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How much of an impact with CB Tyson Campbell's injury have on the Jaguars this season?
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- How much of an impact with CB Tyson Campbell's injury have on the Jaguars this season?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are reeling after allowing the Miami Dolphins to storm back from down 17-7 heading into the fourth quarter, ultimately winning the game 20-17 on a last-second 52-yard field goal.
The issues were glaring. Jaguars running back Travis Etienne fumbled the football just a couple of yards away from scoring to give Jacksonville a 24-7 lead and likely give Miami little to no chance of winning the game.
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He'll bounce back: Jaguars' Travis Etienne working through Dolphins' fumble, 'ebbs and flows' of NFL season
Jacksonville also couldn't convert third downs, going 0-for-5 in the second half after converting two of five third downs in the first half.
Some communication issues on defense were stirred up, and the offenses' struggles led to an abysmal -4 total net yards in the fourth quarter. Drops and other miscues played a role, too.
Players involved, including Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence , receiver Christian Kirk and Etienne admitted to their faults during the game and have since moved on.
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Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that the team turned the page on last week's game on Monday and hopes to play better against the Cleveland Browns at home.
"We just understand you want to win at home, you want to win in front of your fans. I think it's great for your players and your organization, obviously, to do that," said Pederson.
But, can they? Will they? We answer some questions about the Jaguars moving forward and what they need to do to get back on the right track.
Was the Jaguars' offense that bad on Sunday vs. the Dolphins? What do they need to beat Cleveland?
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) smiles at Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) and wide receiver Gabe Davis (0) during a combined NFL football training camp session between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Yes and no.
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Jacksonville's offense had success early against the Dolphins and even got the rushing attack going, totaling 128 net yards rushing. For perspective, that would rank tied for third last season in total net rushing yards recorded by the Jaguars in a game.
Lawrence helped keep the team in a good position completing 9 of 14 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
While the team struggled out of halftime, Jacksonville's offense put together what would have been a 97-yard touchdown drive before Etienne's fumble. Essentially, the game had been put away, but that doesn't mean they didn't struggle.
The bad came into play on third down. There were far too many miscues, missed blocking assignments, drops or simple miscommunication that led to Jacksonville's second-half woes.
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All of those mistakes are correctable, though, and the Jaguars played well enough to win the game for nearly 60 minutes.
Against Cleveland, Jacksonville will face a better defense than the one Miami fielded last Sunday. Jacksonville must use the quick game to get the ball out faster than defensive lineman Myles Garrett can get there.
The Dallas Cowboys didn't exactly light up the scoreboard with 265 total net yards. On the other side of the field, Cleveland recorded just 230 total net yards and tossed two interceptions after Browns QB Deshaun Watson completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Jacksonville should rebound.
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How concerning is Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell 's hamstring injury?
It's very concerning that cornerback Tyson Campbell will miss at least the next four games due to a hamstring injury suffered in the first week of the season.
Campbell is the team's top corner and was paid as such just before training camp began.
Browns wide right (18) Davion Davis pulls in a pass over the head of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell (32) during late second quarter action. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Cleveland Browns for their only home preseason game at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida Saturday night, August 14, 2021. The Browns led at the half 13 to 0. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
An early-season injury can cause a trickle-down effect, especially one tasked with covering the opposing team's top wideout.
Over the next four weeks, the Jaguars play Cleveland, the Buffalo Bills , Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts . Both the Bills and Texans games are on the road. Houston boasts high-level pass-catchers including Stefon Diggs , Tank Dell and Nico Collins . The Bills have one of the top quarterbacks in the league, Josh Allen .
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In the meantime, Jaguars will have to turn to a combination of Montaric Brown and Jarrian Jones on the outside opposite of starter Ronald Darby .
Campbell's extended absence is another issue after the top corner missed six games last season due to a hamstring injury. He missed a handful of games in 2021 due to injury, too, and has started and played in all games just one season in his career (2022).
Brown started six games last season, filling in for Campbell and has started seven games in his career, playing in 21 total. He accounted for 43 total tackles (31 solos) and four pass breakups.
Jones held his own in limited action last Sunday against Miami and receiver Tyreek Hill . Still, it feels unlikely Jacksonville will throw the rookie into the fire quickly with their perceived confidence in Brown.
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"I thought Buster [CB Montaric Brown] did a nice job filling in last week, obviously, and really like where he's at and what he's done. So obviously, that's a good option for us," Pederson said of a replacement for Campbell on Wednesday.
Should Tank Bigsby be in line for more carries after Week 1 performance?
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) releases the elastic band attached to running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) as they go through drills on the fifth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Monday, July 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla..
Jaguars backup running back Tank Bigsby had the best game of his career last week. Bigsby rushed for 73 yards last week, a career-high.
His usage was interesting. Bigsby played just 17 snaps and was given the ball 12 times. His 6.1 yards per attempt excited fans and other observers, but his nearly one-to-one ratio of snaps to carries shouldn't be used as an indicator of more usage.
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Bigsby has not yet proven that he can be tasked with taking on rushers in pass protection. He will need to continue getting better at the nuances of the game before getting snaps over starting running back Travis Etienne.
Though Etienne appeared to struggle on the ground, rushing for just 44 yards on 12 attempts, he punched it into the end zone and was key to the team's pass protection and passing game. He caught two passes for 15 yards and that usage should increase, not decrease as the season moves forward.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tyson Campbell lands on injured reserve, how will it impact Jaguars?
