Doug Pederson provides crucial injury updates for Jaguars in Week 3 game vs. Bills

The Jacksonville Jaguars are dealing with several injuries ahead of their Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Doug Pederson met with the local media Wednesday and provided updates.

Pederson says that tight end Evan Engram is further away from returning to the field after getting hurt in warmups in Week 2. Safety Darnell Savage, for his part, will be worked back into practice this week with the hopes that he'll suit up in Week 3. If he were to miss the bout, rookie Jarrian Jones would once again fill in for him.

On the other hand, running back Tank Bigsby will be back in the fold after suffering an injury during kickoffs in the last game. Here's his full exchange with the press corps.

The Jags are currently 0-2. They're a 5.5-point underdog with a 200+ moneyline for their Monday Night matchup against the 2-0 Buffalo Bills. Since Sean McDermott became their head coach, he's 1-3 against Jacksonville.

One of the losses came in the Wild Card Round of the 2017 playoffs. The other was a 9-6 upset during the Urban Meyer era and the most recent loss came in Week 5 of the 2023 season in London. His only win came in 2028, when Buffalo beat the Jags 24-21.

The Jaguars have the personnel to replace Evan Engram and Darnell Savage vs. the Bills

There's a strong chance Evan Engram won't suit up for Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills. If he doesn't play, Brenton Strange will fill in for him. Doug Pederson believes the sophomore tight end will be up to the task if his number is called.

"I think it was big for Brenton. That's the type of player we know that he's capable of being and he did, he did some really good things," Pederson responded when asked how big was for Strange's confidence to have a good outing in Week 2. "Played well, played physical, too, in the running game, which was good to see. And he's done that since he's been here. So just adds, adds more to his confidence, continues to grow with the offense and get more opportunities."

Pederson then said he's not surprised to see Strange show out, "That's why drafted him, and that's why he's here. He's got that capability of not only running but running routes, or I should say run blocking and running routes. And he's physical, so it's, good to see."

Strange, a second-round pick in 2023, didn't have a single target in the season opener but hauled in three receptions for 65 yards on six targets in the Week 2 loss to the Cleveland Browns. As Pederson noted, he also had a positive impact in the running game.

Jarrian Jones, for his part, fared well in Darnell Savage's place, playing 57 snaps in the slot, and giving up three receptions on four targets for 26 yards.

Regarding Bigsby, it's encouraging to hear that he will be available for Monday Night. While Travis Etienne thrived in Week 2, sharing the workload with his sophomore counterpart will help them stay fresh and effective throughout the bout.

Then again, for them to have even more success, the offensive line must do a better job of creating holes. Currently, Jacksonville ranks 28th in the league in rushing yards before contact per carry.

Beating the Buffalo Bills will be a tough order but if the Jacksonville Jaguars manage to fix the issues that have been holding them back the past two games, they'll have a chance. It will also help if they get Darnell Savage back and Brenton Strange once again shows out.

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