Snap counts from Jags’ stunning win over the Buffalo Bills

Here’s what snap counts from Jacksonville’s win over Buffalo tell us.

Jacksonville pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the entire NFL season on Sunday when it defeated the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills 9-6 to earn its first win on U.S. soil since Week 1 in 2020. While the Bills’ NFL-best defense proved to be formidable, the Jaguars shut down Buffalo’s offense, largely thanks to a dominant game from its own Josh Allen.

The Jags still sit at 2-6 on the season, but the victory demonstrated that this team is improving, especially on defense. Beating one of the hottest teams in football should give this young squad some confidence heading into the back half of the season, and it will hope to see even more improvement as rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence gets more comfortable.

Here’s what we can learn from Jacksonville’s snap counts in the big win.

Offense

Analysis

With Cam Robinson injuring his back during pregame warmups, Walker Little got the start at left tackle and held his own against one of the best fronts in the game. He gave up a sack, but he never left the field in the win. That’s a good sign for the Jags, who drafted Little to potentially replace Robinson eventually.
For the first time this season, Trevor Lawrence didn’t see every single offensive snap. After a scary moment in the second quarter when his leg was caught by Little, who was engaged in a block, Lawrence was clearly in pain and had to be helped to the locker room. He returned, but not before C.J. Beathard made a few impressive throws in his absence. Beathard’s action was limited, but it should give the team confidence in its backup.
James Robinson was inactive in this one, and that led to Carlos Hyde seeing the vast majority of offensive snaps. He had 21 carries for 67 yards, while Dare Ogunbowale and Jamal Agnew each saw just one carry. The Jags hope to have Robinson back against Indianapolis next week, but Hyde played well in his absence.
It’s clear how badly Jacksonville needs receiver help without DJ Chark Jr. available for the rest of the year. Laquon Treadwell, who was signed to the active roster this week, saw almost a third of the offensive snaps at receiver, the most outside of the top three. He was targeted once and didn’t make a catch, though. No wide receiver had more than 27 yards, which was Jamal Agnew‘s total.
While Dan Arnold is becoming this team’s top tight end target (and perhaps Lawrence’s favorite target overall), Luke Farrell and Chris Manhertz were still on the field for almost half of all offensive snaps despite being targeted only once each. Manhertz caught the target for nine yards, while Farrell did not. Both are strong blocking tight ends, and when the Jags run the ball as heavily as they did on Sunday, you can expect them to see a lot of action.

Defense

Analysis

No one in Jacksonville’s starting secondary group left the field, which given the depth, isn’t much of a surprise. What is interesting is the fact that Rudy Ford, a safety who has seen a lot of action in nickel packages this year, was on the field for all but one play. It resulted in what was likely the best game of his NFL career as he snagged his first interception. He should continue to see a major role moving forward.
As impactful as Josh Allen was, it’s hard to believe he was on the field for fewer than 80% of defensive snaps. He had eight tackles, a sack, a pick, and a fumble recovery against the other Josh Allen. He’s been playing very well recently and has three sacks in the last two weeks. Jihad Ward once again saw a lot more reps on the other side than K’Lavon Chaisson, but neither made a mark on the stat sheet.
Taven Bryan had the best game of his NFL career on Sunday, sacking Buffalo’s Allen twice. A first-round pick in 2018, Bryan’s career hasn’t exactly gone as planned for the Jags, and he’s had a largely forgettable season. But he dominated on Sunday, and the Jags will hope he can build off that performance moving forward.
Dawuane Smoot continues to have a fantastic season. He had a sack against the Bills while also providing two quarterback hits and a forced fumble. As far as the rest of the defensive line goes, Adam Gotsis had a quarterback pressure in the win, while Roy Robertson-Harris and Malcom Brown each had two tackles.

Breaking down the snap counts in Jags’ loss to Seattle

Here’s what we can learn from Jacksonville’s snap counts against the Seahawks.

