The Colts found a little lift from an unexpected source in Week 3, and it came at just the right time.
Laquon Treadwell’s 20-yard catch helped Indianapolis set up the game-winning field goal in a 19-17 win over the Texans, and Shane Steichen made it clear afterward that the veteran receiver’s journey matters just as much as the play itself. Steichen pointed to Treadwell’s climb from the practice squad to the active roster and the way he has handled his role while filling in for injured wideout Alec Pierce.
“Treadwell’s story is incredible, being on a practice squad for I don’t know how many years, and then to make the active roster and then make the plays he’s been making, obviously, with Alec [Pierce] being down?” Steichen said, via Albert Breer of SI.
“The biggest thing that you can put in there is that he’s accepted his role; he made it on special teams. Like he got elevated on special teams, and then he had a really good camp because of special teams, and then made plays on offense, too.
So it’s like, O.K., cool, yeah, you’re on the 53 this year; you keep proving it over again. He never bitches, never complains.
He just crushes his role.”
In Jacksonville, Brian Thomas Jr. barely saw the ball in the Jaguars’ Week 3 win over the Patriots, finishing with one eight-yard reception. Liam Coen said the limited usage was not meant as any kind of statement to the receiver. Instead, he framed it as a product of the game plan, which leaned more heavily on rookie wideout Josh Cameron against New England.
“We weren’t necessarily sending any message,” Coen said, via John Shipley of SI. “We were playing in a little bit more 12 and also some of the things that we had Josh on specifically were things that we felt good about him doing within a role that he has.”
Coen was also emphatic that Thomas remains a central part of what Jacksonville wants to do. He said the Jaguars still need Thomas to attack defenses down the field and keep developing as a playmaker.
“We are 100%, we need all these guys. We need BT to continue to ascend and there wasn’t any real message.
It was just we all got to do our part and that’s on us as coaches too,” Coen said. “We are 100% going to need BT to make plays down the field and continue to ascend and make contested catches and do the things that he does really well.
And that’s on us as a staff to continue to put him in those positions, and he’s going to make a ton of plays for us this year, I have no doubt in my mind.”
Even with that public backing, Dan Graziano of ESPN reported that other teams are watching closely to see whether Jacksonville would ever soften its stance on making Thomas available in trade talks. He noted that Thomas has slid down the Jaguars’ pecking order at receiver, though a move would still require a strong offer.
In Tennessee, the questions are different, but the concern is familiar. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN said conversations with sources left him believing the Titans want to give Cam Ward more time to settle in before any thought of a benching.
Graziano reported that there is also a sense around the league that things are not lined up properly on offense. People he spoke with said both the unit and Ward should be better at this stage, and there is uncertainty about where the breakdown is happening.
In Other News...
Jaguars Could Catch Bengals At The Perfect Time In Week 4
Wednesdays injury report offered a little early-week clarity for Jacksonville, and the Jaguars seem to be moving in the right direction as they prepare for a Week 4 meeting with Cincinnati. Several Jaguars were listed as limited participants, but the overall picture points toward a team getting healthier at the right time, which matters with the schedule starting to tighten and every division game carrying extra weight.
Cincinnati, by contrast, left more questions hanging after practice. The Bengals are dealing with more uncertainty in the secondary and along the offensive line, two spots that can shape how a game is protected, covered and ultimately controlled. For Jacksonville, that makes this a notable week to watch, because the injury report alone could end up influencing how both teams build their plans. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Week 4 Problem That Could Change Everything
Through three weeks, the Bengals have shown enough on defense to make opponents pay attention, and the attention in Jacksonville has to start up front. Cincinnatis offseason additions gave that defensive line more heft, and Anthony Cosenza of Cincy Jungle pointed to the strength there as a real factor heading into the matchup with the Jaguars. He also noted how the safety situation has been complicated by injuries, which makes the rest of the defense carry even more of the load.
For Jacksonville, the bigger question is how that front changes the script of the game and whether the Jaguars can keep their own offense on schedule against a group that is still settling into its identity. Cosenza also talked through what he has seen from Cincinnati so far and what he expects from the players in this one, while leaving little doubt that the defensive tone could shape how the game unfolds. There is still plenty to sort out, but the matchup already feels like one where the trenches will matter first. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Are Rising In The AFC But One Debate Is Just Starting
Through three weeks, the AFC race already has a familiar feel at the top, with Kansas City setting the pace, Buffalo right behind it and Jacksonville hanging in the same early conversation. The Jaguars have earned that place by matching up well with what matters most this time of year: enough stability on offense, enough speed to change a game quickly and enough coaching structure to keep winning games from getting away from them.
The interesting part for Jacksonville is not where it sits today, but how long it can stay there once the schedule starts asking tougher questions. Buffalos push has already added some heat to that discussion, and Pittsburgh is lurking as another division leader with its own case to make, which means the Jaguars are no longer just trying to prove they belong in the AFCs upper tier. They are trying to show they can hold that spot when the league starts sorting contenders from the rest. [Read more 🡒]