Week 12 Jacksonville Jaguars vs Buffalo Bill Inactive List. For the Jaguars, the one surprising, and maybe potentially devastating blow, is to the run game. Also of concern, with the OL being so thin, is two being out.
WR DJ Chark
RB David Williams
CB Quenton Meeks
DE Lerentee McCray
OL Josh Walker
OL Corey Robinson
DT Marcell Dareus
QB Derek Anderson
G Vladimir Ducasse
T Conor McDermott
WR Ray-Ray Mc Cloud III
G Ike Boettger
TE Charles Clay
CB Ryan Lewis
This week, we only chose 12 games because the editor forgot about the three Thanksgiving match-ups. The following teams have byes: Chiefs and Rams. Last week, he got five, she got eight and they missed on two (only 10 were predicted as 6 teams were on bye). Read our Week 12 NFL Game Predictions:
Jay: Couldn’t care less. Bucs at home in a bad football game.
Jules: Tampa has a QB turnover issue, but SF hasn’t shown they can be a complete team. I’ll take TB only because I don’t think the niners have the defense to stop the Bucs.
Jay: Just because Philadelphia is the reigning super bowl champion, they don’t look anything like that team from last year. But they look better than the Giants. Philly
Jules: Just because Eli finally had a game that he looked like an NFL QB doesn’t mean I think he can string back to back games like that (plus there was some questionable reffing). Philly is certainly missing their coaches; however, at home, think the crowd helps them win.
Jay: Patriots in a tough football game. There has been a lot of “is this the end of the Patriot run?” in the media over the last two weeks. My guess is that it’s not going to come to an end against the Jets.
Jules: NE* is two teams – one at home with the refs helping them and another on the road. Not to mention, Brady has looked poor this season; however, he’s coming off a rest and the Jets don’t have the firepower to rush him every play or the offense to match them.
Jay: Browns will play hard, but Cincinnati in a nail biter.
Jules: Bengals are so sporadic, but Cleveland on the road isn’t good, so taking Cincy in a squeaker. If they lose, fire Marv Lewis, this is getting ridiculous.
Jay: Carolina, but I have no confidence in this pick. These two teams are like looking each other in the mirror, so I’ll take the home team in an equal game that will have BIG playoff implications
Jules: Carolina. They’re a slightly better team, the loss last week has got to have them fired up and the game is at home.
Jay: We gotta stop with the fire the staff narrative all across the NFL. Teams that keep firing coaches are typically at the bottom of the heap and that’s not by accident or coincidence. I’ll take the Bills because I think Jacksonville has some player issues in that locker room and I think that some things need to be addressed at the player level, especially looking in a mirror (speaking to you, defense).
Jules: Bills fans want this win so badly; however, Jax defense (which looks a lot better with DJ Hayden at 100%) vs Josh Allen doesn’t seem like a good match-up for him or the Bills. If they lose, fire Marrone and his staff at the end of the season. 😉 Not really, who should go though is Blake Bortles, sad to say.
Jay: Ravens because the Raiders suck
Jules: Not sure which QB is starting at this writing, but it doesn’t matter. If Baltimore can’t win at home against Oakland, fire Harbough. I’m channeling a certain orange person pre-2016. That defense has way too much talent to lose.
Jay: Chargers cause the Cardinals suck.
Jules: Seems like every time I pick a duh team to win, they lose. Even still, the Chargers can’t blow this can they? Just don’t kick.
Jay: Steelers cause the Broncos are not very good and they won’t let the Broncos hang around like LA did last week.
Jules: Ben looked bad vs Jax and if not for about the worst reffing I’ve ever seen, he’d not have come back to win. Based on that, Denver would be the clear choice; however, Ben rarely has two crappy games back-to back.
Jay: This is a very important playoff game here. I’ll take the Colts in a nail biter.
Jules: Why this is a 4:25 game beats the hell out of me. The good news for Dolphin fans is no more Osweiler, the bad news is they’re getting a rusty Tannehill back. I don’t see Miami’s defense stopping Luck (dammit).
Jay: This is a de-facto playoff game and I’ll take Minnesota as I see them as a better team right now, but an “Aaron Game” would not shock me either.
Jules: At the beginning of the season, this would’ve seemed like a must-watch game, but now it’s, whatever. In fact, none of the games this week get me excited. Rodgers, outside of a few jaw-drop throws, has looked, eh and Minnesota got ripped off (no surprise) with their bank robbery from Cousins. If GB loses, add McCarthy to the fire list or at least bring in a better OC to call plays.
Jay: This is big for playoff positioning. You’ve got an owner who died on Friday, and you never know what that can do to a locker room. My guess is that BOB will be just fine here. His teams play tough no matter the circumstances and I have no reason to pick against them again today.
Jules: I don’t care. Jags season isn’t mathematically over, but I’m going to guess that by the time this game rolls around, it will be. Based on that only, I pick Bob McNair’s team. My grandmother died today, so I’m going with the weepy win.
Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans are featured in this AFCS Week 12 Scouting Report – Injury Reports, Stats, Passing Charts, Referee Crews, TV Viewing.