Jacksonville had both cornerback Tyson Campbell and linebacker Myles Jack back for its road trip against Seattle on Sunday, but that unfortunately wasn’t enough for the team to put up a fight. In fact, the Jags again looked uncompetitive in a west coast game that the Seahawks eventually won 31-7.

The Jags may not have rotated much on defense in this game, but on offense, they don’t have much of a choice. DJ Chark’s absence has made the receiver depth chart a bit fluid, and James Robinson missed most of the game after suffering a bruised heel early in the contest.

While Jacksonville is starting to figure out who it likes to play, there are still a lot of differences in snap distribution week-to-week. Here’s what the snap counts from this game tell us.

Offense

Analysis

Luckily for the Jaguars, they at least avoided any further injuries to the offensive line. Backups Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley are already starting, but no one up front had to leave the field during this game.
Marvin Jones continues to see the field more than any other receiver, and for good reason. He’s been the team’s most reliable so far. Interestingly, Jamal Agnew, who continues to produce at receiver, saw more time than Laviska Shenault Jr., who’s having a fairly disappointing sophomore year. Tavon Austin and Tyron Johnson saw some reps, too, but the former appeared to run the wrong route on Lawrence’s interception and the latter is yet to make much of an impact on the field.
With Robinson leaving the field, the majority of touches went to Carlos Hyde, who has been a solid change of pace back this year. But his performance on the ground was nothing spectacular on Sunday, but he did have six catches for 40 yards. Dare Ogunbowale couldn’t do much with his limited opportunities.
Dan Arnold is emerging as TE1, at least until James O’Shaughnessy is back from the injured reserve. But Arnold is certainly making a case to keep the job, and he had his best game as a Jaguar on Sunday. Luke Farrell and Chris Manhertz didn’t see a lot of action, and neither has had much of an impact this season as receivers.

Defense

Analysis

Current No. 3 cornerback Tre Herndon didn’t see the field much, and it seems most of the reps in the slot on nickel packages are now going to safety Rudy Ford, who has also seen action at corner in dime packages this year. Andre Cisco also saw a few looks in those expanded packages, but he continues to mostly see action on special teams.
Without Myles Jack against Miami, Jacksonville rotated both Chappelle Russell and Dakota Allen into the lineup. However, neither saw the field on Sunday, and it seems that when Jack’s healthy, defensive coordinator Joe Cullen doesn’t want to rotate much at the linebacker spot.
Josh Allen played his best game of the season and naturally was in on most defensive plays. Both K’Lavon Chaisson and Jihad Ward have seen snap reductions as the season progresses, and it’s likely due to the season Dawuane Smoot is having. Smoot had a sack in addition to Allen’s two on Sunday.
The interior rotations remains much more fluid. Malcom Brown and Roy Robertson-Harris continue to see the most action on the inside, but DaVon Hamilton is playing quite a bit, as well. Taven Bryan saw 16 reps on Sunday, but he continues to have a forgettable contract season.

Snap counts from Jacksonville’s first win of the season

Snap count analysis from Jacksonville’s first victory of the 2021 season.

Jacksonville’s losing streak came to an end in exciting fashion on Sunday in London, as kicker Matthew Wright had just enough leg to clear the crossbar on a 53-yard game-winning field-goal attempt.

The Jaguars’ streak ends at 20 games, and they head into the bye with some positive momentum to build on heading into a road matchup against Seattle. It’s even more impressive when you consider the fact that the Jags were facing several key injuries that forced a bit of a different rotation than we’ve seen in past weeks.

Here’s how the snap counts broke down on Sunday.

