Jaguars are getting a massive boost on offense for London game vs. Bears

The rich are getting richer. Just one day after the Jacksonville Jaguars scored 37 points in their Week 5 win over the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Doug Pederson announced that the Jags will probably be getting a key contributor back on offense for their London game against the Chicago Bears.

Pederson met with the local media Monday and said that tight end Evan Engram is close to returning, noting that he's a good bet to play in Week 6.

"I think he was really close last week. He got himself back in practice a little bit. I would anticipate him doing more this week and seeing where he's at the end of the week," Pederson said when asked about Engram's status. "I think the chances of him getting back in are pretty good."

Engram suffered a hamstring injury during warmups just before the Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns and has missed four consecutive bouts. As Pederson noted, the former Ole Miss Rebel did some work ahead of the Colts game but was still a long shot to suit up.

If Engram does return for Week 6, it will be just the second time he plays this season. He played in the opener and hauled in one reception for five yards. During his absence, sophomore Brenton Strange has stepped up, catching 10 receptions for 120 yards with two touchdowns. Against the Colts, he had four receptions for 24 yards and one touchdown.

The Jaguars could use Evan Engram despite Brenton Strange's emergence

Brenton Strange's recent success is even more impressive when you take into account that he was a non-factor as a rookie. While Evan Engram had a career-best 114 receptions last year, the former Nittany State Lion caught a measly five receptions for 35 yards with one touchdown. But as encouraging as he's been in his sophomore campaign, he'll take a backseat once his veteran counterpart returns to the lineup.

Engram was underwhelming in the season opener but has been a key cog on offense the past two years. He was one of Trevor Lawrence's most trusted targets, and his ability to create yards after the catch routinely gave the team an edge. It's fair to say that the Jaguars can use him even though they're coming off one of their best offensive performance of the season. Heck, you could even make the case that the veteran tight end will make an already productive offense even better, and that's the thing.

The Jags aren't a powerhouse but rather a team that got their first win of the season after losing the previous four games. They cannot just rest on their laurels and think that everything is sunshine and flowers. They must build off of their performance against Indy, and having reinforcements on either side of the ball should help.

The bottom line is that the offense has looked much better the past two weeks but could improve even more if Evan Engram returns. This would, in turn, increase their chances of starting a winning streak when they face the Bears in Week 6.

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