The Jacksonville Jaguars host the New York Jets in Week 15 as the teams head in opposite directions. Jacksonville leads the AFC South after a big win over the Indianapolis Colts. Meanwhile, New York fans are watching the College Football Playoff, looking for their next quarterback. Before the Jaguars and Jets square off, check out these bold predictions.
The Jets could start any of three men at quarterback on Sunday. It may be Tyrod Taylor, who left Week 14's game with a groin injury. Justin Fields was inactive with a knee injury and has not played in a month after getting benched. But third-stringer Brady Cook played terribly, so he won't start unless the other two can't go. The Jaguars are relatively healthy, outside of the season-ending injury to Travis Hunter.
How will those injuries impact the Jets' and Jaguars' bold predictions?
Brian Thomas Jr has first 100-yard game of season
It looked like the Jaguars had drafted the next great wide receiver last year when Brian Thomas Jr put up 1,282 yards in his rookie season. But his sophomore season has been disappointing so far, with 35 receptions for 535 yards in ten games. That is a yards-per-game average of 53.5 compared to 75.4 in his rookie year. Thomas will have a 100-yard game for the first time this season against the Jets.
Without Hunter, the offense should be running through Thomas this season. Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers are great secondary options, but Trevor Lawrence should be finding Thomas on every big play in this game. Without Gardner, the Jets' secondary has taken a significant step down. That should help Thomas finally get some momentum.
The Jaguars are in pole position to host a playoff game, which would be significant for the franchise moving forward. But for them to have any chance at making a deep run, Thomas needs to revert to his rookie form.
Breece Hall gets held under 50 rushing yards
The Jets have no quarterback, likely won't have Garrett Wilson, did not trade their pending free-agent running back, and still cannot run the ball. Breece Hall has gone five consecutive weeks with under 100 rushing yards, with three performances under 60. The Jaguars' pass rush is strong, and they just bottled up Jonathan Taylor in the Colts game. With a must-win game at hand, the Jaguars will hold Hall under 50 rushing yards on Sunday.
The Jets blew it up at the trade deadline, sending out Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner for four draft picks and two players. But they kept Hall, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The Chiefs were reportedly close to getting Hall, but were not willing to pay the third-round pick the Jets wanted to give up.
This now opens up a big question for the offseason. Will Darren Mougey give Hall the franchise tag? Or will he saddle the salary cap with a long-term deal for a running back?
Oh, right, the Jets play a game. Breece Hall will not break this game open.
The Jaguars will dominate the Jets on Sunday
The Jaguars undoubtedly hear the noise about the Texans' winning streak and great defense. It was Jacksonville's fourth-quarter collapse that started this Houston run with Davis Mills as the starting quarterback. But the Jags still have a one-game advantage and need to win to stay ahead of Houston. They will take care of business on Sunday, crushing the Jets at home.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Jaguars are 12.5-point favorites over the Jets on Sunday. With an over/under of 41.5, it is clear that the sportsbooks do not respect the Jets' offense. Their team total is just 14.5. If the Jets were to win on Sunday, it would be one of the biggest upsets of the season.