Offense

Analysis

With D.J. Chark Jr. likely out for the remainder of the season, the Jags seem to have found their new No. 3 receiver in Jamal Agnew. He was signed for his returning prowess, but he’s delivered back-to-back impressive receiving games. He saw 59% of offensive snaps, more than any receiver other than Marvin Jones Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr., and he totaled 78 yards on five catches. Meanwhile, Tavon Austin and Laquon Treadwell saw smaller roles and neither made a catch.
The Jags added two tight ends this offseason in Chris Manhertz and Luke Farrell, but with starter James O’Shaughnessy still on the injured reserve, trade acquisition Dan Arnold is the one stepping up. He had two catches once again on Sunday, and he saw the most reps of any tight end.
The Jags were already down two offensive line starters in A.J. Cann and Brandon Linder, and they suffered another injury on Sunday as Cann’s replacement, Ben Bartch, exited. Will Richardson Jr. replaced him and ended up playing more reps, though rookie Walker Little saw one snap at right guard, as well.
The Jaguars hoped that drafting Travis Etienne would take some of the load off James Robinson, but with Etienne’s injury, Robinson is now playing a lot. He was on the field for 85% of snaps, and he saw 17 carries. He’s playing well, and it’s hard to justify taking him out of the game. The team will just hope this usage is sustainable like it was last season.

Defense

Analysis

With Tyson Campbell out once again, the Jags turned to Nevin Lawson and Tre Herndon to start at corner. Lawson never left the field, and he totaled an interception and two pass deflections. Meanwhile, Chris Claybrooks only played on special teams after struggling in coverage in previous weeks.
The Jags were down arguably their best defensive player as linebacker Myles Jack didn’t make the trip to London. Dakota Allen had the opportunity to start in his place, and while he saw the most reps outside of Damien Wilson at linebacker, he was less productive than Chapelle Russell, who had four tackles with fewer reps.
Josh Allen is not really a part of the rotation at edge rusher, as he rarely leaves the field. This is likely for the best, as he has been PFF’s highest-graded Jaguar the last two weeks. While the sacks aren’t coming for Allen, he’s gotten some pressure and has been the best pass rusher. Jihad Ward once again saw more time than K’Lavon Chaisson, but neither played on a majority of snaps.
With Jacksonville being shorthanded in the secondary, safety Rudy Ford has been used more frequently in dime packages, and he was the third-highest graded Jags player, per PFF. Andre Cisco saw a slight bit of usage in this role as well, but it was only two snaps.

Jaguars’ snap counts from Week 3 loss to Arizona

Here’s what we can learn from Jacksonville’s Week 3 snap counts.

Jacksonville’s third-straight loss to open the 2021 season was a bit of a mixed bag. In many ways, the team showed signs of progress, especially on defense. It mostly slowed down a high-powered offense led by an MVP candidate in Kyler Murray, and it even led at the half. But to get there, it required a kick-six, and the same old problems plagued the Jags in the second half: mainly, turnovers.

Trevor Lawrence gave the ball away four times, including a pick-six while the Jags led by two that surrendered the lead for good. It’s clear Jacksonville still has a long way to go, though it did at least look competitive for much of this game.

Here’s what the Jaguars’ snap counts from that game tell us about how the team is progressing and who it is looking toward for contributions as the season goes on.

Offense

Analysis

Marvin Jones Jr. has pretty much fully asserted himself as the team’s No. 1 receiver. He’s led the team in catches in each of the first three games after being Lawrence’s favorite preseason target, and he only left the field for two offensive plays on Sunday. D.J. Chark Jr. did catch a touchdown, though, and he will likely see more targets as Lawrence gets more comfortable.
With James O’Shaughnessy out, Jacob Hollister saw the bulk of the playing time at tight end. He struggled a bit, reeling in just two catches while also dropping one that resulted in Lawrence’s first interception of the day. Chris Manhertz (37% of snaps) and Luke Farrell (25%) didn’t see as many chances.
Andrew Norwell and Cam Robinson had to leave the game with injuries, but both returned and should be good to go moving forward. Will Richardson entered for Robinson at tackle, while Ben Bartch once again saw some reps at guard.
James Robinson had his most productive day of the season, and he was on the field for 59% of offensive snaps. Carlos Hyde also did a good job with his limited opportunities, going for 44 yards on eight carries.

