Subscribe
Follow Us
It could be a tough week for the Jacksonville Jaguars without safety Darnell Savage and cornerback Tyson Campbell, and a team led by quarterback Josh Allen up next. With a Jacksonville Jaguars Week 3 game scheduled against the Buffalo Bills, we have our Jaguars Week 3 bold predictions.
The Jaguars seek their first win of the season after two less-than-happy performances. They opened with a 20-17 setback against the Miami Dolphins before falling 18-13 against the Cleveland Browns.
Meanwhile, the Bills have strutted out to a 2-0 start. They took down the Arizona Cardinals in a 34-28 decision before crushing the Dolphins by a score of 31-10.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence will throw three TD passes
Now, this prediction requires Lawrence to change a narrative he created with his assessment of the Jaguars, according to Sports Illustrated.
“We suck right now,” Lawrence said.
But head coach Doug Pederson said he understood Lawrence’s frustrations.
“We've got to keep everything in the forefront,” Pederson said. “We’ve got to keep it in the front of our minds, and listen, he's the franchise, right? He's the starting quarterback and he's the one back there with the football making the decision. So, I appreciate the fact that he's taking that role and that lead. It may not be in his nature to do it, but you know what: he's got to do it.”
Lawrence hasn’t been very good so far. He has completed only 26 of 51 passes for a paltry 51%. He has 382 yards passing with one touchdown. And perhaps surprisingly, with the low completion percentage, he hasn’t thrown an interception.
For Lawrence to hit the three-touchdown mark, three receivers will have to step up. Brian Thomas Jr. should get another score while Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk will need to get their first touchdown receptions of the season. Kirk has been surprisingly ineffective with only two catches for 29 yards. Daivs had six grabs for 105 yards. Look for those numbers to improve dramatically on Monday night.
One thing for sure, the Jaguars are eager to get back on the field, according to offensive coordinator Press Taylor.
“One of the hard parts is this isn’t the NBA,” Taylor said. “We don’t get the doubleheader. We've got to wait a week. You’ve got to kind of sit and stew in what you did and what you're responsible for as an entire unit. That's all of us. Then when we get another opportunity, go put our best foot forward.”
Jaguars defense will surrender 30 points to Bills
It’s likely going to be a long evening for the Jaguars. They will have to commit a large measure of resources to prevent the Bills’ ground attack — led by James Cook — from pulverizing them. This will open the door for Allen to take shots down the field.
The reason the Bills will go heavy through the air is they don’t have any receivers who have stepped up. This could be the night of a coming-out party for rookie Keon Coleman. But it’s looking like a big yardage day across the board for the Bills’ offense.
Pederson hopes differently. He said the matchup against the Bills is a great opportunity, according to jaguarswire.com.
“I think it’s good for our team,” Pederson said. “Obviously, it’s a great opportunity to go on the road. It’s really a great atmosphere for football. It’s a Monday night game. The fans are going to be juiced up and ready to go. It’s a benchmark, (and) a measuring stick game right now. It’s great for our players to be in these atmospheres.”
But it also means taking on one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, Pederson said, according to The Doug Pederson Show via omny.fm.
“You have to start with (Allen),” Pederson said. “I think it all rotates around him. And and he's a big, strong, physical guy. (He) can throw the deep ball. The personnel's changed on the perimeter, so now he's using tight ends and the running back. And the ball's coming out a little bit faster. I think he's around 74% (completions). He's got two really good tight ends, and then hand it to James Cook. I mean, these guys can these guys can roll. They're playing good offense.”
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne will break off a 30-plus-yard run
It has been tough sledding for Etienne this season, managing only 3.8 yards per carry. He has totaled 96 yards rushing on 25 carries. And while he may not have an overall big evening against the Bills, look for him to find a crease for a long run.
Certainly, the Jaguars will try to get Etienne rolling.
“You know, you're gonna try to do what you can,” Pederson said. “Obviously, you know, if you can get the run game going, it does open up some things, which it did in that game last year. Some play action stuff and we're able to hit you know, Christian for some deep crossers. Calvin (Ridley) had a big game in that that one last year. And so you got to get and establish your run game and play a little bit of ball control. But at the same time, you know, we've got to be able to take opportunities down the field in our passing game. Shoot the ball down the field, take some shots. And you know, be able to protect the quarterback.”
Etienne’s career-long rush is 62 yards, a mark he posted in each of his first two NFL seasons.
