I wouldn't say the Jacksonville Jaguars' Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in London is their biggest game of the year. After all, they beat the perennially great Kansas City Chiefs just a couple of weeks ago on Monday Night Football, and it doesn't get much bigger than that. But this is the NFL, so the next game should always be the biggest one of the year.
The Jags are coming off a disappointing loss to a solid Seattle Seahawks team. Now, they're heading to London to face yet another West Coast team in the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and company are 4-2 and fresh from a dominant outing against the injury-depleted Baltimore Ravens. Here are three insane (but exciting) predictions for this Sunday's outing.
Travis Hunter will bring in 10 catches for 100+ yards and a TD
Yes, I know I said the same thing about wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. last week. To my credit, I was close despite a poor day for the passing game overall—he went for 90 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. This week, head coach Liam Coen hinted that the Jaguars were looking to find more offensive opportunities for reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
"Scheming him open is part of it, No. 1," Coen said via ESPN. "Our job as an offensive staff [is] to make sure we're putting him in the progression and putting him in the position to be No. 1 [option] a little bit more often in some ways. And then when he is the primary [option], we've got to throw and catch. We've got to make sure that we identify it, find him, be able to be at the right spot at the right time. So I think it's a combination of a lot of those things that ultimately can all be controlled."
Hunter has already proven he can win in space and in a jump ball situation, so getting Hunter involved in the offense can take on a variety of looks. This may be challenging, with the Rams' defense allowing less than 200 pass yards per game, yet I'm expecting to see a much more intentional effort to jump-start an offense that has lacked in explosiveness through six weeks.
Related: Latest draft do-over confirms what Jaguars fans already knew about Travis Hunter
The Jaguars' offensive line won't allow a single sack
Okay, another rough prediction. After allowing six sacks through five games, quarterback Trevor Lawrence ate the grass seven times against the Seahawks. Add in the fact that the Rams are number five overall with 19 sacks so far this year, and this prediction might be a little bit too insane. But injured center Robert Hainsey is trending toward starting, and you can be sure that Coen emphasized pass protection this week in practice.
Let's not forget that the Jaguars travel well, and London is technically a home game for them. Lawrence is 4-2 in international games, and the Jags arrived in London on Tuesday, while the Rams are scheduled to fly in Saturday morning. Coen might have downplayed any jet lag advantage the Jags have, but history is on the side of the guys in the black and teal.
But I'll be honest: This one might be more wishful thinking than anything, but expect to see a focus on protecting Lawrence, giving him time to throw. Which leads me into my next prediction.
Trevor Lawrence will go his second game in a row without a turnover
After turning the ball over in four out of the first five games (five picks and one lost fumble), Lawrence protected it well against the Seahawks in Week 6, despite being sacked seven times and throwing the ball 42 times. He's improved as the season has progressed, and that includes being smarter with the ball. I'm looking to see more of the same as No. 16 continues to develop in Coen's system, even against a tough Rams defense.
Related: Puka Nacua injury update forces Jaguars to worry about Rams' X-Factor
Final thoughts
While the next game is the "most important game" of the season, Week 7's matchup against a good Rams team is a chance for the Jaguars to show that they're not the "same old Jags" that fans have gotten used to. I expect them to bounce back from a rough performance, play with the same grit and guts that have defined their season. Whether that means a win, I don't know.
But I'm excited for Sunday.