Defense

Analysis

Andrew Wingard was one of Jacksonville’s better defenders for the second week in a row. He was once again a top-five team performer, per Pro Football Focus, and he notched an interception against Kyler Murray, which was Jacksonville’s first takeaway of the season. He never left the game, and Andre Cisco didn’t see the field on defense for the first time this year.
Tyson Campbell started in place of the recently traded C.J. Henderson, who was injured on Sunday. His play was a bit of a mixed bag, as he did give up a few plays, but all in all, helped keep the passing offense in check. Alongside Shaquill Griffin, he didn’t leave the field on Sunday defensively.
For the second week in a row, Jihad Ward saw more reps at edge rusher than second-year player K’Lavon Chaisson. Chaisson was still listed as the starter, but Ward has outplayed him for most of the season and now seems to be playing a bigger role. Neither had a particularly standout performance on Sunday, though.
Taven Bryan continues to play a reserve role in the defensive line rotation. Though he did have a nice play by bringing down Murray in the backfield for a loss, guys like DaVon Hamilton and Malcom Brown are seeing more playing time.

Jaguars’ snap counts from preseason win over Dallas Cowboys

Here’s what we can learn from the snap counts in Jacksonville’s final preseason game.

Jacksonville finally got in the preseason win column in the final game, and it was an outing that featured a lot of encouraging signs. Though the team was facing almost entirely Dallas’ backups, quarterback Trevor Lawrence looked the most comfortable he has so far. He led two touchdown drives before coach Urban Meyer pulled the plug on his afternoon. Jacksonville’s defense mostly held firm in a 34-14 win over the Cowboys, as well.

With no more chances for fringe players to prove their worth before final roster cuts, here’s what insight the snap counts can give us in terms of the Jags’ roster battles.

*The following info was obtained by (NFLGSIS).

Offense

Analysis

Trevor Lawrence was only on the field for two possessions, but he was named the starter ahead of the game, and he only reaffirmed that decision. Jake Luton saw the most action and played well, but Jacksonville probably won’t use a third roster spot on a quarterback, and Luton could be heading for the practice squad.
Tre’Vour Wallace-Sims saw a lot of reps as No. 2 guard Ben Bartch was held out due to injury. He was on the field for nearly every offensive snap, which will give the Jags a lot of film to look over of him.
Josh Hammond and Jeff Cotton saw the most playing time of any receivers, and though both have had solid preseasons, Cotton caught a touchdown pass on Sunday. Both could be practice squad candidates, but Cotton’s play may have secured a roster spot. Meanwhile, Collin Johnson continues to fall behind Laquon Treadwell and Pharoh Cooper, who each caught touchdowns.
Devine Ozigbo saw more action than any other back, and he was also the most productive player in the backfield. With the injury to Travis Etienne, he could make the final roster, though Nathan Cottrell has also made a good case for being the fourth back.

Defense

Analysis

Sidney Jones IV got the start at nickel with Tyson Campbell inactive, and he played on a majority of defensive snaps. But he continues to struggle despite tying for the team lead in tackles. Safety Andre Cisco continues to make plays despite limited action, as he had two tackles and a pass breakup. That’s not a good sign for players like Andrew Wingard, who saw similar playing time but dropped what should have been an easy interception.
Shaquille Quarterman was on the field for almost half of all defensive snaps, and he continues to have a great preseason. He tied with Jones for the lead in tackles, and he should play a lot behind Myles Jack and Damien Wilson, who have both also had good preseasons.
Despite the fact that Jacksonville gave mostly inexperienced reps in the second half, Taven Bryan saw a lot of playing time in his final preseason game. He made two tackles, but it wasn’t exactly a performance that sealed his spot on the roster. With Josh Allen still on Reserve/Covid-19, K’Lavon Chaisson also played a lot and registered a quarterback hit.