Story by
Only all-hands-on-deck effort will help get Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. going
- Story by
- Only all-hands-on-deck effort will help get Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. going
The Jaguars have a Brian Thomas Jr. Problem . Or a Trevor Lawrence Throwing To BTJ Problem. Or a Coaches Finding Ways To Maximize BTJ Problem. Or maybe a mix of all three heading into Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams in London.
What is undoubtedly true: It's critical for it to get corrected, pronto.
Advertisement
As a rookie, Thomas finished tied for 16th in catches (87), third in yards (1,282) and tied for sixth in touchdown catches (10). Regardless of how much of that was a bad team/empty calorie statistic situation, it still raised expectations.
This year, he is tied for 40th in catches (24), 27th in yards (334) and tied for 54th in touchdown catches (one). I have him booked for five drops.
Something seems off. And because of that, the Jaguars ' passing game, now without tight end Brenton Strange (hip) for at least three more games, is really off.
The Seattle game was the Full Thomas Experience. He scored a 21-yard touchdown and had other catches of 19 and 22 yards … but he also had another third-down drop and didn't attack a play over the middle for the third time this season.
Advertisement
"It's no different than some of the inconsistencies in a lot of our guys right now," coach Liam Coensaid earlier this week. "Some of our 'good' has been 'really good,' and some of the 'bad,' just goes to the bottom floor in some ways. A part of this thing is trying to not let those dips dip down so low that it's game-changing."
Thomas set up the Week 3 Houston game-winner with a 46-yard catch and set up the Week 5 Kansas City game-winner with a 33-yard catch and drawn penalty in the end zone. But we tend to remember the mistakes more than the triumphs.
So what are the issues? Three statistics from my game charting stood out.
Thomas is averaging 10.3 "air" yards per catch, but only 3.4 "air" yards post catch; when he's catching it, he's getting tackled, which plays into pass placement by Lawrence and too many routes when he makes the catch standing still or isn't breaking tackles. Also, Lawrence is 5 of 13 for 109 yards when targeting Thomas on attempts of at least 16 "air" yards.
Advertisement
Possible solutions?
"We've got to make sure we're putting him in a position to be successful," Coen said. "Do what these guys do best and start to really focus in on those things and maybe not ask them to do some things that they're not doing at a high level right now and only have (them) do what they're truly doing best. That's on us as coaches, too."
What Thomas does best right now is work the low-traffic perimeter area of the field. But limiting a receiver of his ilk to outside the numbers is sub-optimal. The Jaguars should continue sending Thomas over the middle and also add in some deep post routes to make him a full-width-of-the-field threat.
About the Jaguars
1. Watch the officiating crew:The Rams-Jaguars game has drawn referee Adrian Hilland his crew a week after they delivered chaos in the New England - New Orleans game. I saw the hubbub on social media so I reached out to a Boston reporter for clarity.
Advertisement
The low-lights: The Hill crew took a 61-yard touchdown catch by Patriots receiver Pop Douglas off the board because of a pass interference penalty on receiver Stefon Diggs that came in well after and well away from the play. … There was confusion at the goal-line on a two-point conversion attempt by Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and he was ruled down but the call was overturned quickly by replay assist. … Patriots coach Mike Vrabelwon two challenges and would have won a third had he thrown the flag. … Diggs was called for another pass interference penalty to wipe out a 50-yard catch. … The game was stopped several times because of poor communication.
2. Rare achievement:Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome IIwill become the fifth player to appear in multiple international games with different teams in the same season. Newsome played for Cleveland in its Week 5 loss to Minnesota . The other players are Gareon Conley (2019 Houston and Oakland), Patrick Johnson (2024 New York Giants and Philadelphia ), Latavius Murray (2022 Denver and New Orleans) and Adrian Peterson (2017 Arizona and New Orleans).
3. Pass rush broken:The Jaguars need to crank up their pass rush, which has only one sack in the last two games. Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen is off to the slowest six-game start of his career (a half-sack). Just as concerning are his pressure numbers. In the first four games, he had 5 1/2 knockdowns and 13 1/2 pressures per my charting, but in the last two games, just one pressure.
Quick Kicks
Indiana coach Curt Cignettiis off the hot boards of Florida and Penn State after he agreed to a contract extension on Thursday through 2033 for $11.6 million per year, a bump of more than $2 million annually. At age 64, Cignetti decided a big pay raise was worth staying in Bloomington instead of starting over at another school and probably for less money. The Hoosiers are 17-2 since hiring Cignetti from James Madison. …
Oct 4, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin shakes hands with Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier before the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Would Florida athletic director Scott Stricklinreally fire coach Billy Napiereven if the Gators beat Mississippi State on Saturday? Maybe a tug-of-war game (13-7, 14-10, etc.), which would convince Stricklin that Napier's offense is broken beyond repair. Texas A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisherin 2023 after, ironically, a win over Mississippi State.
Advertisement
Saturday selections
Mississippi State at Florida:Fire up the hot board, folks. Mississippi State 13-7.
Florida State at Stanford:From ranked No. 8 to out of the top 25 in three weeks, the Seminoles get the 10:30 p.m. slot in Palo Alto and a needed win. FSU 30-20.
Ole Miss at Georgia:Rebels coach Lane Kiffinwon't have to worry about his student section's attendance because the game is in Athens. Ole Miss 29-25.
Tennessee at Alabama:Whatever Kalen DeBoersaid to his coaches and players after the loss to Florida State, it worked. The Tide make it six straight. Alabama 28-21.
Advertisement
Record:1-3 last week (17-13 season).
Sunday selections
L.A. Rams vs. Jaguars: The Jaguars won't go into the bye reeling, but they will go with a two-game losing streak. Rams 27-20.
Top game — Tampa Bay at Detroit (Monday): Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is my choice for Midseason NFL MVP. He shows it again in Detroit. Buccaneers 31-24.
Upset — Washington at Dallas: The Cowboys are the NFL's most entertaining average team. Their offense ranks first in yards (387.5) and third in points (29.7) and their defense ranks last in yards (411.7) and 31st in points (30.7) allowed. Cowboys 42-35.
Advertisement
Lock — New England at Tennessee: The famous Interim Coach Bump ( Brian Callahanout, former Jaguars assistant Mike McCoyin) is outweighed by the Fired Coach Returns For Revenge Bump (Vrabel brings the Patriots to Nashville). Patriots 31-10
Record:3-1 last week (13-11 season).
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: All-hands effort required to get Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. going
