Jaguars' Brian Thomas Enters a Crucial Opportunity This Week

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 9-4 with a fantastic opportunity to get to double-digit wins in Week 15. This team has been highly impressive in the 2025 NFL season, surpassing all of their expectations coming into the campaign.

The most surprising part? They've been able to do so despite the immense struggles of Brian Thomas Jr., who was viewed as one of their most promising and dominant players.

BTJ was supposed to build upon his revelatory rookie showing in Year 2, with a full season catching balls from Trevor Lawrence instead of Mac Jones. With Head Coach Liam Coen on the sideline, this passing attack was supposed to get the best out of the connection between T-Law and his new WR1. Instead, between drops, injuries, and mental hurdles, Thomas Jr. just hasn't produced the way he was supposed to this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, New York Jets, Brian Thomas Jr. — Dec 15, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) outruns New York Jets cornerback Kendall Sheffield (27) during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

BTJ came back with a bang

After a brutal start to the 2025 NFL season, Brian Thomas Jr. went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 9's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. That injury ended up costing him four games. Despite his absence, the Jacksonville Jaguars cruised to a 3-1 mark, thanks to the acquisition of Jakobi Meyers and the emergence of Parker Washington as a dependable downfield weapon for Trevor Lawrence.

In fact, the Jaguars' offense arguably looked better without needing to force-feed targets to BTJ, a handful of which resulted in backbreaking drops through the early season. That raised a question of how this team would look with Thomas Jr. back in the fold, especially with Meyers and Washington earning larger roles while he was sidelined.

“Brian Thomas Jr leads the NFL with 12.8 yards per target versus man, and 7 of his 9 such receptions against man coverage have gone for explosive gains.” - @NextGenStats
pic.twitter.com/tehjhOW00S
— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) December 13, 2025

In his second game back in action, Thomas Jr. reeled in three catches for 87 yards, including two bombs from T-Law, against the Indianapolis Colts. That performance gave hope that BTJ could once again be a featured part of this offense, back in his preferred role as a deep threat.

What can BTJ do against the Jets?

In Week 15, BTJ and the Jaguars face an opportune matchup against the New York Jets. Their opponent is technically a top-10 passing defense. However, that's more because the Jets are prone to giving up big leads early on, allowing the opposition to simply run out the clock, than a testament to their ability to lock down receivers.

If Jacksonville can gain a comfortable lead early on against New York, Head Coach Liam Coen and his team might want to take the opportunity to build some much-needed momentum for the remainder of their playoff push, as well as a potential postseason run. That means seeing what Thomas Jr. can do in his new role, with Parker Washington possibly back in the lineup, too. This is a fantastic chance for BTJ to cement his deep connection with Lawrence and notch another strong statistical outing down the stretch.

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