Mathematically, Jacksonville still has a chance to make the play-offs (don’t laugh), so until they’re eliminated, we’re going to treat this as a normal week. Once they do get the ax, then we’ll switch to 2019 and draft watch mode.
The first game up is of course the Jags as the lone AFCS 1:00 game.
As an aside, if Walt Anderson ever refs another Jaguars game, I may need to jump on the field and kick his ass. I’ve never been arrested, but might as well add it to my bucket list. My guess is I won’t be alone as he’s lucky the field wasn’t stormed last week by infuriated fans carrying torches and pitchforks.
Referee Crew:
This game is going to sooo exciting, just like the KC/Rams aerial-fest we saw this week. Not sure how the tens of millions watching will be able to contain themselves. I’m sure history will be made for all the primetime viewers to witness. I’m thinking 9-3.
Only posting their last games to make a point and one it’s clear to see what it is.
I wanted to get the ugly out of the way before moving on the injury reports which look better than those outstanding passing charts.
For Jags fans, the big, oh crap, is DJ Chark because he’s the fastest guy on the team and while he’s raw, he’s made gains. However, since Bortles doesn’t need a fast receiver to get downfield for all those deep bombs, he may not be a big missing key.
These two teams are top of the boards in total defense, each have only allowed 14 passing TDs. As far as rushing TD’s, Jags have allowed eight and Buffalo nine. Buffalo is averaging 99 yards to the rush and Jacksonville 109, so these teams are very close.
As far the offenses go, when it comes to the run, the Bills have seven scores to the Jaguars’ four; however, Jax is averaging .2 more yards a carry (woohoo).
Here’s the one and only stat that matters: Buffalo has a grand total of 5 passing TD’s. As anemic as Bortles has looked, he does have 13.
That’s the key for Jax to win.
For Buffalo
It’s tough to get excited about two teams who have pitiful offenses and you hold your breath each time the ball is thrown. I believe the Jags will win because their defense is much better than Buffalo’s offense.
Normally, I have a lot more to write about Jacksonville, but there’s not much to say because it’s obvious the key is for the defense to give a damn. The game lies on them.
I don’t like the Dolphins, but we sure need Adam Gase to find a way to win.
Referee Crew
The Dolphins are a wreck injury-wise, adding one more reason their work is cut out for them. The Colts real concern is two TE’s that are questionable, since they are Andrew Luck’s favorite targets.
Once again, not posting the full passing charts because Ryan only played a handful of games before getting hurt. In his five games his completion percentage was pretty good, that’s what the Dolphins will need to win.
Obviously, this will have to be a defensive game for Miami in order to give Tannenhill a chance to keep up. I’m not going to use Miami’s passing stats because Asweiler isn’t playing.
Miami only has 3 rushing TD’s compared to Indy’s seven, but some of that is due to the QBing. It’s tough to run if teams can load the box because there’s not a fear of the pass. However, not sure Tannehill is that much of an upgrade. It may be up to Amendola (who’s hurt).
When it comes to stopping the run, Miami is bad. They allow 142 yards a game and are tied for 19th in TD’s given up. Indy is tied for 7th for TD’s and give up 105 yards game.
The grits come down to passing defense. Indy has given up 16 TDs, Miami, 18. That’s the ball game. If Miami’s defense can’t have the game of their season, this is a done deal for Indy. The bad news is Miami ranks down at 29th for sacks while Indy is 16th.
The good news is Indy is down to only two TE’s from the four they had just two weeks ago. This will limit Luck which Miami will need since they’re not great at stopping TE’s.
As far as Miami’s TE’s, Indy isn’t great stopping them, either. In fact they’re down in 26th.
Keys for Miami to win
use their TE’s
force Luck from the pocket
Indy to win
Luck just needs to throw no picks
Yes, simple. On paper, Miami needs to do more than they have in a road game and Indy play the same.
Don’t like either team and if they tied, I wouldn’t cry. I wish they had Walt Anderson and his crew so the fans could have freak-outs all game.
Referee Crew
While Tennessee is very healthy, the same cannot be said of the Texans. Here’s the deal, if the Jags lose, then I’m pulling for the Titans to lose, too. Considering that Marcus Mariota is like a box of chocolates, that could happen.
An injured Mariota (again) behind an OL that also has some injuries may not be a recipe for success. However, Deshaun Watson has his own OL issues that have left him a battered soul, too.
This game could end up in which QB lasts the longest. Neither offense is tearing up the NFL, but Watson has 18 TD’s to Mariota’s 7. For these two, I am posting more charts because there wasn’t a chart for Mariota with all his throws. Odd.
The Titans haven’t won from a passing attack, which is obvious since they have the second worst TD amount and overall are 30th. As far as rushing, they’re mid-pack in TD’s and yards.
When it comes to Houston, they’re tied for second worse with only 4 TD’s and an average of 4 yards. Both QB’s will run, but Mariota is the dangerous one when he does.
On the passing side, Houston is 15th and Tennessee is 31st. Bottom line, it means that these teams are dependent on their defenses which is a great thing for Tennessee who’s third best in not allowing passing TD’s.
The Texans aren’t far behind with only three more. In stopping the run, both teams are aces in only allowing 5 (Houston) and 6.
