Welcome to Jagsam. I'm kind Nanni Stevens, John Oser, Brian Sexton are with me as we have our final regular season jag XAM of the year. As we prepare for the final game of the year. It's win and in for the Jags as to take on the Titans in Week eighteen. Our first big thing today is going to be you in or out, because while it is win or in for the team, we don't quite know yet whether Trevor Lawrence will be playing quarterback. You miss last week.
It's first game of his career that he's missed. He's going to try to practice this week and see how things go.
It's feeling better.
I think certain movements bother more than others.
There's some things that I can do, and there's some areas where I have totally normal strength and you know, it's functional and all that, but in certain positions it does get a little bit there's some aggravation. But that's getting better every day, but it's still I would like to see that go down a little bit more pri to totally let it lose.
Brian, Trevor was limited to practice yesterday. Any inkling with this one, this shoulder thing is a lot different than what we've seen from him earlier.
Yeah, you know, last week I said that I didn't think he was going to play, and obviously he didn't, and I was reading body language and things like that, just a guess.
So that's all I can do this week. I'm fifty to fifty, you know.
I mean, I think the situation sets up John for him to try to play through it this week. But I just, you know, I didn't get the sense watching him. I have a much greater sense that perhaps Kirk and Jones will be on the field after watching them on the practice field yesterday and watching how smooth they looked.
Just not a strong gut either way.
On Trevor, you'd be stunned if Zay didn't play. Surprise a Christian doesn't play. And I'm with you. I'm fifty to fifty on Trevor kind of go back and forth when I'm asked about I think the fact that he practiced his goods. He did not practice at all last week, and by Thursday you kind of got the feeling no way, I don't know. I mean, it's going to come down to how Trevor feels, and I think the other part
of it will be Doug Peterson watching him throw. When he throws, we didn't see him throw yesterday, but when he throws, Doug looking at it and saying, okay, we feel like that can get us a win. But I think they also trust that they have a formula. They saw last week. There's a formula where you can beat teams with C. J. Bethard, So I don't think they're scared of that.
And how much do you weigh John the fact that you could see a playoff game here next week and wanting to give him one more week.
It's not guaranteed.
I mean, this is essentially a playoff game, but if he's not quite ready, do you try.
And hold it off one more week get your chance?
Well, there's that, but I think just as heavily on the other end of the scale, ways wouldn't you love to get Trevor some time with Christian, some time with Zay, get that flow going a little bit going into the postseason. So I think there's an even balance. So I think you throw those things out and just comes down to can he throw effectively? Do you trust it?
It feels like there's a bit of a timeline here too, because as we know, they like to see Trevor practice because of the issues he's had where he doesn't practice. So Thursday today seems like it's gonna be a big day. Our second big thing is big game Blues. The team has had some big games on their schedule and they
haven't really come through in some of those matchups. Now, this one may not be big in terms of the Titans being very talented at this point in the season, but it's a big game because the Daguars need to win if they want to make it into the playoffs. And Doug Peterson addressed Di yesterday.
You're right in the sense that we haven't performed well in the big game yet. And these are the things that I keep stressing to our team. You know, expect to be in big games, right, Expect to be in these types of football games, in these types of moments where there's a little maybe a little added pressure and you kind of feel that pressure, and you know, we
haven't handled that extremely well this year. But you know, listen, one thing about this team, as you guys know, they come out and play hard when they're backs against the wall a little bit. They seem to find comfort in that. But you know, I'll keep I'll keep talking to them.
So he's trying. John, do you feel confident in what we're going to see on the field on Sunday or do you still feel like we're not really sure where we're at with it and talks of effort and just what kind of performance they're going to put out.
There on Yeah, I think the Panthers game came at a good time where you could just sort of settle things down and show the guys again, hey, if you stop the run, if you tackle well, if you do your job, and if you don't turn the ball over, then that's that's our formula. And they were playing such good teams and such weird situations for four weeks, with Trevor being hear, with Christian being out. I don't think
you mean to get away from it. But then maybe once everything starts getting real, you get away from it a little bit. So yeah, I don't think you'll see a repeat of Christmas Eve, where frankly, the effort didn't look great, the urgency didn't look great. I don't think you'll see that. I expect them to win because they match up well against the Titans, and if they play this quote simple kind of game. Then I think they pull away from them because they're better. So I think we will see.
