Jags A.M. Podcast Ep. 123 | Jaguars Chance To Make It Two in a Row? Looking for a December Double!

Welcome into dag Van today. I'm kind of Annie Stevens, Brian Sexton, and John Osier are with me. It's week fifteen. The Daguars are preparing to take on the Debts this Sunday at Everbanks Stadium. Let's get into our big things today. We're gonna start out with connection. Trevor Lawrence is not going to play the rest of the season, as he went on ir due to injury, and that means Mac Jones has it the rest of the way. We saw success last week when mac Jones forced the ball to

Yeah, Brian's a really good player. He's obviously young, but he wants the ball. I love that about him. He likes kind of like demands it, which is awesome for a quarterback. I haven't had much of that in my career, where God's like, Hey, I really want this ball right here, throw it up. I'll make a play. So I really appreciate that about him, and for a rookie, he has a lot of confidence and just for me trying to keep him loosening the huddle and having fun out there.

I prepare the saying, whether I'm wrong it's the number one corner in the league or whether it's a last radio corner in the league. I feel like they have to prepare for me, and I try to keep that man set. Just prepare myself, saying, well, I prepare myself each and every week time. I prepare myself to go out there and beat the best, and that's what I want.

Bryan, Brian Thomas Junior is getting a little more animated and saying he wants the football, and you know he's a little quiet, but on the field he's not. So are they gonna be able to continue what they've been doing or what they did in the second half of the last game.

What I want to know is if he's gonna get eighteen targets.

I mean on Monday Night football, Jamar Chase, an LSU product, got eighteen targets. He caught fourteen of them, guy for one hundred and seventy seven yards and two touchdowns. Earlier this year, Malik Neighbors, who is a rookie from LSU, was part of the Brian Thomas class got eighteen targets.

Throwing the ball eighteen times. I mean, I get it.

It's a little tongue in cheek because the defense will dictate that. But John the guy's supremely talented. He's not just fast, he can jump high. He's got the body control that you're looking for in an elite receiver. If you throw it up to him, as Mac intimated, there chance is always going to have an opportunity to go make a play.

What I like about him is he's got good football instincts. He doesn't tend to try to make too much of a play and lose yardage. He knows what he's doing on the field and his instincts you use it right. Eighteen might be hard to get to some games, but you saw in the second half last week what you can do when you focus on him a little bit. And I think Mac is a guy who doesn't mind. Historically when you've watched him, he doesn't mind throwing it up to a guy and letting a guy go win,

All right.

Our second big thing today is going to be primary secondary. We've talked a lot about changes on defense. We finally seeing some of them, specifically in the secondary. Doug Peterson talked about walking that fine line of playing the young players.

Yeah, I think as the season's progressed, guys have gotten better.

You know.

I thought we you know, started the season, you know, we made made some mistakes. Even in the middle of the season, there were some mistakes. I think we've dust just kind of settle a little bit and guys are understanding and in rotating guys a little bit more too, right, keeping guys fresher as the game goes on has helped us. And just continuing to coach and teach and uh has you know, I think has really helped our our secondary. They played a they played a complete game.

John We saw some of the young guys, Jarnie Jones out there. Antonio Johnson's starting as well. But this is a game where there could be some big plays, and we know there's that big play susceptibility to this team has had in the past. How are they gonna come bat that this week or they're still going to go with some of the young guys.

Well, I go with young guys. I'd like to see Jordan Jefferson up front as a young guy that we're talking about. Wouldn't mind seeing Prince at some point. But I think the Antonio Johnson in the game was not necessarily about young guy, but is about seeing somebody who can play better than Andre Cisco. And I think they put Antonio Johnson in there and say, hey, Andrey's probably not going to be a part of this moving forward. I don't know that for sure, but it feels like that.

Well, and you heard Doug say that they made mistakes early in the year, and they made mistakes in the middle of the season. Primarily Antonio Johnson was a guy who was very disappointing. He was out of position, he took bad angles, he wasn't playing up to the level of his talent. So now he's playing well, I thought last week was his best performance. Obviously last year he only had a few opportunities to play, so that's really exciting.

This is not Will Levis. This is a guy who.

Sees the field so completely. If one guy's out of position, he'll make you pay. This is the kind of quarterback, and this is the kind of game where if you're playing to win, some of those veteran guys are going to have to be on the field in the secondary.

Yeah, there were plays last week that had Aaron Rodgers been in the game. Oh yeah, there were guys running open that it would have been bad.

Blow weapons over there and DeVante Anams and Garrett Wilson as well, to keep an eye and we'll talk a little bit about that coming net coming back. But our third big thing is feeling forty one. Aaron Rodgers turned forty one last week and he's still trying to make this football thing worked on. Peterson talked a little bit about where he was at at forty one.