The keys for both defenses is the same, but feel bad to say, it’s to hit the QB’s since they’re so beat-up.
Keys for Texans:
Keys for the Titans:
May both teams lose.
Week 11 marks what could be the end of the road for a few teams and Jacksonville is one of them. If the Colts lose, their ice will be as thin as the Jaguars. The AFCS Week 11 Game Previews will go into stats, injury reports, referee crews, and passing charts to give the reader an idea where these teams win and struggle.
This AFCS chart shows where everyone is and why the Colts need to win to help the Jags, plus the Texans need to lose. If the Jags win out, and the rest of the AFCS drop another game, we make the play offs. Yes, lots of “ifs”, but it is what it is. Win Sunday and go from there.
The turnover differential tells the story and that’s what Jacksonville must fix right now.
| W | L | T | PCT | HOME | AWAY | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | STRK |
| Texans 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 3-1 | 3-2 | 2-1 | 5-2 | 216 | 184 | +32 | W6 |
| Titans 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 3-1 | 2-3 | 2-0 | 3-4 | 168 | 151 | +17 | W2 |
| Colts 4 | 5 | 0 | .444 | 2-2 | 2-3 | 1-1 | 3-4 | 260 | 239 | +21 | W3 |
| Jaguars 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 2-3 | 1-3 | 0-3 | 2-4 | 160 | 199 | -39 | L5 |
Referee Crew:
This is a game the Colts need to win for the Jaguars because it would tie these two teams up and Titans need a division loss. Taylor is still dealing with turf toe and Conklin remains under the concussion protocol. They look pretty healthy which isn’t great for Indy.
I believe a couple of the DNP for the Indianapolis Colts were due to rest, not ability to dress out especially since their game status isn’t given a designation.
When it comes to points allowed on defense, Tennessee is #1 least. Indy is down at 20. The question will be can Andrew Luck put up more than the 16.8 points the Titans are giving up? Indy is allowing 26.6 which is very Mariota-friendly.
Titans are also first when it comes to passing TD’s allowed at only 11 and that will hurt the Colts since they pass the ball. Indianapolis has given up 15. TN has given up 4 rushing TD’s, Indy, 7.
The Colts are averaging 28.9 passing points a game, so we see the first match-up. One would think that this number could be 22 as a split between 16 and 28. Luck has a few less, but not below Tennessee’s average.
Mariota is throwing 18.7 points, Indy giving up 26.6. So, if we split that, too, that would give Mariota 22, as well (rounding the numbers).
On paper, this game is easier for Indianapolis than it is for Tennessee because it’s at home and the Titans being passing-shy, helps them. When it comes to rushing, Indy pounds out more yards, but less scores than Tennessee, but neither team is setting the world on fire with their rushing.
Plain and simple, the Titans have relied on their defense to shut down their opponents and Mariota to do just enough when it matters. With Luck having 26 passing TD’s, and Mariota 7, they’ve got their work cut out for them.
The bad news for the Colts is I don’t think Tennessee has given up a single TD to a TE and they also are stingy with yards. With that said, the Titans haven’t had to shut down three tight ends. It’s one thing to shut down one TE, maybe two on a few plays, but three?
I normally include passing charts for the last few weeks, but NexGen was not working right, so can only include the overall chart.
Overall, Indy has a better chance only because it’s tough to keep the mental stamina needed to play against a big passing offense and one with three tight ends. Mark Vrabel is a good defensive coach, can he scheme up the D to negate the tight ends? He can if he can push Luck around.
Referee Crew
This game will have the rest of the AFCS in agreement: the Texans must lose even though they’d still be in first due to division wins.
Another team that has halved its report is the Texans, it’s not coincidence both are winning.
Washington, We NEED YOU, this report doesn’t give Jags fans a lot of hope. Although (since hope springs eternal), the skins did get several players in full; however, Friday’s are walk-throughs, so it’s not as if they’re actually doing anything.
Washington is one of those teams where you look at their record and watch them play and think, huh? It’s not as if they have a great coach, scheme, QB, defense or one thing you can hang your hat on and say, that’s why.
The skins have seven rushing TD’s to Houston’s 4 and that’s the match-up. Can Peterson carry more a load with Thompson still out?
Washington has 10 passing TD’s, Houston has 17. Neither team is lighting up the NFL with those numbers. Where DC has an advantage is turnover differential.
Both defenses are mid pack or so in giving up passing touchdowns; however, when it comes to shutting down rushing TD’s, Houston is tied for second with 3. Can Washington keep their rushing attack up against a top defense?
Washington is going to need its receivers to catch the ball, something they struggle with. When that happens, Alex Smith can’t get in any rhythm and the offense just stalls out. That’s what they’re going to have to do win: catch the ball. With Houston having two banged-up CB’s, Smith will know where to target, but they’ve got to catch the ball (repeat).
As you can see, Watson is having a good season since his first stumbles at the beginning. Not to mention, he’s healthy now. Speaking of health, he’s been sacked 30 times and that’s where Washington must pounce, go after his OL. They are ranked 13th (tie) with 25.
