The Jackonville Jaguars have struggled to defend the pass this season. Some of that stems from underwhelming play, but injuries have also played a role. The good news is that the Jags may get reinforcement for their Week 8 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Cornerback Montaric Brown has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, while safety Antonio Johnson left the 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans with an ankle injury. Based on comments head coach Liam Coen just made, both of them are trending in the right direction, but it's still uncertain if either one will suit up against Indy.
The Jaguars may be without Montaric Brown and Antonio Johnson in Week 8
Head coach Liam Coen met with the local media ahead of the Colts game. He stated that Montaric Brown and Antonio Johnson will return to practice but isn't sure whether they'll be good to go Sunday.
"TBD on both of those guys as of right now in terms of being able to give any perspective to Sunday," Coen said (3:11 mark). "I'll be able to see those guys buzz around a little bit today. We're just gonna kind of get back out on the grass and attack it a little bit from an individual standpoint and get our cleats back in the ground. So can't say for sure, but definitely excited about getting those guys back on the grass."
Having Brown and Johnson back against the Colts would be huge, as long as they're back at full strength. Brown has missed two games and barely played in another after injuring his hamstring. However, he also struggled before he got hurt. Still, the former Arkansas Razorback may be an upgrade over Jarrian Jones, who's been targeted by opposing teams.
On the other hand, Johnson has lined up closer to the line of scrimmage this season and has done a good job of bringing the heat. Although he's not made nearly as many splash plays as last year, the Texas A&M Aggie remains the best safety on the team. If he doesn't play the Colts, sophomore Rayuan Lane III will get the starting nod, but Kaevon Merriweather could also see an uptick in playing time.
Anthony Campanile unleashed Antonio Johnson (6) in the Jaguars' Big Nickel package last weekend.
— Cody Alexander (@The_Coach_A) October 9, 2026
When the Bengals were in 12 personnel, Jacksonville used Johnson to attack the B-gap bubble with pressure.
Clip 1: Toss
Clip 2: Duo
Learn how other teams are attacking TEs, only… pic.twitter.com/MhlbH1ZDcz
Related: The Jags still expect Brian Thomas Jr. to make plays vs. the Colts amid trade rumor
The Jaguars may be shorthanded vs. the Colts
The Jaguars rank 30th in passing yards allowed heading into Week 8. The last thing they want is to allow Daniel Jones to have a surge. The Colts quarterback has struggled this season, but having to face an injured Jacksonville secondary could be what he needs to get back on track.
On the other hand, the Jags also need to keep track of Jonathan Taylor, who remains one of the top running backs in the NFL even though he's yet to record a 100-yard game this season. Jacksonville just gave up more than 100 yards to the Houston Texans, so Taylor has a realistic chance to expose the Jacksonville run defense for the second game in a row.
When you add it all up, this has the making of being a trap game. This is why the Jaguar cannot afford to put their guard down even though they're favored to win.
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