Jaguars 2020 Midseason Awards: Who Stood Out on Offense?
We are officially at the midway point of the 2020 season for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It has rarely been pretty, but the 1-7 Jaguars are now 50% of the way through with their season.
Before Jacksonville kicks off its ninth game, a Week 10 clash against the 6-2 Green Bay Packers, we are going to look at the offensive and defensive side of the balls to determine who deserves midseason superlatives -- whether positive or negative.
In this edition we turn to the offense, a unit that has had its flashes but has yet to take a major step toward consistency under offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. Who among the offensive players has stood out this year? We break it down here.
Offensive MVP: James Robinson
Much like Myles Jack was an easy choice for defensive MVP, rookie running back James Robinson is an easy call for Jacksonville's top offensive player at the halfway point. While Brandon Linder earned more consideration than any runner-up on defense, Robinson was still the Jaguars' best offensive player by a decent margin through the first eight games of his career. Considering the fact that the undrafted rookie stepped into a Week 1 starting role with no preseason and never looked back, Robinson has been one f the best stories of the entire NFL season.
Through eight games, Robinson is seventh in yards from scrimmage (805), averaging 5.1 yards per touch, sixth in the NFL in rushing yards (580), and tied for fifth in offensive touchdowns (seven). Add in his impressive 4.4 yards per carry and 225 receiving yards, it is hard to not be impressed by Robinson -- especially since he has accounted for almost 29% of Jacksonville's offensive yards. He has been the best player on his side of the ball and should only continue to get better.
Top Offensive Lineman: Brandon Linder
While Brandon Linder missed a pair of games earlier this year due to a knee injury, and will miss Sunday against the Packers with a back injury, he is once again the stalwart for the Jaguars' offensive line. Andrew Norwell and Cam Robinson earn some consideration, but Linder has been a consistent force when he is on the field.
According to Sports Info Solutions, Linder has just one blown block and one penalty all season. Linder is also the No. 4 ranked center (out of 47) when using Pro Football Focus grades. While his injuries have hampered him to an extent, he has been the team's second-best offensive player when healthy.
Top Offensive Rookie: James Robinson
Laviska Shenault obviously should get some attention but his production hasn't come close to Robinson's -- though that is expected since Robinson is a No. 1 running back and Shenault is a No. 2 receiver on a middling offense. Shenault hasn't been used enough by the Jaguars, though, leading to Robinson running away with this award for all of the same reasons that he is the team's offensive MVP.
Top Concern: Who is the QB?
If a team doesn't yet know who its best quarterback is in Week 10 then there are not many problems that are more pressing. Starting quarterback Gardner Minshew struggled through a 1-6 start before being shut down, for now, with a right thumb injury. Rookie quarterback Jake Luton threw for 300+ yards and impressed in his debut, but the sample size is still small. What happens at the team's most important position whenever Minshew returns from his thumb injury is anybody's guess, which likely would have been seen as a far-out idea if brought up over the summer.
For now, it appears the Jaguars at the least do not have a long-term franchise quarterback. They may have a pair of serviceable quarterbacks they will soon have to debate and choose between, but the question of who the quarterback is will extend far beyond this season.
Most Improved Offensive Player: Cam Robinson
It was clear during training camp that left tackle Cam Robinson was set to play on another level in 2020. The fourth-year pro looked comfortable for the first time since an ACL injury early in 2018 ended his sophomore season -- and third season as a result. While the advanced metrics do not suggest Robinson has been a stellar and dominant player this season, the eye test says he has clearly taken a giant leap from last season. A big part of this is due to him finally being 100% healthy again, which he acknowledged in training camp.
"Health wise, it’s like night and day. Last year, I was just trying to get on the field. Even at this point, I don’t even think I was cleared yet at this point last year," Robinson said on Aug. 11. "When I did get cleared, I ended up having another injury. For me, it’s like night and day, finally being able to be healthy. I am looking forward to it.”
Robinson's contract is up after this season and it will be worth examining whether the Jaguars opt to give him a second deal with the team. But regardless of what happens when the season it is over, it won't negate the improvement Robinson has so far shown.
“I think Cam's much better than he was the year before. There’s no doubt about it," Jaguars head coach said earlier this week.
We concur.
Biggest Surprise: James Robinson, with a special shoutout to Jake Luton
Due to his track record of success at Illinois State, maybe people shouldn't have been so shocked to see James Robinson serve as an immediate and substantial upgrade over Leonard Fournette. But Robinson has been a revelation for the Jaguars at running back since his first carry in Week 1, a move that should earn the Jaguars their deserved pats on the backs.
If Jake Luton had more starts under his belt, perhaps he would take this spot. His Week 9 performance was substantially better than most expected from the sixth-round Oregon State product, mostly due to the fact that he got zero preseason snaps and was walking into Week 9 with complete inexperience. If Luton can duplicate his level of play from Week 9 moving forward, he could certainly win top spot here.
Biggest Disappointment: The chemistry between DJ Chark and Gardner Minshew
After a 2019 in which it appeared as if DJ Chark and Gardner Minshew had perfect harmony as a passing game duo, the pair failed to replicate that magic during the first seven games of 2020. Chark had his best game of the season in Week 9, the first game Minshew hasn't started this season, while the duo had failed to connect in too many big moments previously.
Things went even more downhill after Minshew reportedly injured his thumb in Week 5. In Weeks 5-7, Minshew completed only 11-of-25 targets (44%) to Chark for 87 yards and zero touchdowns. Over those games, Minshew had an average passer rating of 51.4 when targeting Chark, while Chark was gaining just 3.48 yards per target. If Minshew gets back onto the field in 2020, he will quickly have to get back on the same page as his best weapon.
Offensive Play of the Midseason: DJ Chark's 73-yard touchdown vs. the Texans
The Jaguars haven't had an offensive play better executed this season than Jake Luton's 73-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark in Week 9.
The protection? Pristine. The throw? Perfectly in stride and on time. The catch? Secured. The touchdown? Scored. There is no real debate on this one considering it is the biggest play the Jaguars have produced on offense this season.