As beat-up as the skins’ OL is (Jacksonville sympathizes), Smith may be grateful that Houston hasn’t done a whole lot of sacks at 23 considering they have JJ Watt. Smith is a fairly athletic guy, so his agility may save them.
At this writing, the status of Coutee was still in doubt, which helps Washington. As an aside, Smith has seen Demaryius Thomas many times as a former AFCW rival, he may be able to give his DB’s some intel to shut him down. That could be a 1-2 punch that limits Watson.
Without a great run game, it could be the deciding factor.
Referee Crew:
The Steelers look so damn healthy it’s disgusting, they make me want to punch them for this report.
What a surprise, OL players with D or Q status. The, oh crap, is Dareus being Doubtful. The DL hasn’t been bringing down the house, so this is bad news. What else is bad news is this game will be full of Steeler fans. Jax season ticket owners sold a bunch of theirs to the enemy, so there will be no home field sound advantage.
Ben Roethlisberger got his old coach back and this season, he’s made huge strides. That’s bad news for Jacksonville, the guy who Todd Hayley stifled, is gone. While the Jags have been Ben’s quicksand, the defense we’ve been seeing this season will be a red carpet.
Jacksonville’s run defense has been mediocre and that may actually be the real issue. Pittsburgh has 12 rushing TD’s. 12, that’s 4x more than Jax, who ranks dead last. Which does come down to the walking dead offensive line.
If the DL (with a hurt Dareus) can’t channel some #Sacksonville, the game won’t be winnable. Period. All those interceptions Ben threw vs Jags was in large part due to him being hurried all game(s). With a run game and time to throw, there’s nothing stopping Pittsburgh unless we see the defense that showed up last week during the second half.
Even then, they weren’t that great, just lots better than previous weeks. I know, I’m a downer, but this is based on stats. Right now, there’s only one stat that Jax is better at and that’s the passing defense. Can they keep Pitt to 200 yards and only an average of 1.3 TD’s?
No center and LT #6, one wonders how Blake Bortles will make it through this game. Jag fans know that for most of the season he didn’t have his star WR, TE or RB, so the last game to judge on an almost full starting crew was vs New England. In that game, he had his LT (1/2 the time), RB and TE.
Last week, we saw two tight ends appear and make catches. James O’Shaughnessy returned from injured reserve and a guy off the street, Blake Bell also surprised fans. Can those two make up for issues to the LG, C and LT? Tough to see. What must happen is Leonard Fournette, Carlos Hyde and TJ Yeldon go out there and shove the ball down Pittsburgh’s throat.
I’m not sure if Bortles doesn’t trust his dropsy WR’s or he’s nursing another injury, but he’s check-down Charlie and avoiding the deep throw. Against the Steelers, that may not be a bad thing because they allow about what Bortles is throwing, anyway.
They’re giving up 2.1 TD’s and 6.9 yards, Blake is at 7.0 yards and 1.33 TD’s a game.
Here’s the bottom line for this match-up: the Jags offense has got to win the turnover battle and score first. The run game must appear and same for the run stop.
I don’t think there’s some special key the Steelers need to win, just play as they have been. If Roethlisberger doesn’t turn the ball over, tough to see the Jaguars finding a win. The last two match-ups, Pittsburgh won almost every good stat, from time of possession to first downs, etc, but it was the interceptions at the worst time that doomed them.
Jaguars musts:
I’ll be there amidst a sea of terrible towels screaming my fool head off, I better damn well see the same passion from the guys in black and teal. If that mindset happens, they can pull off a win.
We’ve decided we should just throw pizza dough at the wall with a team’s name and go with them. The results will make as much sense as what we witness each week. Not sure the last time we saw such a crazy and unpredictable season.
For what it’s worth, between each other, we chose the Seahawks, but we don’t do Thursday games because there’s enough lead time for the Sunday games.
Jay: This is getting easy honestly…I have no faith in anything Jacksonville and I’m beginning to think last year was the aberration and this is what this team is. Pittsburgh by 5.
Jules: There’s 0 reason to pick Jax – they’re on their sixth LT, the C went down and the defense looks as if it forgot how to play. Even so, this is all the marbles and this team has owned the steelers. I’m going to be there, so my good Ju-Ju will over rule their Smith-Schuster.
Jay: Home team in a battle. 23-20 Skins (picked with no confidence)
Jules: Two 6-0 teams and yet, I can’t say this will be a good game. As a Jag fan, I hope Washington wins, but their team is so beat up, it’s tough to see a W. But, Texans will be missing a couple key pieces and that may save Smith, except it won’t.
Jay: Tampa Bay has certainly seen enough to know that Jameis isn’t the answer (please spare me the “he needs time”…he’s a poor decision maker on and off the field and at that position, your ability has to be peak to be a successful quarterback that makes poor decisions, and he is not). Jameis belongs in bubble wrap for the rest of the season as his $20 million dollar 2019 option is only guaranteed for injury, meaning that Tampa can cut him at any point between now and March without any further financial obligation to him (provided he can pass a physical). Now to the game…Tampa has more talent. Tampa by 3 in a boring ugly game that I’m sorry most of New York and Florida will have to endure.
