The Jacksonville Jaguars have had several key losses this season. Apart from Trevor Lawrence, Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk suffered season-ending injuries. The same is true for tight end Evan Engram, who will miss the remainder of the year after undergoing labrum surgery. Fortunately for the Jags, all their players who can suit up against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 will be available.
Head coach Doug Pederson met with the local media ahead of the Raiders game and said that all players who popped up on the Injury Report are good to go," They're all fine, they're good to go."
Left guard Ezra Cleveland (knee), right guard Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder), left tackle Walker Little (ankle), and tight end Brenton Strange (shoulder) were limited in practice all week but will suit up against Las Vegas.
This means that Jones will have the offensive line at full strength, so protection will not be an issue. Similarly, Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby should find lanes to run against Las Vegas' 17th-ranked run defense.
On the Raiders sideline, sophomore quarterback Aidan O'Connell has been a full participant in practice and there's a strong chance he'll get the starting nod. He recently suffered a knee injury but it wasn't as serious as originally expected. On the off chance that the Purdue product misses the game, Desmond Ridder will get the starting nod.
On the other hand, Las Vegas will likely be without offensive guard Jordan Meredith. The former Western Kentucky standout didn't practice ahead of the game. If he isn't good to go, Cody Whitehair will fill in for him.
Here's the Jaguars injury report below:
#JAXvsLV Status Report pic.twitter.com/2sXwtqv2Ok
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 20, 2024
Mac Jones will be the X-Factor for the Jaguars in Week 16:
There's no doubt the Jacksonville Jaguars will have enough talent on both sides of the ball to pull off the upset against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16. They're currently a one-point dog underdog, and the game will be held at Allegiant Stadium. That said, the Silver & Black has been underwhelming as the Jags this season.
Even when Gardner Minshew was healthy for the Raiders, they struggled to win games. Things have gotten considerably worse since he was placed on Injured Reserve with a collarbone injury late in December. More recently, star pass rusher Maxx Crosby suffered an ankle injury and is out for the season. But as vulnerable as Las Vegas is, the Jaguars have failed to take advantage of favorable matchups this season. If they want to buck the trend, they'll need Mac Jones to step up
Since taking over at quarterback, Jones has completed 65.6 percent of his throws with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. Against the New York Jets in Week 16, he threw a game-sealing interception that ended the Jaguars' comeback attempt.
If Jones wants to give his team a chance to win against the Raiders, he'll need to cut down on the turnovers. Working in his favor is that he'll have players such as rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. at his disposal. Similarly, the Jaguars will be as healthy as they can be at this point of the season.