The Jaguars’ Week 9 setup is suddenly about more than just a Thursday night matchup with the Ravens. After a big win on Sunday, Jacksonville is now trying to absorb the loss of key veterans Davon Hamilton and Eric Murray, and head coach Liam Coen made it clear Wednesday that this is a whole-roster problem, not something for a handful of leaders to carry alone.
“You got four starters get hurt in one game. How do you supplement that?
Well, it’s through the building. It’s through the entire group,” Coen said on Wednesday.
“It’s not just, all right, the defensive captains or the offensive captains that need to feel the weight of that. It’s the entire building. It’s every single one of us, players, coaches, and staff included, to help pick that up.”
That reality puts the spotlight on a few changing roles, especially in the secondary. Rayuan Lane looks like the biggest winner.
After a career day against the Colts, he’s expected to move into the starting lineup against Baltimore and likely stay there for the rest of the season unless Jacksonville makes another move at safety. Lane has long been valued for his special teams work, but he’s already shown he can answer the bell when called on, and now the Jaguars are counting on that over a longer stretch.
Coen gave a pretty clear picture of the safety depth chart when asked about the options Wednesday. He named Antonio Johnson, Rayuan Lane and Kaevon Merriweather first, before eventually getting to third-round rookie Jalen Huskey.
That ordering says plenty. Huskey has barely been used on defense through the first seven games of his NFL career, and Murray’s injury doesn’t appear to change that much.
If anything, the Jaguars’ trust in the current group seems to be centered elsewhere.
The backfield could also shift depending on Bhayshul Tuten’s status. Coen said Tuten is a game-time decision because of a foot/ankle injury, and if he can’t go, Chris Rodriguez should be in line for a major workload.
Rodriguez has steadily improved as the season has gone on, and his efficiency numbers have stood out. He’s also been in this spot before as a backup who had to take on more, so the Jaguars should feel comfortable leaning on him if needed.
There’s also a question around Jarrian Jones, who played only 12 snaps in Sunday’s blowout win. That limited usage may have been tied to injury, since Jones has been limited in practice this week with an ankle issue. Montaric Brown was healthy and played well against the Colts, which adds another layer to the discussion about how much Jones will actually be needed from week to week beyond spelling Jourdan Lewis.
Jones had been playing better than he’s been given credit for while starting opposite Travis Hunter on the outside, with the Houston Texans game in Week 6 standing out as his lone real rough outing. Still, his role is one to watch heading into Thursday, and the injury situation makes the picture even murkier.
One of the more encouraging developments for Jacksonville came from Branson Combs, who showed real growth in coverage against Indianapolis. He’s been the Jaguars’ coverage linebacker since the offseason program, and Sunday gave the team more reason to believe in what they’ve seen from him since his rookie year.
“To have your third linebacker that we know that we had a lot of faith in come in and make an impact on special teams the way he did with the two big hits on our sideline and to get the interception, we’ve seen that kind of play from him out here in training camp,” Coen said Wednesday. “Going up, climbing the ladder and making a great catch on an interception this training camp. He’s got good ball skills and the more he can do for our team, the better we’ll be.”
With Murray done for the year, Combs could be a name to watch in more obvious passing situations in the middle of the field. He and Murray don’t play the same role, but the Jaguars may still look for ways to get their best athletes on the field as they adjust to life without a key veteran.
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Chris Rodriguez Jr. was limited with a hand injury, but the veteran is the next man up if Tuten cannot go. Rodriguez has been efficient this season and has already carved out a meaningful role in recent games, which makes him a logical option for a heavier workload if Jacksonville needs steadiness against Baltimore. [Read more 🡒]
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Liam Coen came away encouraged by Thomas and by the way the roster held together after season-ending injuries to Davon Hamilton, Eric Murray and Anton Harrison. The bigger question now is whether Jacksonvilles depth can keep producing when the margin for error gets thinner, because the next stretch will test both the teams leadership and its mental toughness. [Read more 🡒]