Jules: Everyone loves a Cindefella story, but it’s a fairy tale for a reason. I like Fitz, but the book is out on him, so picking the Giants by a point.
Jay: This is a de-facto playoff game right now…I’ll take Indy at home by 3.
Jules: Obviously, I want Indy to win. Tennessee defense is pretty good, Luck is better than Mariota, so what a coin flip. Luck hasn’t lost to the Titans, so going with them in a squeaker.
Jay: The Panthers need to win games that they’re supposed to win as their division is too tough to give away games you should win. Newton does his part.
Jules: Newton is having a pretty good season in this system and Detroit is still finding its way.
Jay: I don’t know who the QB is going to be for Baltimore, but I do know that the Cincinnati defense is garbage, so I’ll take Baltimore here with zero confidence
Jules: We could see RGIII this game and that may not be be a bad thing, but it’s Baltimore’s defense that is the real story. I think they’ll pull out some old school smash mouth and win.
Jay: This is for your playoff hopes both of you…Falcons get it at home
Jules: yuck, who cares who wins? Dak is spastic and Atlanta doesn’t know how to play defense. I flipped to see a winner and the coin went under the sofa. Flip #2 had Cowboys (heads because Jerrah Jones is one). Hope the coin is wrong.
Jay: Chargers. Next
Jules: Phillip Rivers struggles against Denver and more Bronco fans show up than Chargers it seems like; however, LAC is a better team because they have a better coach and QB.
Jay: Don’t care (just like 30 of the Raiders players). Arizona
Jules: This game is a: who drafts first, battle. Don’t care who wins and glad this crap won’t be on my TV. I love Larry, so picking them.
Jay; This is the game you give up a first round pick for. I’m a biased Bears fan, but I do see some X’s and O’s issues coming for the Bears offense. I trust Diggs and Thielen just a little more. Vikings by 3.
Jules: Cousins is more consistent than Tribinsky, but Chicago seems to have better chemistry for lack of a better description. Vikings lack heart. They could win, anyway, but there’s something about Chicago this season that I like.
Jay: I’m stoked for this game. Give me as much Pat Mahomes and Jared Goff as I can get please. Rams by 3 in a game that ends 37-34 or something like that.
Jules: Being billed as the battle of the SB. Both teams are missing pieces on defense, so could be a passing back and forth affair. Picking Rams because KC’s defense is ranked 31st, although with Kupp, agree it could be a 3 point game.
There we some changes for Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Redskins in the AFCS Week 11 Friday Injury Report plus Game Status.
This is a game the Colts need to win for the Jaguars because it would tie these two teams up and Titans need a division loss. Taylor is still dealing with turf toe and Conklin remains under the concussion protocol. They look pretty healthy which isn’t great for Indy.
I believe a couple of the DNP for the Indianapolis Colts were due to rest, not ability to dress out especially since their game stays isn’t under review.
This game will have the rest of the AFCS in agreement: the Texans must lose even though they’d still be in first due to division wins because it has another cache to defeat them.
Another team that has halved its report is the Texans, it’s not coincidence both are winning.
Washington, We NEED YOU, this report doesn’t give Jags fans a lot of hope. Although (since hope springs eternal), the skins did get several players in full; however, Friday’s are walk throughs so it’s not as if they’re actually doing anything.
The scum sucking NFL flexed this game to 1:00 because why show this game when they can always play the Cowboys, again? This game is a must-win to coin a cliche. Period. If they want any chance, they’ve got to win.
The Steelers look so damn healthy it’s disgusting, they make me want to punch them for this report.
What a surprise, OL players with D or Q status. The, oh crap, is Dareus being Doubtful. The DL hasn’t been brining down the house, so this is bad news.
Today didn’t see any big names added to the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Redskins AFCS Week 11 Thursday Injury Report. However, Jacksonville did have one that should cause some concern.
This is a game the Colts need to win for the Jaguars because it would tie these two teams up and Titans need a division loss. Taylor is still dealing with turf toe and Conklin remains under the concussion protocol. They look pretty healthy which isn’t great for Indy.
Thursday showed to be a good day for Tennessee as three players moved up in their status.
The same can be said for the Colts, but for some it was more about Wednesday’s day of rest, and a return to normal.
This game will have the rest of the AFCS in agreement: the Texans must lose even though they’d still be in first due to division wins because it has another cache to defeat them.
Another team that has halved its report is the Texans, it’s not coincidence both are winning. One addition as Whitney Mercilus, the severity of the ankle may or may not matter depending on the diagnosis.
The good news for Washington is AP moved back to full, but at his age, how much is left in the tank? And who lands on the report? Perine, so running the ball effectively could be an issue.
This game is a must-win to coin a cliche. Period. If they want any chance, they’ve got to win.
The Steelers look so damn healthy it’s disgusting.
The Jaguars continued their dance steps of moving front and back. Jags got two back to full, but the last thing they needed was adding Cann. The OL is its own injury report and that’s the worst news of all, hamstrings inhibit power needed to hold off a 300 pound guy intent on sacking Bortles.
We have three games on the slate for the AFC South. Match-ups between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts, plus the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins. Take a look at the AFCS Week 11 Wednesday Injury Report.
