4 Jaguars to Watch in Week 17 Vs. the Colts

Each week this season, I’ll be highlighting a few specific Jacksonville Jaguars players that I’ll be keeping my eye on based on how they’ve played so far and how I expect them to play in the future.

With the Jaguars (1-14) coming off a first overall pick-clinching loss to the Chicago Bears, there are several players still worth tracking over the course of the week. Here is who I’ll be watching for in Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts.

WR Keelan Cole

In the week 1 matchup between the Jaguars and Colts, Keelan Cole led the team in targets (5), receptions (5), receiving yards (47) and touchdowns (1) as Jacksonville mostly stuck to the ground game with James Robinson (who is unlikely to be available this Sunday).

Since that first game, the Jaguars have lost every single game (including the last three all by three-plus touchdowns) while the Colts have won 10 of 14 games and will be playing for a chance at the division crown.

In other words, Cole and the rest of Jacksonville’s receivers will likely see more volume in this contest, as Indianapolis is currently favored by 14.0 points. Cole was actually Jacksonville’s leading receiver to begin the season- he paced the team in receiving yards and touchdowns and ranked second in targets and catches prior to the week 8 bye- but has been much less productive since as D.J. Chark recovered from injuries and Collin Johnson had a mini-breakout.

Cole is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so it’s possible that Sunday’s game will be his last in a Jaguars uniform. Chark, Johnson, Shenault and Eifert have all hauled in touchdown catches from Mike Glennon this season- Cole will try to join the list against an Indianapolis secondary that ranks top-10 in pass defense DVOA (per Football Outsiders) and Expected Points Added per dropback allowed (per rbsdm.com) but just allowed nine receptions, 96 yards and a touchdown to another slot receiver in Juju Smith-Schuster last week.

RG A.J. Cann

Sixth-year right guard A.J. Cann has had a strong season, probably his best since his first or second year in the league. Cann’s 69.2 Pro Football Focus grade ranks 31st among all interior offensive linemen (Brandon Linder ranks 11th; Andrew Norwell ranks 33rd).

While Jacksonville’s tackles have struggled this season- they’ve allowed the most pressures of any duo in the league- the interior has been one of the strongest position groups on the team. The group is unlikely to change next season, as Norwell, Linder and Cann respectively rank second, third and fourth in 2021 cap hit for the team and there are other positions that need much more desperate upgrades in the offseason.

Cann will continue to make his case to remain Jacksonville’s starter at right guard ahead of 2020 rookie Ben Bartch and any other possible investments at the position against the Colts this week. Cann’s sole allowed sack this season came against Indianapolis in week 1, and this week will present another challenge against a stout defensive line that features Pro-Bowl snub DeForest Buckner plus Grover Stewart, Denico Autry, and Justin Houston.

LB Joe Schobert

2020 free agent acquisition Joe Schobert had an underwhelming beginning to the season as Jacksonville’s sole “splash signing,” but has played much better in recent weeks. Prior to Jacksonville’s week 8 bye, Schobert’s 39.9 PFF grade ranked 76th among 90 qualifying off-ball linebackers, but his 69.6 PFF grade since ranks 20th among 93 players.

Schobert was a bit unlucky in signing with a new team in a year with a limited offseason due to COVID-19, and it clearly took some time for him to adjust to Jacksonville’s defensive scheme. He said earlier this month that it’s his “fourth defense in five years and I didn't really have an offseason, so you can know the stuff but until you start playing and experience it in a game you don't have that comfort level. And I feel like that's grown as the year's gone on.”

Unfortunately for Schobert, it’s likely that he’ll need to learn his fifth defense in six years assuming staff changes in the coming offseason, but his progress throughout this season has nevertheless been encouraging. With Myles Jack playing perhaps the best season of his career, the linebacker unit is one of Jacksonville’s few position groups in good hands for the future.

This week, Schobert and the Jaguars defense will be facing a rejuvenated Colts rushing attack. Indianapolis totaled just 88 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in the week 1 matchup but has played much better down the stretch. The Colts have reached 100 rushing yards in each of its past four games, including eight of its past nine. In the past month, Indianapolis ranks top-eight in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, yards per carry, and rushing EPA in large part due to rookie running back Jonathan Taylor, who has five touchdowns and nearly 400 rushing yards in that stretch.

DT Taven Bryan

It’s been a forgettable season to say the least for former first-round pick Taven Bryan, who can officially be added to the ‘bust’ category. The third-year three-tech had a great opportunity to be one of Jacksonville’s featured defensive linemen following the departure of several Pro Bowlers in recent years including Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Marcell Dareus and Malik Jackson.

Unfortunately, Bryan didn’t come close to living up to expectations, as he’s on pace to set career-lows in tackles, pressures, sacks and PFF grade despite playing the most snaps of his career. The coaching staff noticed, and Bryan has resultingly been reduced to a part-time player since the bye week.

Bryan did play well last Sunday, when he drew his first start and played his most snaps since week 10, and will have one last attempt to make up for a poor season in week 17 against Indianapolis’ aforementioned strong rushing attack. Bryan is under contract for one more season, but he may need another strong performance to convince the 2021 front office and coaching staff that he is a part of the team’s future.