Suddenly, the AFC South is the most intriguing division in the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts are still at the top but have struggled in the past two games. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans look like a threat after dismantling the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night. The Jacksonville Jaguars, for their part, are doing their best not to get lost in the shuffle.
The Jags are coming off a dominant 36-5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers and will need to be the Arizona Cardinals if they want to keep up in the division race. Now, Jacksonville is a 2.5-point favorite for the game but has already ruled out Travon Walker, right tackle Anton Harrison, and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
The good news is that the Jaguars steamrolled Los Angeles without Harrison and Thomas. Moreover, Trevor Lawrence has arguably played better with Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers as his top targets. If that wasn't enough, there's a chance tight end Brenton Strange will return from Injured Reserve. With this in mind, here are three storylines to keep an eye on in Week 12.
The Jaguars could be thin at cornerback
Jourdan Lewis has sat out the past two games but is listed as questionable for Week 12. The Jaguars would surely like to have him back. Otherwise, they could be thin at corner. Fellow nickel Jarrian Jones has also got the questionable designation, and if both were to miss the game, Christian Braswell, Greg Newsome, and Montaric Brown would be their only healthy corners for the game.
The silver lining is that both Lewis and Jones still have a chance to play, and at least one of them should be available.
How will the Jaguars stop Trey McBride
The Jaguars had no answer for the Rams' tight-end offense in Week 7. They then struggled to contain Brock Bowers, even though he wasn't 100 percent in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Next, Anthony Campanile's defense will try to neutralize Trey McBride.
Leaving aside that Jacksonville has struggled to defend tight ends this season, McBride is one of the best in the business and a matchup nightmare. Couple that with the fact that the Jags will be thin at cornerback, and it will be interesting to see how they try to slow him down.
Maybe linebacker Devin Lloyd can shadow him, or perhaps Jarrian Jones or Jourdan Lewis can line up against him if either one is available. Either way, this is a matchup that could define the game.
How will the Jaguars replace Travon Walker to contain Jacoby Brissett
The Jaguars did a great job of neutralizing the Los Angeles offense and Justin Herbert. However, the Cardinals' offensive line is much better than the Chargers. Couple that with the fact that Travon Walker won't suit up for Week 12, and Jacksonville may not have as much success at getting after the quarterback.
There's no doubt that Jacoby Brissett has been an upgrade over Kyler Murray, but there's a reason he's become somewhat of a journeyman. He can't improvise plays when he's flushed out of the pocket, so the Jags' best bet to slow him down is to rattle him as much as possible. Without Walker, though, the task becomes a bit more challenging.
Undrafted rookies Danny Striggow and BJ Green tallied a combined four tackles against the Chargers. They'll need to pick up where they left off against the Cardinals. Also, linebacker Dannis Gardeck may see extended playing time as a pass rusher. He filled that role with Arizona in previous seasons, and his flexibility to line up at different spots could come in handy in Week 12.