The effort, you know. I think this is the growth area for this team going forward. Khy.
You look at the Chiefs game, the Niners, the Ravens, the Bengals, and the Bills. Those are the five games that everyone looked at and said, hey, the NFL laid these out for us. These are those line in the sand games. Are we going to cross it? And they didn't. They only beat the Bills in Buffalo, and against the Chiefs didn't play well at all. And against the Niners, neither side of the ball played well at all. It's just the big games this year were not big games
except for Buffalo for this football team. And that's where they've got to get to where they play the best and they play their best against the best, consistently powerful football, and they haven't done it. So this is an important game against the power team. In other words, they're going to run the ball, so we'll see if they're ready to stop the run.
This game is certainly going to prove a lot, so we'll look forward to that. We'll talk a little bit more about that matchup but our final big thing today is help is on the way. We talked a little bit about Jay Jones getting closer to returning, but Christian Kirk, just a month after undergoing surgery, are you back on the practice field? And he said, even himself, he's impressed is what he's been able to do.
Honestly, the fact that I'm staying here in front of you guys today in cleats, being able to go out on the practice field is still kind of surreal to me. But I've been working tirelessly every single day, been in here sometimes the last person to leave, just doing everything that I can to get back as fast as I can because I want to be available. I want to help, you know, bring this team where we all want to go. So it's it's taking a lot of work, and I'm really happy with where I'm at.
John Christian was describing his injury a little bit yesterday, and I thought when he went under red surgery, weren't going to see him if anything, maybe late, if they made some kind of crazy playoff run. But to think he's back out there after a month is impressive.
Yeah, it's it's remarkable, and you know, it's it's funny with Christian fifteen eighteen months ago, the narrative outside the building was how could you pay him that much? Now it's he's worth everything you could possibly pay him to this scene because you've seen what he means and there's this joy and hope of getting him back, and with reason. I mean, they've got a chance to get into the
postseason with Christian, Zay, Evan, Ridley, ETN. That's their group, you know, and with Christian coming back, he's the most important of that group to me. And it's not a knock on Evan, it's not a knock on Travis's ATN. But when Christian's in the game, there's a trust that Trevor Lawrence has with him that feels different. It hasn't felt that way since he twisted around and got that long pass against Cincinnati. It's felt like a struggle since then. They need him back, you know.
He is a great pro right you can see why they pay him for his performance on the field and the way that he approaches the game. I asked him yesterday about you know what drove you through the rehab.
Was it knowing that.
You could get back in four weeks or that perhaps you could get back to the playoffs, and he said what drove me was watching my teammates struggle and wanting to do something to help pay off all the work that we put in in the offseason and to be there for them. I can't say enough about what a pro Kirk is and whether it's Trevor Kai or whether it's CJ. Bethard, I think both of them could be effective on Sunday in Nashville because of number thirteen on the field.
It will be a huge benefit whenever he gets back on the field, hopefully for the regular season finale. Say with us here on jag Zam, we'll go deep dive into that Titans matchup this Sunday, coming up after the break. Welcome back to jag Zam, presented by Field's Auto Group of Jackson Bill. You can step up to luxury at Fieldsauto dot com. Welcome back in.
As I mentioned, it sucks, losing.
Awful.
That's why I want to win, because you don't sleep. You want to win for the players and Buster Tail. That's it, you know, I mean, it's not about Hey, we'll go into the offseason with a good note. Nobody knows what you did on January seventh, or eighth or sixth and April when you come back.
I heard from Doug yesterday I said winning was fun, and Mike Rabel says losing sucks. So some wise words from our coaches for the matchup on Sunday. Mike Rabel's so interesting the way he's taken to coaching. Right, He's just taken all of that energy he had as a football player and turned into a coaching style. And he's really gotten the most out of his players, including this year with a team that hasn't been great, but what he's been able to do.
But two years ago, he was the AP Coach of the Year, right, I mean he won two division titles and had three winning seasons.
I mean he's he's a.
Really good football coach and I hear he's a really good guy. They like him up there, and he said yesterday that he wanted to be back. I can't imagine why they wouldn't want him back.
