Already banged-up Jaguars keep losing players to injuries in Week 2 with intention of bringing in new faces
The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to the Miami Dolphins in the season opener and aren’t faring much better against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. The fact that they continue to lose players to injuries doesn’t help matters.
Just ahead of halftime, the safety Andre Cisco left the game with a groin injury and is questionable to return. Fortunately, he was able to get back for the second half.
Before that, running back Tank Bigsby suffered a shoulder injury during a kickoff return and was also labeled questionable to return.
If that wasn’t enough, tight end Evan Engram suffered a freak injury during warm-ups and was ruled out for the bout.
Already, Jacksonville was without defensive back Darnell Savage, and losing players to injuries won’t help one bit. After two quarters, the Jags had amassed a paltry 81 yards on four drives. They were able to drive down the field in the second quarter but the offense stalled and had to settle for a field goal.
The Browns, on the other hand, have been able to move the ball despite the fact that they’re also dealing with several injuries of their own. Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and right tackle Jack Conklin were inactives for the game. Then, Cleveland lost backup tackle Dawand Jones to injury. Still, they have 195 total yards on offense and are leading 13-3 by halftime.
The Jaguars have not been able to stop the Browns
Heading into the game, it looked like the Jaguars were going to have a favorable matchup. After all, the defense played well in Week 1 and Deshaun Watson was coming off an underwhelming performance. However, that’s not the way things have turned out so far.
Trevor Lawrence has been unremarkable, going 5-of-11 for 16 yards in the first half. He did have a 33-yard run, but other than that, No. 16 hasn’t done much of note. You could argue that he misses Evan Engram, but Jacksonville should have enough weapons on offense to overcome his absence.
The defense, for their part, has no answer for the Browns even though they’re missing their starting offensive tackles. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker have been pretty much a non-factor throughout the game while communication is seemingly lacking in the secondary.
Sure, they’re without Tyson Campbell, who landed on Injured Reserve, and Darnell Savage, but they have players who can step in their respective places. Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said as much ahead of the game.
The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars are playing like an uninspiring team and not one that is stacked with talent. If they don’t put it all together, they’re at risk of losing their second game of the season.