This is a game the Colts need to win for the Jaguars because it would tie these two teams up and Titans need a division loss. Taylor is still dealing with turf toe and Conklin remains under the concussion protocol. They look pretty healthy which isn’t great for Indy.
Not sure how this happened, but Indy’s injury report used to give me cramps from typing, is now down to half its size. They came out better from the Jags game then we did. Some names on this list are on it almost every week.
This game will have the rest of the AFCS in agreement: the Texans must lose even though they’d still be in first due to division wins because it has another cache to defeat them.
Another team that has halved its report is the Texans, it’s not coincidence both are winning.
The Redskins somehow keep winning, but after their OL became a carbon copy of the Jaguars, those W’s may be turning into L’s because it’s tough to do much without protection or blocking.
The scum sucking NFL flexed this game to 1:00 because why show this game when they can always play the Cowboys, again? This game is a must-win to coin a cliche. Period. If they want any chance, they’ve got to win.
The Steelers look so damn healthy it’s disgusting.
Good News is Jax has two healthy tight ends and Fournette is off the injury report. The bad news is Gibson is on it, we lost center Linder and both LT’s are on here. Plus, Bouye is still injured, along with Meeks and the secondary, which is already showing cracks and this isn’t good news.
Hope things begin to look up quickly and we’ve got a full roster.
There’s been lots of angst among the fans about who to blame, who to fire, etc. but, sometimes it isn’t one thing, it’s a whole lot of things. However, it’s easy to look at this team with the same coaches from last season and almost the same defensive roster and think, what happened?
Some missteps could be seen, but oftentimes there’s not much you can do to fix them. I’ve listed the misstep or mistake or unforeseen circumstance that has lead us here.
How can this be fixed? The easy answer is, stay healthy. That’s what the team had going their way last season. Since that’s not feasible, it goes to coaching and players taking responsibility for playing their guts out.
Maybe that’s the real culprit. It’s been said the easiest way to not get hurt, is to not play, to not get hurt. Yes, that needs to be re-read. The pursuer is the one hitting instead of being hit, having more control. More control equals less punishment and injuries.
Right now, the players and coaches are getting punched in the mouth from being passive. It’s time this team got proactive, accepted what’s going on, get on the same page and go HIT SOMEBODY. It’s simple, but football is about HIT or BE HIT. Fix that and we could salvage this season.
The first two weeks, it was great doing The Buzz, now it just sucks having to scroll down and down and down to find us. What’s “interesting” is to see who blames what part of the team. None of the rankers looked at the two halves of the game, which is good and bad I suppose. The first half would’ve dropped us to 32, but the second half up to 10th. The average score was a 23.
Comments in * are mine.
25 – Previous rank: No. 24
Listened to Doug Marrone after the Jags’ 29-26 loss to the Colts on Sunday. Marrone sounded less like a man defeated and more like a coach who wants to keep his locker room engaged. At 3-6, it would be easy for them to mail it in for the rest of the season. Yet, the Texans are far from unbeatable in the AFC South, while Jacksonville still carries the most talented roster in the division. The more concerning aspect of their record is the 0-3 division standing. What’s really odd about the Jags is that, while the elements that figure into their equation for success (ground game + solid defense = grind-it-out wins) were ready and healthy in Indy, the passing offense was actually what kept them in stride with the Colts. Blake Bortles threw a strike to Rashad Greene to extend a potential go-ahead drive, only to watch Greene put the ball on the carpet. Ruled down by contact, the replay booth overturned the call and Jacksonville flew home with a loss. Next up: Steelers.
High: 18
Low: 23
Last Week: 18
Week 10 Result: Lost at Indianapolis, 29-26
The Jacksonville Jaguars—once upon a time—ranked inside the top five in these power rankings.
Given how they’ve played over the last month-plus, that’s hard to believe.
Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts completes a five-game implosion that has taken the Jaguars from a 3-1 Super Bowl contender to a 3-6 pretender who now sits three games back of the Texans with a head-to-head loss to Houston.
The Jaguars are done. There isn’t going to be any trip to Atlanta. Or a trip to the playoffs.
The offense has been wildly inconsistent and prone to mistakes and turnovers. The supposedly stout defense has allowed at least 24 points in four of their last five games.
“This was it,” Davenport said. “Jacksonville’s last stand. A final chance to revive their lagging playoff hopes. Instead, Rashad Greene’s fumble in Indianapolis territory late was the perfect metaphor for this mess of a season. One more turnover. One more mistake. One more unforced error by a team that refuses to get out of its own way.”
Now, the Jaguars slot outside the top-20.
And they earned that ranking.