Yeah, they always know how they want to play, and not every team does. Under Vrabel that they know exactly how they want to play. They played to it. It's why they're always dangerous. It's why they're dangerous. On Sunday, there's rumors about Rabel and New England. There's all those things, you know, and that makes sense. I don't know, I don't My gud tells me this is not as his last game up there, but I wouldn't mind have him out of the division.
Well, and they have a new general manager of Ryan Carthon, who might want to do things his own way, so perhaps it might make sense for him to go to.
I think the only way he leaves is if he gets wooed somewhere else, which is what that would be. Rabel did talk a little bit yesterday. He calmed down, apologized for that comment. He's saying, I just, you know, I get a little competitive sometimes, not no offense to anybody, but completely understandable. He hates to lose. But he talked a little bit about going into a game like this where maybe you don't have anything to play for online technically, but what his team is going to be motivated by.
We want to finish strong. You know, we can. We can finish this thing the right way.
You know, we can.
Finish it, you know, with a lot of class, and we can also you know, get get a huge win and also you know, potentially, you know, I think it would just be critical to get a home win here to finish the season in the division against a team that kept us from the playoffs last year last year, So that's what we're trying to do.
Finishing strong, finishing with class. But as you mentioned, against a team that ended their season last year, So that's definitely on the mind. I'm sure that's mentioned.
I am sure it is.
And you know he has got a football team, as John mentioned that, he has a certain style of play, and he's going to look for everybody who's on the field on Sunday to earn their right to come back next year based on their effort. If you don't have the wherewithal as a professional football player, even in what is called a meaningless game, to play your best, then I wouldn't want you on my team.
No coach would.
Yeah, this is the old thing where a team in it is playing a team out of it historically, and I've always believed that the team that's in it needs to get up in that game and make them play like individuals more than a team. Meaning. I don't believe players really quit, but sometimes when teams are out of it, you can get them not playing their game at the end of the season. And to me, that's the Jaguars
task this week. Make sure you play and get ahead and give them that feeling of Hey, the cars are in the parking lot, it's time to go home.
Well, then this game, in particular, if you get ahead, the numbers say that they don't play their style right. The Jags built a twenty seven to dozing lead in the game here in November, and they didn't run Derrick Henry but ten times.
And I think I offered this yesterday.
But in games in that he's carried the ball seventeen times or fewer, he only averages thirty seven yards a game, now eighteen or more, it's one hundred and fourteen. You give Derrick Henry a chance to get one hundred and fourteen yards on you, then you give them a good chance to win. So you got to build a lead and take their style of play away from them.
And something that would be I guess sting dust Brian's We've been around forever. I think fans feel this too. It's a chance to beat this franchise four times in a row for the first time since the nineties. It's a chance to clinch divisions two years in a row against this team. I don't think about that that much because I try to analyze the game sort of objectively, if you will. But there are fans who would love that,
and this is the team the Jaguars hate. To establish some dominance over that franchise and sort of turn that tide and feel better. That'd be cool, That would be cool.
I don't think Jem's ever beaten them four times in a row.
Well, they beat this franchise four times around the nineties.
I can't recall it. I just did you do the math on it?
Well, because they lost tho times in ninety eight or ninety nine, from ninety six to ninety eight.
They lost. They lost here in ninety six.
Anyway, we'll fact check it.
That has notten very often.
Well, fact that's what we're here for. We do want to mention this is a turning of the tide for that team. Right, So this most likely Ryan Tannehill and Derek Henry's probably last game with this franchise. And that's something Ryan Tannehill is not fully reflecting on yet. But just he talked a little bit yesterday about the trying season that this has been since he's been benched for Will Levis and what he's kind of gone through to be a good teammate.
I've tried to keep my head up and you know, focus on the cards that they're handing me. You know, some things are out of control and you can't help that, but you can help you how you come to work, how you respond, the attitude you bring into work. You know, it was a lot of days where you know, I didn't really want to come in and have a smile on my face and try to help or or get
myself ready to go. But you know, I knew that I was the best thing for my teammates, and I'm not gonna throw a pity party for myself.
Brian. It's been a changing of the guard there because it's not like they completely bottomed out. They had a lot of injuries last year and then now they drafted Levis. They want to go with that now and so they're getting rid of some of the players that they've had for a long time, and it's kind of a change without completely bottoming out, right, it's not like a complete rebuild, but they're trying to rebuild. Well, they're trying to a little bit.
