Big Cat Country
Welcome to Big Cat Country’s staff roundtable!
Today, we’re previewing Week 9’s matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
What post-bye week question about the Jaguars do you want to see answered on Sunday?
Dillon Appleman: Will the extra bye week prep time help iron out the offensive kinks? Things have been so clunky on offense this season, particularly in the passing game. The Jags’ pass catchers lead the league in drops (21), which ties directly into Trevor Lawrence’s 58.7% completion percentage. That ranks second to last in the NFL behind rookie Cam Ward. The Raiders’ defense is the perfect opportunity for a get-right game after the bye, as they are allowing nearly 26 points per game to opposing offenses and are towards the bottom of the league in takeaways as well.
Travis Holmes: With a litany of questions surrounding this team while heading into the bye, I’m curious how many of their current issues can reasonably be resolved through extra coaching, teaching, scheme adjustments, and such. With the Jaguars coming off their bye and major questions swirling surrounding the lack of screen game effectiveness, the offensive line play, struggles in the short and deep passing game, pressure on defense, and so much more, are answers truly on the way? Will the bye and getting healthier help any of these issues, or are these issues truly just roster limitations cloaked as production problems?
Gus Logue: What will Travis Hunter’s offensive deployment look like after the bye week? As Mike DiRocco wrote for ESPN, “Don’t be surprised if Hunter starts getting the WR1 treatment from the Jaguars in the season’s second half, and that’s partly due to his playmaking and run-after-the-catch ability, but also because Brian Thomas Jr hasn’t played at that level all season.” Hunter will play a lot of offensive snaps and see a lot of designed looks. His usage will be high. But will he continue to only play the Y (slot) receiver position? I’ll be closely monitoring where Hunter lines up on the field and what types of routes he runs on Sunday.
Henry Zimmer: I have harped on this in Winners and Losers, but can the Jags play cleaner football out of the bye? Regular penalties happen to every team; however, the procedural penalties need to be cut down severely if the Jags want to get back on track. That should be an easy enough task against the Raiders.
What’s a matchup you’re looking forward to watching?
Dillon: This is kind of a weird one, but since we may only see one or two opportunities for these two to collide, Travis Hunter vs. Ashton Jeanty. A year ago, they were arguably the two best college football players in the country and found themselves in a heated race for the 2024 Heisman Trophy. Hunter ended up edging Jeanty out for the honor, but many believe the voters got it wrong. Sunday will mark the first time the two have ever faced...
