Big Cat Country
Three battles on Sunday to keep an eye on
The Jacksonville Jaguars head to the Motor City to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Here are three matchups to watch out for:
Is it officially tanking season in Jacksonville? The Jaguars’ star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, will be absent again this coming Sunday after missing the game against the Minnesota Vikings with a left shoulder injury. Perhaps Lawrence would have gritted his teeth and played through it had the Jags been pushing for a playoff place. But with just two wins on the season, it seems foolish to risk him - and as such, backup Mac Jones will deputize against the Lions this weekend.
Those grumbling about Lawrence prior to the last game were awfully quiet as his backup showed just how difficult it is to move the ball through the air in this offense. Jones threw for just 111 yards, turning the ball over twice in the process. One game against a good defense is not a big enough body of work to slam the former New England Patriot, but the hometown kid will certainly be hoping for a better outing this time round.
Jones has a tough task ahead of him. The Lions are dominant in the NFC right now, crushing poor teams and digging out wins against contenders. At 8-1, they trail only the Kansas City Chiefs with their win-loss record in 2024, and seem loaded on both sides of the ball. Head coach Dan Campbell has built a team capable of going all the way, with a potent offense and marauding defense so far proving to be the envy of the league.
One of their more recent additions had his best game in Honolulu blue on Sunday. Carlton Davis came over to Detroit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, and quickly made the left corner spot his own. He terrorized CJ Stroud last weekend, picking him off twice and making four tackles. Davis is on course for his best season as a pro, with 47 tackles and two fumble recoveries also on his resume. Jones needs to be wary of multiple threats on this Lions defense, but Davis poses a particular problem for the Jags QB if he wants to push the ball down the field.
A bright spot in a season of darkness for the Jacksonville Jaguars may be the ascension of defensive back Jarrian Jones. General manager Trent Baalke often comes under fire for his ability to manage a roster, but it looks like he got it right with last year’s third round selection. Jones has quietly earned more and more snaps on Ryan Nielsen’s defense, and with Darnell Savage being moved about to cover other spots perhaps vacated by injury, it has allowed Jones to make the slot corner role his own.
It’s not been an easy entry into the league. The Jaguars have struggled mightily this season, but Jones...
