The Jacksonville Jaguars are still in the playoffs race but, as they prepare for their Week 12 game against the Arizona Cardinals, two key names are out of commission. Trevor Lawrence will now have to face an uphill battle.
The Jaguars will miss key figures in both defense and offense. Defensively, edge rusher Travon Walker won’t play due to a knee injury. He has 20 tackles and 2.5 sacks this season, but he missed practice all week.
As for the offense, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. will miss a second straight game because of an ankle injury. While he had limited reps in practice this week, he is still not ready to go.
Brian Thomas Jr.’s regression has been concerning
Last year, Brian Thomas Jr. lit the NFL on fire with a spectacular rookie season. This season, he has 30 catches for 420 yards and has only scored twice this season. The wideout is on pace to get 13 catches less than last year and 442 receiving yards less. Even more concerning, he would be six touchdowns less.
With Liam Coen entering the mix as the team’s head coach, Thomas was supposed to at least keep his production from last year. However, the reality is that him and Trevor Lawrence haven’t been able to connect properly this season.
Travon Walker is important, but Jacksonville has a top defensive line
While missing Walker is not good news, the defense has plenty of talent to still be a menace to the Cardinals. For instance, defensive tackle Arik Armstead has 5.5 sacks this season and defensive end Josh Hines-Allen has three. Now, between both of them they can be enough to rush the passer.
Walker is a former first overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft and comes from the big-time defensive program Georgia. Having said that, this season hasn’t been great for him. Still, he is a talented pass rusher that has reached double-digit sacks in the last couple of seasons.