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Jacksonville Jaguars wasted no time getting Brenton Strange involved
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- Jacksonville Jaguars wasted no time getting Brenton Strange involved
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen wasted no time in dialing up a target to tight end Brenton Strange in his first game in 48 days.
Strange wasted no time in making an impact when he ran past Arizona safety Budda Baker on a "sail" route on the Jaguars' second offensive play of the game and caught a Trevor Lawrence pass for 30 yards.
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Strange went on to lead the Jaguars with 93 receiving yards on five receptions and was the offensive bright spot in a 27-24 overtime victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 23 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
It was Strange's first game back after a hip injury in the Monday night game against Kansas City on Oct. 6. Strange caught all five of his targets and posted his career high for yards.
He was the Jaguars' leading receiver at the time he was hurt against the Chiefs and despite missing five games Strange is fourth on the team in receptions (25) and yards (297).
"It felt good to be back out there and back moving around," Strange said on Nov. 24 during a video conference with the media. "I'm blessed and I'm thankful."
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So is Lawrence, who is overjoyed that one of his key weapons, receiving, blocking in the running game and pass protection, is on the grass again.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) talks with quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) after an offensive possession on Nov. 23 against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
"You see the big plays he made and just having him out there ... [I] missed having him out there," Lawrence said. "I know he is happy to be back. It's huge having him back, and we'll keep building on it. Obviously, it's the first week, but you see the impact he made."
Coen said Strange, in his third season, has become the type of player who contributes beyond statistics.
"It's just his presence and energy," Coen said after the game. "The look in his eye that he has gives our offense a spark."
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Plan was for Strange to get involved early
Strange's first reception was the first of three catches for 23 or more yards in the game, and four of his five receptions gave the Jaguars first downs.
His first catch got the Jaguars out of the shadow of their goal posts, taking the ball from the 5 on a second-and-eight to the 35.
On Lawrence's 15-yard TD pass to Travis Etienne two plays later (Etienne broke off a 45-yard gain the play before), Strange took linebacker Cody Simon out of the play when he ran an out route on the same side of the field, then blocked Simon as Etienne barged into the end zone.
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Strange not only expected to make an early impact, but it was in the game plan.
"I think we had a good game plan to put me in position to do that, and I just went out there and executed the plays," he said. "I'm happy that they called the plays. I'm happy that the plays worked out and just got to keep going, keep making it happen."
Strange didn't see the need to break him in gradually, and he certainly showed no rust.
"I feel like always when I can get my hands on the ball early, it sets the tone for the game," he said. "It kind of just gets me in the right mindset to play the rest of the game and just be aggressive. So I'm happy that the coaches got me involved early."
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Strange contributed on the run game
Strange played 44 snaps, 71 percent of the Jaguars' offensive plays. His receptions for 23, 24 and 30 yards were three of his four longest this season.
Strange has produced first downs on 13 of his 25 receptions, five converting third down and four converting second and 8 yards or longer.
He made his usual contributions on the running game against Arizona, helping the Jaguars clear the way for 134 yards and a 4.8 per-carry average. It can't be an accident that the Jaguars have rushed for an average of 142 yards when Strange plays a full game, and 116.5 yards when he doesn't.
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The Jaguars are also 6-1 when they rush for more than 100 yards as a team — and they're now 4-1 when Strange plays a full game.
Brenton Strange never minds winning 'ugly'
Strange said the Jaguars continue to exhibit a remarkable ability to deal with negative plays during a game and somehow emerge on top.
"I mean, that's a big thing in football," he said. "There's always going to be adversity at some point in time in the game, and I think that we do a good job of just sticking together. I think it'll take us to the places that we want to go."
And Strange echoed Coen's post-game remarks in the locker room, that the Jaguars will never apologize for winning an NFL game by any means possible.
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"I think it's always pride in winning games," he said. "We want to make the city of Jacksonville proud every single time we step out on the field."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars Brenton Strange made immediate impact in win over Cardinals
