With Cecil Shorts Out, Passing Game May Struggle
By Luke Sims
Cecil Shorts III, now ruled out with concussion symptoms, has been the most productive receiver for the Jaguars all season. He makes the passing game look good when either Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne get him the ball. His skill level is simply higher than the other receivers on the roster right now. Speaking of other receivers on the roster, who are they?
- Justin Blackmon
- Kevin Elliott
- Jordan Shipley
- Quan Cosby
- Toney Clemons
Do some of those names look unfamiliar to you? They should. Three of the five receivers on the depth chart have been signed to the team in the past three weeks. Of Shipley, Cosby, and Clemons, Shipley is the most productive thus far with four receptions for 43 yards. Cosby was being used mostly as a return man but will find his reps at receiver increase with Shorts out. The Jaguars signed Clemons from the Steelers practice squad on November 26th. He may finally get on the stat sheet if the Jaguars are forced to pass against the Jets.
Mr. Elliott, you need to up your game, sir! Source: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Elliott will have to step up big for the Jaguars if the passing offense is to be successful. Justin Blackmon has been known to struggle when the defense rolls coverage to him. Without Shorts taking some of the pressure off Blackmon he probably won’t be as effective as usual. Elliott can solve that problem by becoming a threat against the Jets. While Elliott has some physical tools that could help him become a good receiver in the future, his game has rarely been at a high level through the season. Elliott only has seven receptions for 70 yards while appearing in every game. He has had some bad catches along the sideline and, at least at this point in his career, he doesn’t appear to be a playmaker that can take the heat off Blackmon.
It will be interesting to see how this unit responds.
– Luke N. Sims
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