Trevor Lawrence is one of six Jaguars listed as questionable for a Week 16 game against the Buccaneers.
The Jacksonville Jaguars listed quarterback Trevor Lawrence and five other players as questionable for a Week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Earlier in the day Friday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Lawrence’s chances of playing Sunday are “better than a coin flip.” Still, the third-year quarterback was only a limited participant in practice and he’ll need to be cleared Saturday to come out of the NFL’s concussion protocol in time to play.
Joining Lawrence as questionable for the game are Christian Braswell, Tyson Campbell, Andre Cisco, Zay Jones, and Brenton Strange.
“Brenton [Strange] has been good this week and feels good, so I think he’s good to go,” Pederson said Friday. “Tyson [Campbell] and Cisco had good days yesterday, we’ll get them a bunch of time today and the numbers of reps we have to see where they’re at. Optimistic that they can play.”
Pederson wasn’t as optimistic about Jones, who suffered a hamstring injury in Week 15.
“He is trending well, he’s working off to the side with our trainers and medical staff,” Pederson said. “With a hamstring, it’s a touchy situation and I don’t want to risk anything further as we continue our season, so probably not.”
The Buccaneers ruled out one player, wide receiver Rakim Jarrett, who is still on injured reserve with a designation to return. Another two players, defensive lineman Will Gholston and safety Antoine Winfield Jr., are questionable.
Would say this is a great injury report for the Buccaneers, but Antoine Winfield Jr. as a DNP with a calf injury is concerning. #GoBucspic.twitter.com/3WifdK3M3T
The Jaguars were, unsurprisingly, without Trevor Lawrence and Zay Jones at practice Wednesday.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and wide receiver Zay Jones both sat out practice Wednesday and another six players were limited ahead of a Week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Neither absence was surprising after Lawrence landed in the NFL’s concussion protocol after a Week 15 loss and Jones pulled up with a hamstring issue in the game.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell and safety Andre Cisco both missed the loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The other four players who were limited Wednesday — Christian Braswell, Ezra Cleveland, Walker Little, and Brenton Strange — were all questionable for the game. Cleveland and Little were active and exited without further injury, according to Jaguars coach Doug Pederson, while Braswell and Strange didn’t play.
For the Buccaneers, seven players were listed on the Wednesday report, but four practiced fully.
A week ago, Tampa Bay ruled out two players, listed two as doubtful, and had four questionable players for a Week 15 game against the Green Bay Packers.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh says they expected the Jaguars to throw a short pass to the flat after not spiking.
On a night filled with Jacksonville Jaguars mistakes, perhaps none was more devastating than the brutal clock management in the final seconds of the second quarter.
After a 36-yard pass to Zay Jones put the Jaguars five yards away from goal line, the Jacksonville scrambled to the line of scrimmage, but inexplicably decided not to spike the ball with 12 or 13 seconds left. Instead, quarterback Trevor Lawrence fired a short pass to Parker Washington, who was tackled in bounds, killing off the remaining seconds.
The final sequence of the first half summarized the entire half for the Jacksonville Jaguars. 🏈🤦 #SNFpic.twitter.com/PoATGXliIo
After the game, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said the team is “going to stay aggressive” in those situations rather than spike. The issue was that the Ravens saw the play coming.
“Their guy running a flat route in bounds – a play we had anticipated,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “It’s just a play people run in that situation with no huddle, and Marcus [Williams] made a great play.”
“[We’re] anticipating that we’d get out of bounds,” Pederson said. “In that situation right there, you get to the sideline or you score. We did out-leverage the defense. They made a nice play, tackled him inbounds. When the pass was completed, I thought we had a good chance of getting to the front pylon.”
