Parker Washington will come through for Jaguars, other Week 9 predictions vs. Eagles

Apart from falling to the Green Bay Packers in Week 9, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost wide receiver Christian Kirk to a season-ending injury. While it's never good to see a player go down, teams must always have to have someone ready to step up. In the Jags' case, they have sophomore Parker Washington, who'll have a chance to show he deserves to have a big role on offense moving forward.

A sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft, Washington didn't get much playing time early in his rookie campaign but saw an uptick in playing time when Kirk suffered a core injury in Week 13. He finished the year with 15 receptions for 132 yards with two interceptions.

Washington showed improvement in the offseason and earned praise from the coaching staff. He then made the most of his chances in the preseason, returning a punt 74 yards in the opener, and hauling in a 25-yard touchdown reception one game later.

Then the regular season came, and Washington became the primary returner when specialist Devin Duvernay landed on Injured Reserve. Right off the bat, he put his playmaking skills on full display,

With Kirk suffering a collarbone injury that will sideline him for the season, Washington will now be the team's primary receiver in the slot. Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor believes he's now up to the task.

"I think it's always hard just being a backup. These guys all come out of college, being the guy, and now you're the backup," Taylor told the media when asked what kind of growth he's seen in Washington. "Whether you're the fourth, fifth, really, you're the backup at all spots. So Christian goes down, you go on the slot. If last year, somebody else went down, he went outside."

Taylor continued, "There's kind of that flexibility where maybe that's a little bit a little tougher just mentally having to prepare for that, and then it slows you down a little bit in the way you play, where now I think Parker knows the ins and outs of the past game, and the offense as a whole. So it's not a big deal for him to just be thrown in the game and move around the formation, move around, letter-wise, whatever he's playing, and be able to play at a high level."

The Jaguars are a 7.5-point underdog for the Week 9 matchup against the Eagles. If they want to pull off the upset, they'll need Washington and other players to show out. With that in mind, here are three predictions.

Parker Washington will get 50 yards and 2 TDs vs. the Eagles

Not only will Parker Washington have to fill in for Christian Kirk, but he'll probably be a focal point of the offense if Brian Thomas Jr. misses the game, which is a realistic possibility. The rookie sensation is currently dealing with a rib injury and is listed as questionable for the game.

While the Jaguars will also need to lean on Evan Engram and Brenton Strage, it will be Washington the one who will make the most noise, registering two touchdowns.

The Jaguars' O-Line won't give up a sack even without Brandon Scherff and Ezra Cleveland

The Jaguars suffered several injuries in the Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Two of the most notable ones were Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Scherff, the team's starting guards. Both of them are questionable for Week 9 but are unlikely to suit up. If they are unavailable, Cooper Hodges and Blake Hance will step in their respective place.

On top of that, Jacksonville traded Cam Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings, so Walker Little is in at left tackle for the remainder of the season. But despite the changes, the offensive line will find a way to contain Jalen Carter and Josh Sweat and keep Trevor Lawrence's jersey clean.

Trevor Lawrence will complete 70% of his pass, log a season-best 3 TDs

It's no secret that Lawrence has been playing much better after a rough start to the season. Maybe he needed to shake off the rust after last stepping onto a football field in Week 13 of the 2023 season. Regardless of the reason, No. 16 has given the Jaguars a chance to win the past four games, and he will once again against the Eagles.

The past four games, Lawrence has posted a 71.9 percent completion rate for 1,106 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Expect him to build off it and complete 70 percent of his throws while throwing a season-best three touchdowns.

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