To credit right to him and what he does in the off.

Season, what he does during the regular season.

How he takes care of himself, because this game can you know, this game can can beat you down, you know physically. You know, forty one. I was thirty six when I shut it down, so I was I think I was back with the Eagles. Yeah, as you mentioned, it's quality control, and I was forty one, but you know, in your mind, you still feel like you're twenty one. And and I know that's probably maybe he's not, you know,

The team's coming in there at three and ten. Obviously they've had an underwhelming season as well, Aaron Rodgers coming off that Achilles injury, so he hasn't looked quite like he has a whole, But it's dangerous to count him out, especially with the ability and the football smarts that he has.

It is, and you know, I went back looking.

Aaron Rodgers has really never been in this position in his career this late in the season to be so far out of it in just playing out the string. He's used to playing in highly competitive, meaningful games after Thanksgiving. So these are all things to watch. I would say the best way to counter Aaron Rodgers, who's forty one, is for him to feel forty one, as in Josh heinz Allen who's chasing the franchise all time sack record,

Yeah, I think Aaron Rodgers is still dangerous. I don't know that he has as ide was saying the escapability that he used to have. But he can still put the ball in the right place. He's playing better the last few games after really being beat up for three or four games early in the season. So look, the Jets can score. They scored the last week. They put up Aaron three for three hundred yards for the first time.

All right, stay with us here, we'll talk a little bit more about that Jets game coming up to see it. Welcome to jag Zanbronte By Fields Auto Grouping and Seafields First Jackson Golls Premier Luxury Auto Group head over two Fields Auto dot Com. It is Jets Week, It's throwback week. Lots of good things coming up. Obviously, the Jets aren't dealing with a similar situation to the Jaguars three and

But it's gonna be tough.

I think theirs is more complicated. Now.

Listen, some might argue it's simpler because they've already fired their coach. They've fired their coach in October, and their general manager they let go in November. So they went and fought in Miami. And you might have said, well that, I mean, they don't have a whole forty one year

Well, they're very talented and late in the season sometimes you play a team it's quit or that you look at and sayhere their quarterbacks out, how are they gonna make plays? They have plenty of guys who can make plays. They have sauce guard in your on defense. They have Aaron Rodgers, they have DeVante Adams.

That you.

So sometimes late in the season you think, Okay, well, there's no way this team, if we play this level, is the way this team can beat us. The Jets absolutely have the talent, the playmakers. The question is do they have the drive?

Yeah, but with both.

Teams out of it, frankly, you have to ask a question about both teams.

Let's look at the defense. Mac Jones talked a little bit. He's very familiar with the Jets defense playing in the AFCAS. He said it's the best defense he's ever played against.

Yeah, I hope. So it's definitely the NFL's top defense in my opinion. You know, over my career so far, they're the best defense I've gone against each year, not only players, but scheme and coaching. Obviously, they're familiar with me, and I have some former teammates over there, and you know, guys I've played against six five six times, So definitely looking forward to it. They've done a good job this year.

John.

This defense hasn't been necessarily what it's been in the past when Robert Sahal has been there. But they still have a ton of playmakers and they still have they are still up in the ranks there as one of the best defenses in the league.

Yeah, the thing that concerns you the Jets are are really good in terms of yards. They have been great in terms of points, but sometimes that cannot really reflect if your offense to give us some points, if only they only have two interceptions. And Mac has shown us he can fix that. So I'm what I'm saying there is he needs to not fix that obviously.

Uh.

He's thrown the ball up in some in some in some rough situations so far. To me, that's the key from ACT this week. This team is not a great turnover team. Don't let them become one. Don't give them opportunities here at every Bank Stadium. Uh, and get the ball to.

Betj And I mean Quinn Williams is one of the better defensive tackles in the league. Last week, the Jaguars did a really nice job against Jeffrey Simmons. This guy is a really he's a game wrecker in the middle in terms of running the ball, and the Jaguars kai desperately need to run the ball. To help Mac Jones, they have got to give him some symbols of balance, and I think the way that you do that is

Give it to him.

Consistently soften up that Jets defense and make it easier on Mac Jones, and then figure out a different way to include Etn his explosiveness, his playmaking skill.

It's better on the edge.

It's better in a cutback on a stretch kind of play than between the tackles.

That's Tank.