And they are having to change their style of play because if Derrick Henry is playing in his final game, you're not going to be that ground and pound kind of team that they have been. You know, Tannehill left Miami in free agency and went to Tennessee in twenty nineteen, and he had to consider a first round bust. He had never done anything in Miami, but paired with Derrick Henry and the power of play action when number twenty
two is slamming into the line of scrimmage. I mean it gave him a couple of Pro Bowls and a shot at a AFC championship.
So he's been a big part of what they've done.
And if I have any fear concern, worry, it's that he and Derrick Henry play their best game in what's their final game in Nashville and give these Jags and run.
For their money.
What was the difference when in your mind, John obviously Derek Henay he's a game changer, but Ryan Tannell gave them a little bit of stability at the time when they were trying to like kind of figure things out in terms of rebel going there.
Well, he played really well for a couple of years and as Brian said it you there's different games, they play out different ways, but overall he played very well because teams had to stop Derrick Henry, and then when Tannehill had a chance to beat them downfield, he could make plays against the defenses that were drawn up stop Derrick Henry. I think Brian said at best it was complimentary. It was based on Henry and they needed a quarterback who could be good enough to supplement that. He was
never a star. I don't think he was necessarily a pro bowler or an elite guy, but there were games where he played elite. When defenses rose to stop Derrick Henry. He was more than good enough to have three hundred yard games, multiple touchdown games, and they were a tick or two away from win an AFC championships for a couple
of years with that formula. So it worked as long as their offensive line was really, really good, and for a while they were as good as any offensive line in the league, just short of a couple of teams. This year they're not, So that's really the biggest reason for the fall of the last couple of years is their line.
You can't underestimate teams playing for pride because I imagine both of them are going to want to go out on a high note as well, if in if indeed this is their last game they're in Tennessee. All right, stay well us, we're going to talk over some of the game changers we see for Sunday's matchup against the Titans. Sudata Lords, Trusted and Reliable Moving Company said it's proud to be the official moving partner of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
To get a guaranteed quote, visit sutte dot com slash jacks back here for jags am in Hyundai Studios.
I have to give it to him.
He was right, This is right, right, right six and the final show of the right.
Oh, I've forgotten about I've forgotten about again. They swept him in ninety seven.
I'd forgotten that, so I usually do.
I'm speechless.
All right, let's talk about this final game of the regular season against the Titans. I hope it's as I hope it lives up to the building. I hope it's everything we want it to be. And I hope this team really goes into the playoffs, earns their spot, and uses this momentum going forward. It's going to take a big effort from the whole team, really special teams. We know this team is best when they play complimentary football.
So who's a name, who's particular, who you looking at that's going to be a game record.
I'm going with Evan Ingram because and I'm making the assumption that we will see Kirk and Jones on the field. And last year Evan Ingram had a huge day two touchdowns, one hundred and sixty yards, eleven catches uh in Nashville, and I just think he's primed playing so well right now.
If it's CJ.
Betherty already has and established rhythm with them. Trevor is same thing. I think Evan is playing at an epic page. I'd love to see him get twelve or thirteen and maybe set the franchise record for a single season for catches, which is one hundred and sixteen. But I'll take a big game that gets him.
Into the playoffs.
Yeah, when you look back, sometimes you don't see things immediately. And had a huge game against Tennessee and the Shaq Quorterman play turned that game. But the ability to depend on Evan in that game enabled the Jaguars to get out of an early hole and be the dominant team in that game by the second half, and it really sort of gave the Jaguars the confidence to move on that season. So that was a huge performance. I went
with Christian Kirk. He will I think he will play, and he won't be at one hundred percent, but I don't know that he has to be. I think he'll be managing the injury a little bit because he had to be smart. But as I said earlier in the show, than with Christian, he might this year be the key to the whole thing if you can get him back.
Just think about the number of this offense hasn't been what you expected to be this year, but when it's been really good, he's been really important to play against the game winner against the Saints, the Colts touchdown where Trevor checked to him. There's been some moments and he comes up, even though he's not a quote big play receiver, supposedly, he comes up with big plays downfield and Trevor trust him downfield. So he might be the key to the whole thing moving forward.
And you know, you talk about getting some guys back, Kirk in particular, maybe he's a Jones what if you get Ezra Cleveland back there with Cam Robinson, they haven't had much time together, and it's clear that Cleveland is your best option at left guard. What if he's able to play into the playoffs with Cam next to him, and Kirk and Jones and Trevor. Yeah, there's there's some momentum you could build.
