remaining, the Broncos only need one victory to secure a spot in the postseason. At the end of his Tuesday press conference, rookie quarterback Bo Nix was asked about the win-one-of-three-and-you’re-in scenario.

This was his response: “We’ve got three games to win three and go into the playoffs and win a Super Bowl.”

That was Nix’s final answer of the day as he wrapped up with “Thank you all” and walked of the podium. You can watch the exchange at the 5:03 mark of Nix’s press conference:

This certainly isn’t the first time Nix has made his ambitions known. When he got “The Call” from Broncos general manager George Paton during the 2024 NFL draft, Nix said, “You wanna win a Super Bowl? All right. Let’s go.”

Before Nix gets too carried away, Denver’s first order of business is clinching a playoff spot. They can do that by beating the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.

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