Let's talk the other side of the football. We saw the defense play one of their best games of the year last year against an offense that's not so good, so this week will be a completely different challenge. We saw them play pretty well against I want to compare them. Obviously, DeVante Adams one of the best wide receivers in the league, but they played well against the likes of Justin Jefferson

I think that Tyson Campbell is capable of playing a big game. You know, he did a few weeks ago against Justin Jefferson, as you mentioned, and this is is that kind of a challenge for him. So if he has a good game, then you you can do some different things. With Garrett Wilson on the other side, who

Can they Yes? Will they?

Well, I mean that's been the key, John. I mean they haven't done it very consistently in the secondary. They haven't done anything consistently in the secondary this year.

Yeah, I think the key will be the same as it was last week. Not nice job last week. Is that I'm trying to say of keeping them at the enzone. But had they not come up big and side the ten twice, that game looks a lot different. The thing that concerns you is when Aaron Rodgers gets into the red zone. If they allow long drive this week, he can finish much better than Will Levis. So I think it's gonna be a situational game. And that's what's scari

This is gonna sound annoyingly redundant to people watching, but you just said it. They've got to find a way to do something early on offense.

I mean it is.

They should start fast.

Fast, I don't care whether it's a ten minute slow drive right, get some points early, do something. They had the one touchdown in the first quarter against the Vikings, but they've done nothing early on to even give their defense something they can play with. They have got to do something something on offense early in this game because you're not gonna beat Aaron Rode even a three and ten Aaron Rodgers. You're not gonna beat him scoring ten points. That's not happening.

We're begging please please start early, please, thank you. All Right, we're gonna talk to you and tell you what our predictions are for the headlines for Monday after Sunday came jag Zam, brought to you by Stuttith Flores, trusted and reliable moving company Studeth, proud to be the official moving company of the Jacksonville Jaguars. To get a guaranteed quote, visit Sutteth dot com slash Jacks Welcome back into Jackzam.

The Eternal Optimist ANDEE offers this December double. The Jaguars have not won back to back games since they beat the Titans here and then went to Houston last November.

But you know, I just I sense an energy level.

I mean, listen, when you've lost as much as they had lost, anything is going to seem more energetic than what we had experienced in that locker room put even veteran guys. I was over in a corner yesterday with Eric Armstead and Brandon Sheriff's there. Those are two salty old vets, you know, I mean even they you know

Yeah, I went the same direction. I went with winning Street.

Two optimists, look at you.

I had to pick something. This is our jobs. I had a choice between a win and a loss. It's two ten teams. We've seen enough this year that I went with winning Stree. There's a lot of reasons that the Jets have edges because I think their skill guys are better, because they're healthier. Meaning if Christian Kirk's playing this game, I feel differently, He's not Aaron Rodgers over Mac Jones, even though Max five and zero against this team.

Let's get weird.

I like that.

It's a line from a movie, isn't it, Bill Murray?

It never got weird enough for me. That's a Bill Murray line, not my life.

My prediction is not as optimistic as everybody else. It makes me a big play day, unfortunately for the Jets because of the talents of the habit Why receiver Aaron Rodgers is so smart. He's played twitch a long time. I know he can't scramble as much, but he can pick apart of defense when he needs to, and that has been one of many achilles heels for our team

Honestly, their whole defense just plays really well together. They play violent, they run to the foot ball, they're physical, and they're athletic in the back end. I mean they're athletic all over the field. Honestly, they cause problems everywhere. So we're gonna have to come prepared to be physical, to be explosive, and to have great finish all game to be successful against him.

Ivan Ingram talking about the Jets defense, I have an Ingram battling through a shoulder injury that he had during the Titan game. Hasn't practiced fully, So we'll see as the week goes on what that's gonna look like.

You know, he's one of those guys you need him because you're gonna need somebody other than Brian Thomas Junior for the defense to have to focus on.

So hopefully his shoulder allows.

Him to play on Sunday, and you just kind of get the feeling that he's due for one of those you know, nine or ten catch games.

Yeah, eighty yards in a touchdown.

I kind of hope he didn't have that many. The offense sometimes doesn't function that well when they're throwing short passes to him, but I would love to see him have some twenty yard passes where he breaks the defense a little bit and has the big game. It sounded this week from when Doug was talking like he'll boy, so we'll see.

All right, it's gonna be another throwback game. It's our second throwback game of the year. Hopefully, Brian, you can talk to someone, pull some strings and make them permanent.

If you knew how many people have come up to me at Christmas party so far this holiday season to talk about the Prowler jerseys and how much they love having them back. I think the Jaguars have an opportunity in the next couple of years to tweak the uniform.

I would vote for that.

Coming back as an unbiased observer, they are markedly better.

I don't know why.

Some combination that would be really cool, And we'll see.

We shall all right enjoy the game whether it should be good. We will be back on Monday to recap everything for you