Battle Red Blog
This has been the fourth year I have been doing these and Gus Logue of Big Cat Country has been there for all of them. It’s funny how divisional games are always circled on the calendar as big games and yet behind the scenes we seem to get along better than the teams outside of the division. At least, it is easier to work with them than the other teams.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming in with a 5-3 record. It hasn’t always been pretty, but they are in position to make noise in the AFC playoff chase. They also made a key addition on offense after their trade for Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders. He helps cushion the blow from the temporary loss of Travis Hunter and could possibly help make the Jaguar passing attack more consistent. We started our conversation with their thrilling victory over those same Raiders.
Battle Red Blog: The last game with the Raiders was an exciting one but the offense is up and down. How do you feel about Trevor Lawrence and the offense?
Gus Logue: After being manhandled by elite pass rushes & defensive coordinators in its two previous games against the Seahawks and the Rams, the Jaguars’ offense found its footing again against a weaker opponent. Travis Etienne played great against the Raiders, and his success on the ground opened up the passing attack. That’s been a much more efficient recipe for Jacksonville this season than asking Lawrence to throw 35+ times. It’s beyond frustrating to see him continue to make at least one mindless error per game, but it can somewhat be explained by a lack of consistency and reliability from his pass-catchers. I feel much better about the team’s dropback game now they’ve traded for Jakobi Meyers, who should easily be the most trustable target of Lawrence’s pro career (bar current Texan Christian Kirk).
BRB: Travis Hunter is obviously out. How was his rookie season going before he went down?
GL: There are some brilliant flashes of playmaking, but the No. 2 overall pick hasn’t been as impactful as you might expect given Jacksonville’s huge draft day trade to acquire him. Hunter hasn’t met the sky-high expectations placed upon him. That said, he’s doing the damn thing — the guy is playing both sides of the ball! In the NFL! At an above-average level! He was improving in each game until he got hurt. Fortunately, his injury wasn’t a significant one, so he should be back before the end of the regular season barring any setbacks. The Jaguars seemed ready to unleash him on offense after the bye, but now that Meyers is in town, it may be wiser to deploy him full-time at cornerback upon his return while working in some offensive packages.
BRB: Who are a couple of players that have been playing better football since week three?
GL: Montaric Brown is the first name that comes to mind. He missed part of training camp and...