Instead of cutting into Baltimore’s lead, it was the fourth drive of the first half for the Jaguars that went inside the Ravens’ 40-yard line and ended with zero points.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Jared Goff
278-0
5
Baker Mayfield
381-(-2)
4
Aiden O’Connell
248-0
4
Brock Purdy
242-0
4
Easton Stick
257-11
3
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Christian McCaffrey
18-115
5-72
3
James Cook
25-179
2-42
2
Kyren Williams
27-152
5-3
1
Jahmyr Gibbs
11-100
2-8
2
Ty Chandler
23-132
3-25
1
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
Jordan Addison
6-111
2
Jaylen Waddle
8-142
1
Terry McLaurin
6-141
1
Chris Godwin
10-155
0
Cooper Kupp
8-111
1
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Sam LaPorta
5-56
3
David Njoku
10-104
1
Trey McBride
10-102
0
Hunter Henry
7-66
1
Isaiah Likely
5-70
1
Placekickers
XP
FG
Ka’imi Fairbairn
1
4
Matt Prater
2
3
Matt Gay
3
3
Jason Sanders
3
3
Harrison Butker
3
2
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Dolphins
6-4
0
Raiders
3-5
1
Bears
4-3
1
Saints
7-0
0
Titans
4-1
1
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
QB Will Levis – Leg
QB Zach Wilson – Head
RB Zack Moss – Arm
RB Keaton Mitchell – Knee
RB Jonathan Williams – Concussion
WR Zay Jones – Leg
WR Michael Pittman – Concussion
WR Ja’Marr Chase – Shoulder
WR Jayden Reed – Toe
TE Hunter Henry – Leg
K Randy Bullock – Hamstring
Chasing Ambulances
QB Will Levis – Injured his ankle but said afterward that he is alright and that the injury “could’ve been a lot worse and it was definitely scarier in the moment than it was.” He carries minimal fantasy value anyway, but had kept DeAndre Hopkins relevant.
QB Zach Wilson – Received a concussion in the shutout loss to the Dolphins. He was replaced by Trevor Siemian who would take the start this week against the visiting Commanders, the NFL version of Santa Claus coming down the chimney. Siemian was even worse than Wilson when he came into the loss to the Fins, but he may have some value against the worst defense in the NFL.
RB Zack Moss – Left the win over the Steelers with another arm injury and X-Rays were negative at the stadium. He was ruled out when he couldn’t grip the ball well. He was replaced by a tag team of Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson which could repeat this week if Moss remains out. But, Jonathan Taylor may return this week.
WR Michael Pittman – Left the game in the second quarter when he got a concussion after getting blasted on a tackle. He may end up missing this week, and if so they will cobble together the tight ends and other wideouts to replace his production.
RB Keaton Mitchell – Broke into the open and then crumpled almost untouched in the win over the Jaguars. He is already reported to be gone for the season with a serious knee injury. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill will take over his production, but be much slower about it.
WR Zay Jones – Already missed time with a knee injury this year, and now suffered a hamstring strain in the loss to the Ravens. Jamal Agnew will help cover for him if needed, but the Jaguars are running out of wideouts with Christian Kirk already gone.
WR Ja’Marr Chase – Injured the AC joint in his shoulder and is considered “day to day.’ HC Zac Taylor said his availability for the Steelers game will be determined later in the week.
WR Jayden Reed – Left the loss to the Buccaneers with a toe injury and will have a status update later in the week.
TE Hunter Henry – Injured his knee in the loss to the Chiefs at the start of the fourth quarter and did not return. His status will be updated by Wednesday.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
QB Dart Throw – For some leagues, Week 15 is the playoffs and even the league championship for large contests. And the Top-8 fantasy quarterbacks for when you need them the most – Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Aidan O’Connell, Brock Purdy, Easton Stick, Jake Browning, and Nick Mullens. Basically, all names on your waiver wire in Week 1. Maybe even a week or two ago for most of them. That’s disappointing after the top quarterbacks have been so good all year… until now.
WR Justin Jefferson – He made it all the way through the game without injury. Jefferson led the Vikings with ten targets that became seven catches for 84 yards. That, in turn, helped Jordan Addison (6-111, 2 TD) succeed against lesser coverage. Nick Mullens (303 yards, 2 TD) looks like he’ll stick for now.
