In an effort to avoid a disastrous 0-5 record this NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars will seek their first victory when they face none other than the Indianapolis Colts. The good news for Trevor Lawrence‘s team is that a key player has been confirmed to return.
The player in question is none other than safety Darnell Savage, one of the Jaguars’ latest acquisitions in the offseason. Savage has missed the Jaguars’ last three games due to a quadriceps injury; however, Doug Pederson has confirmed his return.
In the press conference last Friday, the head coach spoke with the media: “I think it’s big to get him back. Brings some leadership, brings a little energy out there in a veteran player who’s played,” Pederson said.
“It takes nothing away from what [CB Jarrian Jones] has done. I thought Jarrian played — he kind of played through injury last week and then really did a great job, and has done a great job. It’s learning, you know, Jarrian is learning, right? And now getting Sav back, he can learn more from him. We’re slowly getting some of our pieces, some of our injured players back.”, the experienced HC finally stated.
The Jaguars currently hold a disappointing 0-4 record, and another loss this season would deal a significant blow to a franchise that started the year with playoff aspirations but is far from achieving them at this point.
The importance of Savage to the team
The return of safety Darnell Savage not only brings a rare talent to a position that has been lacking for the Jaguars, but also the experience he can offer to his teammates during such a critical time in the season.
As defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen noted: “The veteran leadership, the energy, he’s fresh. That combination, experienced player, he’s played in our system, and he’s played a lot of years in the league. So, you can never replace the experience with youth,” Nielsen said.
“He’s a great matchup for us against anybody. Excellent speed, good tackler, things like that. Then our ability in the packages to move him around, you see him at safety a little bit, nickel, move him all over the place. So, that gives us a little bit more versatility.”, Nielsen finally concluded.
What’s next for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
- vs Indianapolis Colts, Week 5
- vs Chicago Bears, Week 6
- vs New England Patriots, Week 7
- vs Green Bay Packers, Week 8
- vs Philadelphia Eagles, Week 9