Week 10 ranking: 19
Defining stat: 8. The Jaguars have forced only eight turnovers through nine games. That ranks 25th in the league and puts them on pace to finish with 14 — which would be less than half of their total from 2017. The defense feasted on turnovers last season, finishing second in the NFL with 33, and scored an NFL-high seven defensive touchdowns. Those kind of big plays have been pretty rare this season — the Jaguars have scored just one defensive TD, and that came in the season opener — and it hasn’t helped a limited offense that hasn’t shown it’s capable of consistently putting long drives together. — Mike DiRocco
 26 They are the biggest flop of this season. From Super Bowl contender to 3-6 is not a good look for the coaching staff. |
↓1 | 3-6-0 |
*that took a lot of thought*
Last Week’s rank: 18
Points in poll: 108
Highest-place vote: 15th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 25th
Last week: Loss at Indianapolis, 29-26
Next week: vs. Pittsburgh
*This took even more brain power and needed multiple people’s input. I need this gig*
Previous Rank: 20
Currently last in the AFC South, Jacksonville’s shocking decline has been one of the top stories of the season. It doesn’t look like things will get better anytime soon. – Alessandrini
*some people shouldn’t put their name on these things, it’s embarrassing the lack of thought put in them*
Last week: 24
Doug Marrone has to be feeling the heat after going from the AFC title game to absolute afterthought the next season. Already some indications of blowing part of this roster up.
*what indications? The team has been decimated by injuries, the changes we’ve seen are filling holes from them. Trading Fowler wasn’t blowing the roster up, he wasn’t going to be around net season anyway.*
If you read the piece from yesterday, you saw in living color the problems the team has and it points to leadership. Read more in Good, Bad, Ugly, Jaguars show signs of life vs Colts to see that there was a lot of good. Good enough to win out. Good will be saved for last as incentive to keep reading.
I’m going to lay some fault for the ugly in Perry Fewell and Mark Collins’ laps. Yes, the defense is missing Paul Posluszny as a hub to balance all the spokes of egos, but the team has had eleven months to fill that role.
Granted, coaches can’t make someone a leader, especially since no one on defense has been there long; however, coaches are responsible for a disconnect.
They’re responsible for the linebackers and secondary not being on the same page, having communication issues and not trusting each other with assignments. That was ugly.
Ugly was penalties and when they happened. 8 for 61. Not all flags are equal, but Jax had ones that helped Indy keep drives going. In particular, a nasty personal foul that gave the Colts what they needed to score. That flag very well was the difference between a loss and a win.
That ugly is on Doug Marrone. Get a grip on this, it’s losing games.
The ugly was only 34 total tackles, 0 sacks, no QB hits, only three tackles for a loss and only two passes were defended. Three. That is why no sacks, since the secondary wasn’t a threat, Luck didn’t have to hold the ball waiting for a better opening.
For comparison, Indy had 57 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, and six passes defended. Granted, Luck is a better QB and had a better OL, but this defense has played several QB’s in the last 12 months every bit as good and didn’t choke.
Ugly was allowing Indy to get 83% of their third downs in the first half, going 5-6 and getting 306 yards. Allowing their three tight ends to walk all over the defense was the ugliest of all. Maybe they stunk at it because they have little to practice against.
The bad was injured offensive linemen. When Blake Bortles has protection and time to throw, he can get the job done. After losing left tackle Josh Walker, already a 3rd team replacement, and center Jeremy Parnell, the run game was affected. Fournette’s production dropped 3/4 a yard in the second half.
We also saw Bortles play small, intent on getting the ball out fast (for him) to avoid sacks, but it also allowed Indy to play close which also made the run game tougher.
Then here’s the good and bad of Leonard Fournette. His bad was only averaging 2.2 yards per carry (2.9 1st half); however, he picked up key downs that has been missing. The bad was he missed easy lanes showing he lacks vision.
The good was many fold. First, and key, was we saw TIGHT ENDS. Not going to insert disco dancers and a choir singing Hallelujah, but it’s what I’m thinking. They helped block, gave Bortles a little more confidence and caught passes (wow). Plus, a beg thee, use them more.
We also saw more of Tommy Bohanon, who helped bust a run and also caught a pass. He’s been woefully underused this season. To me, the play calling was much better than it’s been in a month.
More good was we held the rush to 3.5 yards which is better than they had. Next was Jax getting 91 yards rushing, also an improvement. Bortles threw 320 yards, two TD’s and no interceptions.
Good was DJ Chark averaging 38 yards per kick-off return which can’t be overlooked. Often this season, the offense has started deep in their territory. If they can rely on 36 yard returns that’s a big relief (minus dumb flags). The average start was at the 31.
Good was 24 first downs, and 53% 9-17 on third downs, plus 2-3, 67% in the red zone (big improvement). Finally for the offense, they controlled the clock for 35:10 and put up 26 points.
You add all that up and it’s enough to win games. The second half of defense was also good. Not a point was allowed, although that partly was due to a missed field goal.
Good was getting an interception, having the Colts start at an average of 24 yards. For three quarters, the Jags controlled time of possession and during the third quarter, had the ball for 12:09. That’s massive.
Had that defense showed up from the start, the Jags would be in a manageable 4-5 situation and have a divisional win. Can they rattle off seven wins in a row? Yes, they can. Do they believe it? That’s the only thing stopping them.
Good is ten wins puts Jacksonville in the hunt for a play off birth. Ten wins, gives them belief in next season. Ten wins helps keep or get free agents. If they don’t do that, some players and coaches need pink slips because the talent is there, all that’s missing is belief and teamwork.
