The Jacksonville Jaguars were relatively unscathed for their matchup against the New York Jets in Week 15. Unfortunately, several players left the game with injuries and their availability against the Las Vegas Raiders could be in question. The good news is that Doug Pederson feels optimistic about their status.
Pederson met with the local media ahead of the Raiders game and said that there are a handful of players, including tight end Brenton Strange, who are dealing with injuries but all of them should be available.
"Walker's ankles fine, just the wear and tear on Brandon to limit him like we normally do," Pederson responded when asked to give an injury update. "Mitch Morse, the same thing, just where we are in the season, and just monitor their reps during the week. But all are, all are good for the game."
Of the bunch, the one who stands out the most is Strange because he's dealing with an AC sprain. He'll be limited in practice throughout the week, but Pederson says that he should be good to go.
Strange is filling in for Evan Engram, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 14 and is out for the season. The sophomore tight end is coming off a game where he caught 11 receptions for 74 yards, and if he isn't good to go, the Jags will need to lean on reserves Luke Farrell and Josiah Deguara.
Regarding left tackle Walker Little, he briefly left the Jets game but eventually returned. On the other hand, right guard Brandon Scherff has routinely appeared on the injury report throughout the season, but as Pederson noted, the team is just limiting his number of reps to keep him fresh.
On a related note, Pederson also told the press corps that both Trevor Lawrence and Evan Engram underwent surgery successfully. The former had an AC sprain and the latter hurt his labrum. Both of them have already started rehab and should be back in the offseason.
As you can see on the injury report below, Little, Strange, Scherff and left guard Ezra Cleveland were limited Wednesday.
Wednesday Injury Report pic.twitter.com/t7WTKQ7anh
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 18, 2024
The Jaguars are looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Jets
The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost several key offensive players this season. That's why they cannot afford to be without Brenton Strange when they face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16.
Heading into the game, the Jaguars are a 1-point underdog. This is a sign that the game could be close, and having Strange around may turn out to be the difference. But aside from the former Nitanny State Lion, Jacksonville will need their young receiving duo of Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. to step up.
Similarly, the secondary must bounce back from an underwhelming showing and Jones will need to cut down on the mistakes.
Ultimately, though, the Jaguars have enough talent to beat the Raiders in the Travis Hunter Bowl. Sure, a win will put them further away from the top overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.