This has been the fourth year I have been doing these and Gus Logue of Big Cat Country has been there for all of them. It’s funny how divisional games are always circled on the calendar as big games and yet
behind the scenes we seem to get along better than the teams outside of the division. At least, it is easier to work with them than the other teams.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming in with a 5-3 record. It hasn’t always been pretty, but they are in position to make noise in the AFC playoff chase. They also made a key addition on offense after their trade for Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders. He helps cushion the blow from the temporary loss of Travis Hunter and could possibly help make the Jaguar passing attack more consistent. We started our conversation with their thrilling victory over those same Raiders.
Battle Red Blog: The last game with the Raiders was an exciting one but the offense is up and down. How do you feel about Trevor Lawrence and the offense?
Gus Logue: After being manhandled by elite pass rushes & defensive coordinators in its two previous games against the Seahawks and the Rams, the Jaguars’ offense found its footing again against a weaker opponent. Travis Etienne played great against the Raiders, and his success on the ground opened up the passing attack. That’s been a much more efficient recipe for Jacksonville this season than asking Lawrence to throw 35+ times. It’s beyond frustrating to see him continue to make at least one mindless error per game, but it can somewhat be explained by a lack of consistency and reliability from his pass-catchers. I feel much better about the team’s dropback game now they’ve traded for Jakobi Meyers, who should easily be the most trustable target of Lawrence’s pro career (bar current Texan Christian Kirk).
BRB: Travis Hunter is obviously out. How was his rookie season going before he went down?
GL: There are some brilliant flashes of playmaking, but the No. 2 overall pick hasn’t been as impactful as you might expect given Jacksonville’s huge draft day trade to acquire him. Hunter hasn’t met the sky-high expectations placed upon him. That said, he’s doing the damn thing — the guy is playing both sides of the ball! In the NFL! At an above-average level! He was improving in each game until he got hurt. Fortunately, his injury wasn’t a significant one, so he should be back before the end of the regular season barring any setbacks. The Jaguars seemed ready to unleash him on offense after the bye, but now that Meyers is in town, it may be wiser to deploy him full-time at cornerback upon his return while working in some offensive packages.
BRB: Who are a couple of players that have been playing better football since week three?
GL: Montaric Brown is the first name that comes to mind. He missed part of training camp and the first two weeks of the season with a lower leg injury, and his only two snaps against the Texans in Week 3 were on special teams. Since then, though, “Buster” has been Jacksonville’s best defensive back and best kept secret; he ranks first among 100 qualifying CBs in yards per coverage snap allowed (0.2) in that span. I can’t wait to see him — and Greg Newsome, who has improved since being traded to the Jaguars in Week 4 — against Nico Collins on Sunday. I’m also excited to watch third-year wideout Parker Washington, who has been building momentum since training camp and caught a career-high 8 balls last week.
BRB: The Colts loss on Sunday brings the Jags back to within one game in the loss column. How much of a chance do you give the Jags to catch them?
GL: I’d say pretty close to 50/50. The Colts’ loss on Sunday showed who the real Daniel Jones is: he collapses under pressure and isn’t good enough to be trading away multiple first-round picks for a defensive back. I still can’t believe they went all-in for Sauce Gardner, who could be sick paired with DC Lou Anarumo but tanks Indy’s chances at finding real franchise quarterback. Anyway, I should really be saying 33.3/33.3/33.3 to include Houston, which could very well emerge with a win over Jacksonville this week. It’s the AFC South. Equally dumb and unexpected twists, like Jones’ red hot start to the season, always happen in this division. The only team I’ll rule out right now is Tennessee.
BRB: Fanduel has the Texans favored by 1.5 points. How do you see the game going? Are there any prop bets you feel comfortable recommending?
GL: If C.J. Stroud is out, the Jaguars *should* win what will surely be a gnarly, low-scoring game. Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, and that young secondary still pose a major problem for Jacksonville’s offense, which could be without both Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. (who sprained his ankle last week). I could still see them hitting enough explosives to reach a score on the mid-to-high teens, like in Week 3, but the real question is whether Jacksonville’s defense shows up. They were on fire to start the season but have allowed 20+ points in five straight games. Though that’s partly due to a wave of injuries, the pass rush has been largely healthy and only ranks 27th in pressure rate on the year (30%). I think the Texans win. I’ll be eyeing the over on prop bets for Nico Collins, who should feast over the middle of the field against the Jaguars’ pitiful safeties (former Texan Eric Murray is on injured reserve).
Every game in a seventeen game schedule is important, but these divisional games always seem to be more pivotal than the others. If the Jaguars win they will be a comfortable 6-3 and will apply more pressure to the Indianapolis Colts on top of the division. If they lose they will throw themselves into a huge pile of other similar teams fighting for the last wild card berth. As for the Texans, a win on Sunday keeps them theoretically alive to get back in it. A loss likely throws them out of the playoff chase for good. That is what is on the line Sunday. We want to thank Gus for his time this year and for being so agreeable throughout the whole process. We want to wish Gus and the Jags the best of luck for the remainder of the season. Of course, we hope that luck begins on Monday morning.
