Aside from losing to the Houston Texans in Week 6, the Jacksonville Jaguars also watched safety Antonio Johnson leave with a shoulder injury. It seemed like the bye didn't provide enough time for Johnson to recover, and he was unable to practice ahead of the Week 8 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Understandably, the Jags have already ruled him out for their divisional matchup. On the bright side, they're going to get reinforcements at cornerback.
The Jaguars rule out Antonio Johnson, get Montaric Brown vs. the Colts
The Jaguars dropped their final injury report for the Indianapolis game. Antonio Johnson was the only player they ruled out. LeQuint Allen Jr. (hamstring), Josh Hines Allen (ankle), Ross Matiscik (shoulder), Ruke Orhorhoro (ankle), tight end Brenton Strange (eye), and linebacker Jahlani Tavai (hamstring) were limited participants at different points in the week, but all of them are good to go.
Johnson's status doesn't come as a surprise when you take into account that he missed every practice ahead of the Colts game. Then again, the team is right not to rush him back into action if he's not ready.
As Ryan O'Halloran noted on Twitter, Jacksonville is preparing Johnson for the Thursday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens, just four days after the Colts contest.
When you factor in that the Jags are a 7.5-point favorite against Indy, it's easy to see why the Jags may want to rest the fourth-year safety. With him out of the mix, Rayuan Lane III will most likely get the starting nod next to Eric Murray, but Kaevon Merriweather may also get substantial playing time.
On the other hand, Montaric Brown will suit up. He missed two games and barely played in the Week 5 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Arkansas Razorback will be a full-go against the Colts and could replace Jarrian Jones in the starting lineup opposite Travis Hunter.
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The Jaguars are healthy enough to beat the Colts
At this point of the season, injuries are beginning to pile up. However, the Jaguars are in good enough shape to fend off the Colts even without Antonio Johnson. Sure, they'll miss him, but Indianapolis is vulnerable after trading All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
If that wasn't enough, the Colts can't get their offense going with Daniel Jones at the helm. He's been a big reason they've lost three games in a row. It doesn't help that he doesn't have enough weapons, but regardless of the reason, the Indianapolis offense can't get going.
When you factor in that the Colts have lost 11 games in a row at EverBank Stadium, the Jaguars are in a position to extend their winning streak to 12.
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