RB Bijan Robinson – One of the biggest questions that will come out of 2023 is why did the Falcons have such uneven usage of a supposed generational talent? Robinson faced one of the weakest defenses in the NFL – Carolina – and was limited to only seven rushes for 11 yards while Tyler Allgeier handled 14 rushes for 45 yards. Robinson is already the leading rusher for the Falcons. Seven carries! They already drafted a generational talent in Kyle Pitts and then don’t use him. Now they have Robinson and do not use him. If they use a first-round pick on a quarterback, should we assume up front that he won’t get to play?
QB Joe Flacco – The Browns’ latest quarterback just threw for 374 yards and two scored on the Bears. He passed for 311 yards and three scores in Week 14. He’s only played three games and already has the two highest-producing games for Cleveland.
RB Raheem Mostert – He’s 31 years old and has already topped his career marks in carries, yards and scores. This week versus the Jets, he ran for 42 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. That a Miami team record with 20 touchdowns on the season, with three games left to play. Does he age in reverse? He’s playing out his ninth NFL season with more touchdowns than he’s scored in all other years combined.
RB James Conner – The Cardinals’ primary rusher ran for 105 yards and two scores at the Steelers in Week 13 and then went in his bye. He returned to face the 49ers on Sunday and reeled off 86 yards and a score on 14 rushes, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. And mostly on fantasy benches across the land.
QB Josh Allen – The Bills beat the Cowboys 31-10 in a laugher and Josh Allen spoke about his newfound wisdom after the game, suggesting that it is okay that he didn’t have to take the team on his back and do everything for the offense. He can allow James Cook to score twice with 227 total yards. Allen only passed for 94 yards and a touchdown but did run in one score. And that is not okay, at least not without warning during fantasy playoffs.
TE Isaiah Likely – Mark Andrews was lost after Week 12 and the Ravens No. 2 tight end stepped up these last two weeks with five catches for around 75 yards and a touchdown in each. That was more yardage than Andrews had in all but two games this year.
TE Sam LaPorta – The rookie just caught three touchdowns on his five catches for 56 yards in the win over the Broncos. That gives him an NFL tight end lead with nine touchdowns – no other in the position has scored more than six. Ironically, the Lions old tight end T.J. Hockenson is the No. 1 and Travis Kelce is No. 2. And LaPorta is No. 3 and just ten fantasy points away from being the No. 1 – as a rookie.
Huddle player of the week
Syndication: Democrat and Chronicle
James Cook – He already had improved in the second half of the season and against the previously feared Cowboys defense, Cook turned in a career-best performance with 179 yards and a score on 25 carries, plus caught two passes for 42 yards and a second touchdown. Cook demolished the Cowboys almost single-handedly.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
Jaguars coaches refuted the notion that Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones ran the wrong routes Sunday.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence wasn’t on the same page with his receivers on three plays that resulted in interceptions against the Cleveland Browns. That doesn’t mean Calvin Ridley and/or Zay Jones were running the wrong routes, according to offensive coordinator Press Taylor.
“There’s a big difference in running the wrong route and not being on the exact same page with how you’re running a route. We have not had wrong routes.” Taylor said Thursday. “There has not been ‘this person doesn’t know what they’re doing, they’re running the wrong route,’ things like that.”
Jaguars wide receivers coach Chad Hall echoed the sentiment in an interview with Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union:
#Jaguars WR coach Chad Hall says Ridley did not run any wrong route against #Browns, but acknowledges Kirk has been Trevor’s “security blanket” and WR corps must collectively step up to offset it.
So what was amiss on the three turnovers? Taylor explained each of the interceptions in a lengthy answer.
“One of them, we didn’t expect the ball at the time the ball came out, head wasn’t around,” Taylor said. “It’s a missed opportunity and unfortunately turned into an interception.”
