Evan Engram's appearance in initial Jaguars injury report not a reason for concern

Week 15 will feature a game between two teams that have already been eliminated from playoff contention: the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets. Both of them are dealing with injuries, but the former seems to be healthier than the latter ahead of the game.

The Jags shared the initial injury report for Week 15, and there doesn't appear to be any reasons for concern. Head coach Doug Pederson credits that to coming out of the past game relatively unscathed.

"Anton, illness, he's feeling better. He'll practice today," Pederson told the local media Wednesday. "Evan's dealing with the shoulder, obviously coming out of the game; won't do anything today. We rest in today and get him back. But anticipate him for the game on Sunday, and there was a third one... [DaVon] He played in the game, came out... Savage was good. Ross, as you saw the roster moves, both those guys are good. Tyson came out good. Yeah. So we came out relatively healthy."

Right tackle Anton Harrison was a surprise inactive for the game, but based on Pederson's comments, he'll be good to go against the Jets. The same is true for tight end Evan Engram who's dealing with a shoulder injury.

Safety Darnell Savage was evaluated for a concussion in Week 14 but returned to the game. Long snapper Ross Matiscik and punter Logan Cooke are also fine after popping up in the injury report last year. The moves Pederson alluded to were releasing long snapper Tucker Addington and punter Matt Haack from the practice squad.

The Jags signed Addington and Haack heading into Week 14 to fill in for Matiscik and Cooke, respectively. However, they are no longer needed, so the team announced that it released both of them.

Circling back to the injury report, right guard Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder), left guard Ezra Cleveland (knee), and tight end Josiah Deguara (shoulder) were listed as limited. Engram is the only player who didn't participate in practice Wednesday.

On the Jets' sideline, running back Breece Hall is dealing with a knee injury and probably won't be available for the game.

On a related note, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been dealing with a myriad of ailments this year, ranging from a hamstring strain to MCL and high-ankle sprains. But despite his many injuries, it's hard to see him missing the Jaguars game.

Being relatively healthy will help the Jaguars finish the 2024 season strong

The Jaguars are 3-10 but coming off a win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 14. Head coach Doug Pederson said before the game that the team was looking to finish strong, and they'll have the chance to do so when they face off against the New York Jets.

Currently, the Jags are a 3.5-point underdog even though the game will be held at EverBank Stadium, but it's understandable. The Jets' defense is among the best in the league, and Jacksonville has struggled to get much going on offense since Trevor Lawrence suffered a shoulder sprain in Week 9. The past four games, they've scored a combined 33 points, or 8.2 points per game.

Working in the Jags' favor is that Mac Jones should have a better grasp of the offense ahead of his fourth start with the Jags. While he's had trouble putting points on the scoreboard, he's played well in spurts. The fact that he should have a full arsenal of weapons that includes rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. should most definitely help.

You could make the case that the outcome of the game might not matter after being eliminated from playoff contention, but the truth is that the Jags aren't ready to throw in the towel.

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