I love Ray Lewis. Yes, I know he may have killed two people, but I’m talking about Ray as the football player and analyst. I watch, Inside the NFL, just to hear what he says because he always, ALWAYS imparts wisdom. This article is based on things he said, that got me thinking.
The man knows defenses even though he’s biased towards the Ravens, but he knows what it takes to be dominant. Over the last few weeks he’s said a few things and I’m cobbling them together, along with something I heard here.
Will lead off with what I heard. The first deals with the offense and that is Doug Marrone is old-school ground and pound and doesn’t know how to deal with an offense based on having to pass. Considering he got conservative against NE* in the play-offs, that seems true.
Is he overruling Nate Hackett? It could be that the reason we’ve seen some bi-polar games week to week and even inside a game may be due to this tug-of war. Which means Marrone needs to let his OC do his job or Hackett needs to lead by telling him to piss off and let him do his job.
The ground and pound does a hole in it because why not use Tommy Bohanon more to help Yeldon? Especially in the red zone. He’s been MIA in the game plans. Also, (broken record here) but who has a run game without any Tight Ends? These guys can block and with the OL we saw, they need all they help they could get.
Is Dave Caldwell or Marrone not seeing this or are they blinded to only wanting to use in-house guys? But they pulled guys off the street for the practice squad and then elevated them. Moving on because no is asking them these questions.
Defense. Overheard that the secondary isn’t communicating and there’s no trust among them, so each player isn’t doing just his job. I believe this. Boy, do I ever. The fact that the secondary had no qualms going out drinking until four AM and Ramsey didn’t go with them, says a lot.
Ramsey also pointed to the locker room when asked about issues. I read a coach’s quote recently (sorry can’t remember the coach) who said that one guy can disrupt an entire locker room, drag it down. It would be too easy to say it was Donte Fowler; however, he wasn’t at the bar in London. Maybe they didn’t invite him because he is an issue, but I don’t believe any of the DL was there.
Which circles back around to: who’s the leader? Barry Church and Bouye brought along rookies on their foolish outing. An outing that says, who cares we have a must win game that could move us up? Who cares if we dump large quantities of alcohol into our bodies a day before a game and right after flying for hours? Both dehydrate and can lead to injuries. What did we see in London?
Members of the drinking crew needing trainers. This is after a, come to Jesus meeting, held by Calais Campbell. Obviously, it didn’t work showing he’s not the leader. Or maybe he is, but not to the linebackers and secondary. Nor a few members of the offense.
SO, here we are, 3-5 and it doesn’t appear anyone is leading this ship. Not Bortles or Campbell or the coaches.
Speaking of which, if they didn’t go get a TE, are they thinking the season is over? If so, why not bench all the drinking crew for a game? He benched Fournette for missing a team photo. If they think the season isn’t over, then what message did he give to the team to instill fear and discipline?
Moving on to the secondary, the one piece of the team we thought was rocking it. If there’s no communication, if the four aren’t trusting one another to do their jobs, how is anything going to get better if there’s no leader?
The members of Denver’s once vaunted No Fly Zone often remarked how they knew how each others’ thoughts, they had such great communication and that was key. Sometimes teams find the right four guys and right coach- Aqib Talib, TJ Ward, Chris Harris, Darian Stewart and DB coach Joe Woods had it in 2015. They lost two of their members, the coach and the magic.
Is the problem with the wrong four guys in Jax or the wrong coach? Jalen Ramsey is the nearest to Talib, so it’s up to him to forget his age, kick some ass and take names because the team is dependent upon it.
Ray Lewis also said that during a game, you need that vocal leader to grab a guy and give him hell for not doing his job. Two is even better, he and Ed Reed instilled fear. That bled over to the entire defense.
On offense, you need a QB who also does that. Watch all the micc’d up films, the QB’s are going off on their guys, even mild-mannered Drew Brees is seen losing it and Peyton Manning was so fearsome, some of his teammates were petrified to talk to him. Guess what? His teams won, and won and won.
It’s (past) time for Jacksonville’s front office to look around and find the answers. I’ve seen what lax leadership at the top can do to an entire team. It needs to draft a QB who isn’t a laid-back beach guy (that makes me sad to write). They need to draft guys who eat, sleep and dream football. Young men who burn for football.
I asked Kareem Hunt before he was drafted if there was anything he didn’t like about being a running back, such as getting hit all the time. He replied that he loved everything because it all went to football and he loved football. You can’t take one anyway, you have to accept it all. His eyes burned with that answer, his passion was evident and not a canned reply. That’s what you need.
Guys with chips on their shoulders. Remember, Hunt was the overlooked back because he went to a smaller school.
As I write this, the Jags blew their assignments after Eric Ebron scored and can be seen “discussing” what happened. So, the issue hasn’t been fixed, there is a communication problem and until that is fixed, this season is toast and maybe next one, too.
Just saw another blown coverage, this time because of a linebacker. As an aside, the Colts are using three tight ends which has steam coming from my ears.
A team shows its true character when they lose, how they react to losing. Do they rally together as a team, don the three musketeers motto or fall apart? Teams with good leaders, put their heads down, pull up their socks, blocks out the outside world and works harder (and stays out of bars).
I truly hope this team can bond during this game, pull off a win and show grit and leadership.