“Just [need to] get my head around a little faster,” Ridley said Wednesday. “I thought I had a certain look and I was trying to get up on the DB and take him a certain way so we could get another person to pop open. It was a different look and I didn’t get my head around fast enough and the ball came out a little faster than I thought.”
A second interception thrown Ridley’s direction didn’t look to have much of a chance
“We had a zero blitz, ball’s gotta come out,” Taylor explained. “They’re bringing more pressures than we have protectors. Quarterback threw a go ball, I think the receiver thought the ball would get thrown earlier because of where the coverage was, but again, it’s understanding the entire situation and what the quarterback is dealing with. The ball comes out early, turned into an interception as well.”
Lawrence took the blame for that one after the game.
“That one is on me,” Lawrence said Sunday. “They brought a pressure that we weren’t able to pick up. They brought too many and I was trying to take a shot outside and the corner did a good job playing it. I put it out there a little too far and he made a good play.”
The third was thrown deep to Jones.
“We took a post route a little flatter across the field where we were expecting maybe a little deeper angle than that,” Taylor said.
According to Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, it “was just an overthrow.”
“Nobody ran a wrong route in those instances,” Taylor reiterated Thursday. “Just in terms of the details of it, where we thought the ball was gonna go, or where we thought the ball was gonna be thrown, or at a certain time, just barely off. Unfortunately, on all of those plays it turned into interceptions.”
There’s no doubt there are issues that need ironing out for the Jaguars, especially with Christian Kirk not coming back any time soon. Those problems may not fall on the shoulders of the team’s wide receivers as much as it seems, though.
Trevor Lawrence says Jaguars players have to hold themselves and their teammates accountable for costly mistakes.
Trevor Lawrence knows he didn’t have a great game Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. While he finished with three touchdown passes, it was his three interceptions that proved too much to overcome in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 31-27 loss.
How many of those picks are his fault is tough to say, though. Two looked like a direct consequence of miscommunication with his veteran receivers, Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones. After the game, Lawrence didn’t want to rehash the errors that caused the turnovers, but he made it clear that they’ll be readdressed behind closed doors.
“We have to take accountability and fix it,” Lawrence said. “It starts with me, starts with my communication with all the guys. The outside, the front, the backfield. And we will, I am not concerned. This group is really mature and is willing to go whatever to win and to get better. We’ll fix it.”
“I think we are at that point in the year where we have all had conversations, just a group. Some of the leadership guys on the team, there has to be accountability. It’s never pointing the finger. We all have enough today to look back on and say we didn’t play well individually. Collectively, obviously we didn’t.”
There are issues on both sides of the ball that will need to be ironed out with the playoffs a month away. The Jacksonville defense, which was carrying the team to victories earlier in the year, gave up 880 yards and 65 points in losses to the Bengals and Browns, despite both teams being led by backups. The hobbled Jaguars offense turned the ball over four times in Cleveland.
“We have to get on the same page,” Lawrence said. “I’m making some mistakes out there as well, so I’m not just pointing the finger at other people, but there has to be accountability. Our guys do a good job in responding. If something needs to be said, I’ll say it to them.
“Whether that’s on the field. I try to do it in the most respectful way, because I never want to look like I’m pointing the finger, but also there’s stuff that needs to be fixed and same thing for those guys to come and talk to me. If I’m not doing something right, if they think that I’m going to put the ball here and I put the ball there, we have to clean that up. It’s full circle and those guys understand that.”
The loss of Christian Kirk to a core muscle injury that required surgery has played a significant factor in the Jaguars offense’s difficulties. A hard look in the mirror in his absence will need to happen if the team hopes to get back on track.
Only 18 of the 43 passes thrown to Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones in the last two weeks have been caught. Three were interceptions.
Jacksonville Jaguars players and head coach Doug Pederson all said the same thing Sunday after a 31-27 loss to the Cleveland Browns: of course they miss Christian Kirk, but winning without him is a puzzle they better solve quick.
