Jaguars getting healthier but initial Week 11 injury report rules out Trevor Lawrence

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence sat out the Week 10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a shoulder sprain. He's getting healthier but isn't still at full strength, so the Jacksonville Jaguars have ruled him out for the second straight game. He's one of several players who popped up on the injury report for Week 11.

Pederson told the local media that Lawrence is getting close but still not good enough to go against the Detroit Lions, so he's out for the week. On the bright side, the Jags will get several backs for the game. More specifically, left guard Ezra Cleveland and rookie defensive tackle Maason Smith have a favorable chance of returning despite the fact that both showed up as limited participants in the initial injury report.

"Both guys actually should get back into practice today under a limited basis. So looking forward to that," Pederson said when asked about the status of Smith of Cleveland.

Smith has missed the past two games with an ankle injury. But even before that, he's struggled to find a role on the defensive line this season. Pederson says that being healthy will help him get in the mix but the former LSU must also show consistency.

"Keep showing just keep working in practice during the week. Now that he's getting healthy again, he'll be in the mix each week. Just showing the consistency of his job, and you know how he handles that in practice."

On the other hand, Cleveland left the loss to the Green Bay Packers and has missed the past two games. Sophomore Cooper Hodges filled in for him in Week 10 but suffered a season-ending injury in the game and landed on Injured Reserve. Luke Fortner was the next man up and started at left guard in the Vikings game. He'll be back on the sidelines if Cleveland is good to go.

Apart from Cleveland, and Smith, the following players were listed as limited Wednesday: Cornerback Tyson Campbell (shoulder), wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder), running back D'Ernest Johnson (hamstring), offensive lineman Blake Hance (knee), defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder), right guard Brandon Scherff (knee), wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (chest), safety Daniel Thomas (hamstring).

Besides Lawrence, running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, but it's too early to tell if he'll miss the game against the Lions.

The Jaguars are getting healthier but still face an uphill battle vs. the Lions

With Trevor Lawrence set to miss his second straight start, Mac Jones will start for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11. He'll need to play much better than he did against the Minnesota Vikings if they want to have a chance to pull off the upset, or at least keep things close.

Currently, the Jags are a 13-point underdog, and it's easy to see why. The Lions are 8-1 and just beat the Houston Texans. The fact that they overcame five turnovers showed just how resilient they are. Add the fact that the game will be at Ford Field, and Jacksonville would have a steep hill to climb even if Lawrence were healthy.

Of course, the Jaguars cannot just give up without even showing up. At 2-7, they still have a slim chance to qualify for the postseason, and being healthy will help, even if the odds are currently against them.

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