Yeah, and weirder things have happened. Bucky Brooks keeps saying it, and he's right. This AFC. I get the Baltimore's good. Beyond that, I keep hearing all this stuff about, Oh, Cleveland's so much better. Cleveland might be the second best team in the AFC. Jaguars gave away so many opportunities in that game. You're telling me they couldn't beat the Browns. They couldn't be you know, I'm saying they'd be favored. But you get in this year and you got a shot.
We can get some of those guys back, and you play the Browns at home. Well, I like their chances. And they turned the ball over four times and had a quarterback on an ankle that didn't look like he could walk, let alone play as he left the field after that Bengals game, No, I like their chances against the Browns. The Browns are a powerful team in terms of their defense, But I take that no sweat you.
Know I'm doing right now. I'm reeling in until we get this one on Sunday.
Yeah, but I'm just saying, you get in go.
Really, Judgs.
Yes, it's still funny to me. I'm going defense because as much as we watch the offense to come along we've been talking about all year long, defense has has far exceeded any expectations that I may have had for them. So I'm going with Josh Allen because big game, go with your big players. He will will this team into the playoffs. He got back on track last week, and he's not gonna do it alone. He won't do it alone.
Trayvon and Josh are gonna do that meat at the quarterback game that they got going against the Panthers last week, and they're gonna continue doing that and in the process, Josh Allen, they end up being your sack leader this year, which is funny for a lot of people that thought they couldn't sack the quarterbacks. So for them to have the highest combo of two players with sacks this year
between Trayvon Walker and Josh Allen. I think they've I don't know if they've silenced anybody, but I've been impressed with what they've been able to do. And I don't want to know what this team would look like if if they weren't as productive as they've been so far this season.
Number one in the NFL as a tandem, right, twenty five and a half sacks.
I'll take it really good.
All right? This is our final Jagsam with the regular season, hopefully many more to come in the postseason. You will see you next week after the final regular season finale. Enjoy the game, DAGs fans. If you want customiz Daguars furniture for your home, checkout zipchair dot com to browse all of the customizable options. You can check out zipchair because it's furniture for fans. Welcome back and tried to
get rid of you guys early. I apologize clearly I'm upset about this being the final jag Exam of the regular season. I did, but you'll be on Monday though.
Right we are.
I'm a regular season because next week will we playoff weeks. The way you think is obviously where I was going. Let's take a moment and talk about Pro bowlers on this team, because we did have that announcement yesterday. We love the long snapper mentioned Ross Mattison. It was the long snapper for the Pro Bowl games. And of course Josh Allen, as I mentioned, having a career year. So
it's a second Pro Bowl I believe crap. So obviously some other people we probably thought should have made the cut.
Well, Evan Ingram, right, I mean, eighth tight end in NFL history to go over one hundred receptions.
Yes, I mean yes, that sounds crazy, but I think touchdowns. Heard Evan in the voting, I think you should have made it. I think it's strong argument could have could have been made for Travis CTN. And I think if people had really broken down Travis and seen how much the Jaguars offensive line struggled in front of him at times to have the year that he's having pretty impressive eleven twelve touchdowns, So credit to him and other guys.
Brian well, as you say, maybe we'll you know, we haven't seen the alternate list. I mean, maybe these guys will get some recognition on that. Darius Williams was one of the leaders all season long in terms of passes broken up, I mean he might get some too, and.
Your guy for you know. So, yeah, there were a lot of a lot of deserving guys. I think they'd have had more, honestly.
The swoon, the losing straight definitely when.
They were on Prime time twice, I think that probably unfairly, but it's not a fair system. Probably cost them some momentum with some guys who I think got close. And sometimes the voting process is where the fans are part of it. The players vote for it, which I get, but a lot of times players their votes are very they get in kind of groups in there. You know. I wish there was a better system for the Pro Bowl, but I don't know that there is a better one.
Well we'll see. I think some of the alternate names will come out a little bit later, so hopefully some more Jaguars will be involved in that. And now for real, this is the end of our show. We hope you enjoyed them. Sure, I think I'm right this time. Enjoy the Titans game. We'll see you next week. You're in Taxam