When Kirk went down on the first offensive play against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Jaguars didn’t just lose their leading receiver — the wide receiving corps also lost its leader and Lawrence lost his most trusted target. With Kirk now on injured reserve following surgery on his injured core muscle, those are holes that won’t be filled any time soon.
“There’s no excuses; nobody cares,” Lawrence said Sunday. “That’s the thing about this league. No one really cares who you are missing. There are a lot of teams who are missing players at this point in the season, but 100 percent [we] miss Christian. He’s one of our best players.
“He makes a huge impact on this offense and this team. Of course you miss him, but Christian is on IR, we have to find a way to still win games without him. That’s not going to change in the next few weeks.”
The absence has been glaring on the field. In the Jaguars’ back-to-back losses, Calvin Ridley has been targeted 21 times for only eight receptions. That included a pass from Lawrence that zipped past Ridley’s head for an interception Sunday when the receiver wasn’t looking for the ball.
Another 22 passes were thrown to Zay Jones, only 10 of which were caught. Against the Browns, Jones finished with just 29 receiving targets despite being targeted 14 times.
“You can’t really replace [Kirk], but it’s still the next man up mentality and we didn’t get it done today,” Jones said. “That includes myself, I didn’t play well enough today.”
Even the high ankle sprain suffered by Lawrence likely could’ve been avoided if Kirk was on the field. While rookie receiver Parker Washington has played well in the veteran’s absence, it was the sixth-round pick’s mistake that had Lawrence lunging out of position and under the foot of offensive tackle Walker Little.
“Obviously, we miss Christian,” Pederson said Sunday. “He was a big part of the offense. But where we are in the season, this late, it’s the next man up mentality, so we’ve got to continue as coaches to prepare our players and get those guys ready to go regardless of who’s in there.”
Which Jaguars players stood out in Cleveland and who had a game to forget?
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 14 loss to the Cleveland Browns was a mess.
Trevor Lawrence finished with three interceptions on a day where he and his wide receivers struggled to get on the same page. Add in a Parker Washington fumble, a turnover on downs, and seven Logan Cooke punts, and the Jaguars afforded the Browns plenty of opportunities on offense.
Jacksonville’s defense had its moments, forcing three turnovers and eight Cleveland punts. But it had miscommunications of its own, allowing Browns tight end David Njoku to run free for 34- and 30-yard touchdowns in the first half.
Who struggled most in the Jaguars’ 31-27 loss? And which players had a strong performance for Jacksonville, despite the rough outing in Cleveland? Here are some studs and duds for the Jaguars in Week 14:
The Jaguars suddenly have a lengthy injury report after a rough Monday night.
A Jacksonville Jaguars team that has been fortunate to avoid injuries for nearly two whole seasons is suddenly facing an avalanche of them heading into Week 14.
On Wednesday, the Jaguars listed 12 players on their first injury report before a road game against the Cleveland Browns.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered what looked like a gruesome ankle injury Monday night, but said Wednesday that he’s feeling “a lot better” and he’s “trying to progress towards hopefully playing” against the Browns.
Backup quarterback C.J. Beathard is also on the injury report, but said that there’s no concern about his availability Sunday.
While Jacksonville has a lengthy report, the Browns’ was even longer Wednesday with 16 players listed.
Three of the Browns’ players who didn’t practice were “not injury related” rest days and offensive lineman Geron Christian practiced in full, but that still leaves another 12 who were out or limited. That group included receiver Amari Cooper who was out due to a concussion and ribs injury.
It’d be a surprise if wide receiver Zay Jones or defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Jones weren’t able to play Sunday. Both players were questionable, but played in Week 11 and neither suffered any setback.
The only other player on the injury report for the Jaguars was defensive lineman Jeremiah Ledbetter who missed a practice this week for personal reasons, but didn’t get an injury designation Friday.
For the Texans, three players will be out of action Sunday due to injury and another three are questionable.
Wide receiver Noah Brown leads the NFL in yards per reception at 20.9, but he’s played in just five games. He was also out of action when the Texans came to EverBank Stadium to play the Jaguars in Week 3.
