Know the Foe: Five Questions About the Jaguars
As division rivals, the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars know each other well.
Titans fans, however, might not be as familiar with the Jaguars, particularly since they have unloaded some of their biggest names – i.e. Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Fournette, Calais Campbell – in recent weeks and months.
We checked with John Shipley of JaguarReport (part of the SI.com NFL community) regarding some of the pressing questions related to Jacksonville in advance of Sunday’s matchup at Nissan Stadium.
1) What has been the players' reaction to the idea that the Jaguars, based on their recent offseason moves, are tanking?
Essentially, the Jaguars' locker room is approaching the topic of tanking much like one would think they would. Quarterback Gardner Minshew II has called the idea "crap", while defensive end Josh Allen continues to say he thinks the team is going to shock the world as they march through the 2020 season.
It isn't surprising to see the Jaguars roster itself shoot down any idea that they are tanking. No NFL locker room will ever purposely lose games -- the men who make up the rosters are too competitive and too prideful, while most players can't afford to spend a year losing.
2) How good was rookie cornerback C.J. Henderson (the ninth overall pick) in Week 1 and what makes him so effective?
Frankly, CJ Henderson had a better debut than any Jaguars rookie in recent memory, including Jalen Ramsey. Henderson recorded three pass breakups and an interception, while locking down T.Y. Hilton on numerous clutch situations. This included a crucial fourth down pass breakups at the very end of the game, with the Colts targeting Hilton and Henderson right off of the snap.
Henderson was the epitome of a shutdown corner in Week 1, and he did it against a perennially productive receiver in Hilton. Henderson had a lot of expectations placed on him when the Jaguars drafted him No. 9 overall, and so far, he's met every single one.
3) Who is James Robinson and why is he the starter at running back?
James Robinson is a couple of things. He's quiet, he comes from a FCS program at Illinois State, and he's been productive at every step of his football journey. Robinson has a marvelous college career after setting the Illinois state high school rushing record, but middling results at the combine likely dropped him out of the draft. As a result, the soft-spoken back joined the Jaguars after only they were one of only two teams that expressed interest in him.
Ultimately, Robinson was so impressive in every facet in camp that he earned the starting job and made Leonard Fournette expendable. The hard-nosed, business-first Robinson is essentially the exact opposite of Fournette on and off the field, and the vision, explosion and ability to create yards after contact that he displayed in Week 1 were all welcomed additions to the offense.
4) What do you think the defense will try to deal with Derrick Henry, who has shredded Jacksonville in recent years?
Jacksonville has more or less been pounding their head against the wall when it comes to finding a way to stop Derrick Henry. Even when the team bottles him up for the most part, he finds a way to create chunk gains whether on the ground or via a screen pass. Jacksonville has come in with the same strategy each time, but rarely finds success.
The biggest key to stopping Henry this year will likely be strong safety Josh Jones. Jones is essentially an extra linebacker in Jacksonville's defensive scheme, spending most of his time in the box or as an overhang defender. Jones led the team in tackles with 12 in Week 1 and his size, speed and strength will be much needed vs. Henry.
5) So, Gardner Minshew was 19-for-20 passing on Sunday. What happened on the one he missed?
The lone incompletion was actually not even Minshew's fault, so he was 20-for-20 in terms of being in target with his passes. The only incompletion on his stat sheet was a drop by rookie receiver Laviska Shenault in the second quarter. Minshew hit Shenault in the hands right across the middle of the field, but Shenault tried to advance the ball before securing it, leading to a drop.
