3 Jaguars position groups that need to step up against the Falcons
![Near the end of the fourth quarter most of the Jaguar fans had left the stadium. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Tennessee Titanss at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, October 10, 2021. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 101021 Jaguarsvstitans 53](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fblackandteal-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F16934911-850x560-119208211dc8b22e3994a3e70075ad64691548ba058a6742de900d886f041567.jpg "Near the end of the fourth quarter most of the Jaguar fans had left the stadium. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Tennessee Titanss at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, October 10, 2021. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 101021 Jaguarsvstitans 53")
In Week 12, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have the chance to recover from a slump they’ve experienced in recent weeks. Although their offense showed steady improvement early in the 2021 season, they’ve been stagnant in recent weeks. Injuries have played a role in that and their lack of depth has been exposed.
The Jags’ running game hasn’t been the same since James Robinson hurt his heel in Week 8. Even though he missed just one game, he wasn’t himself the last two weeks and isn’t 100 percent yet. The wide receiver corps also has suffered several hits. DJ Chark Jr. fractured his ankle in Week 4 and was promptly placed on the Injury Reserve list. More recently, return specialist/offensive weapon Jamal Agnew hurt his hip against the 49ers and is also out for the year.
The silver lining is that reinforcements are on the way. Head coach Urban Meyer told the media Friday that the team plans to elevate center Brandon Linder and tight end James O’Shaugnessy to the roster for Sunday’s game. Linder would join the starting lineup while O’Shaughnessy would give Lawrence another option in the passing game.
With that in mind, here are three position groups that need to step up against the Atlanta Falcons.
1. Jaguars position group that needs to step up in Week 12 – Tight ends
Dan Arnold had zero targets against the 49ers. Their lack of plays and drives played a role but ultimately offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell accepted responsibility for not getting the tight end involved more.
Expect Arnold to get more targets in Week 12 but O’Shaughnessy should also get a bigger workload if he ends up playing. In fact, the Jaguars may want to have the two on the field at the same time whenever possible.