There is a lot of fallout after the Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers‘ week 8 matchup, with Jacksonville at the cusp of massive changes down the 2024 season’s stretch. For the Jaguars, their 2024 season has practically come to an end following their inability to capitalize on momentum gained from the Jaguars vs Patriots week seven victory. The New England Patriots weren’t a top-flight team, but still competitive. But, with the trade deadline approaching, and following their loss to the Packers, a lot of changes should be made going forward.
Fallout From the Jaguars Week Eight Loss
Following the Jaguars and Packers week eight game in Jacksonville, there are two main takeaways. The first comes from the on-the-field play from the Jaguars, with how the players performed and what can be expected in the second half of the season. The other is the organizational changes expected to be made, including potential trades and dealing with injuries. But following the Jaguars vs Packers week eight loss, their momentum has completely stalled.
On-Field Fallout and Future Outlook
With the Packers taking the command early in Jacksonville, the Jaguars were trying to fight their way back from the beginning of the game. Trevor Lawrence started rough, throwing a bad interception and later fumbling the ball and setting the Packers up inside the Jaguars’ ten-yard line. The Packers offense also struggled, including an interception of Jordan Love. That pick was something that for the Jaguars vs Packers matchup was a key to victory heading in, which was winning the turnover battle. Unfortunately, Lawrence fell victim to Xavier McKinney, giving McKinney his sixth interception of the season.
But, the offense began clicking in the second half. Christian Kirk had a few big gains down the field, but he suffered an injury to his shoulder, which was confirmed to be a broken collarbone. In the absence of Kirk, Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabriel Davis were expected to carry the load, but Thomas, following a touchdown grab, also suffered an injury. While Kirk’s is going to force him out for the rest of the season, the injury to Thomas is only expected to be a short-term injury to his chest and ribs. Davis also got banged up in Jacksonville, and that forced Tim Jones and Parker Washington to see the field.
The injuries suffered on offense will dictate the rest of the season for Jacksonville. With Kirk done for the year, Washington will be seeing the field a lot more down the stretch. Jones is mainly a special teamer, so the Jaguars are expected to elevate a receiver or two to the active roster. If Thomas were to miss an extended period, the Jaguars offense would be a lot more challenging in its functionality. Evan Engram and Brenton Strange will be seeing the field very often, especially with how much the Jaguars’ offense will need to pass as the defense has been struggling mightily in 2024.
Ryan Nielsen’s unit on defense has been one of the most frustrating in the NFL, with the Jaguars allowing nearly every team to move the ball all over the field against them. Even with Foyesade Oluokun and Tyson Campbell back, the Jaguars have yet to present a strong outing defensively. Ronald Darby got hurt in the Jaguars and Packers week eight matchup, and Montaric Brown filled in for him. Brown has been solid for the Jaguars, but with Campbell struggling with an injury of his own, Deantre Prince came in and was the lowest-graded defensive player for the Jaguars according to PFF.
There is a lot that will change in the coming weeks with the on-the-field play, and it stems from the injuries suffered by key players on both sides of the ball. The offense will need to run through Tank Bigsby, Engram, and Thomas. The second half of the season will provide a chance to see some of the more insularly players for the Jaguars, including Washington, Brown, and Strange.
Organizational Changes and Trade Deadline Prep
The 2024 season is effectively over for Jacksonville, and while not the complete downward spiral that the Jaguars suffered after the week three loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Jaguars are on the cusp of their season-ending early. A plethora of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, poor play from important players on defense and offense, and the coaching staff struggling to find any answers on a week-to-week basis. A lot is going on for Jacksonville in the organization, and the coaching staff will most likely change by the end of the year. But, the most important issue is what the Jaguars will do at the trade deadline.
If there was one player that nearly everyone expected to trade on the Jaguars, it would’ve been Kirk. He suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in the Jaguars and Packers week eight-game, which not only takes him off the trade block but also leaves Jacksonville without getting any value for his absence either. If they traded him, the wide receiver room would look like it does now anyway, but the pick compensation would’ve helped the Jaguars in 2025 and beyond. Of course, that is no longer a possibility. It’s a negative for everyone involved, including the teams vying for his skillset on their team.
There are plenty of other players that could be on the block, but the jury is still out for Jacksonville. With Trent Baalke on the hot seat, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Jaguars to not offload some of their key pieces in the hopes that they could have a strong second half to sneak into the playoffs. It could save all the coaches and general managers’ jobs, but their future aspirations have to be accounted for as well.
Offensively, Lawrence is the quarterback and Thomas is the receiver. Engram and Strange are a good tight-end duo, and Bigsby is emerging as a strong running back. Cam Robinson could be a player on the move, with Walker Little being a solid fill-in for Jacksonville. Travis Etienne Jr. is another candidate to be moved, with him entering the last years of his deal. The core of the offense needs to be held together, but the Jaguars should be willing to move Davis, Etienne, and Robinson to bring in some draft capital for the 2025 season and beyond.
Defensively, the whole group has been disappointing, but Jarrian Jones had an interception, Campbell played well when on the field, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are a solid pass-rush duo, and Foyesade Oluokun leads a strong and deep linebacker corps. The Jaguars have already made a move, trading from this defensive group following their first London matchup. Now, the Jaguars should dip into the assets defensively to acquire more draft capital.
Oluokoun, Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma, and Ventrell Miller could all be on the block, with the Jaguars linebacker group being the deepest and easiest to move off of. The compensation would likely be minimal, but maximizing value by trading a good player to a contending team would make sense, especially with a deep room like this. They could also find value in the safety room, with Andre Cisco being a potential trade candidate.
Final Outlook After A Close Loss
Overall, the Jaguars should be ready to move off of plenty of players on both sides of the ball, and they should be prepared to make adjustments on the field as well. The offense is banged up, and the defense has struggled. It’s a bleak outlook for Jacksonville, but there are ways for the Jaguars to change things up in 2024 that could allow players to develop and become full-time starters in 2025.
Washington and Strange should see more work, and the defense should continue to get an extended look at Brown at cornerback. Bigsby at running back and Miller at linebacker should also continue seeing consistent work. The young players should be prioritized, as the Jaguars begin to see what cards they have heading into the later stages of 2024.
The Jaguars are sitting on the edge of trying to compete and beginning to retool, but with the coaching staff on the brink of being fired, and the plethora of injuries and a poor record, the Jaguars should lean more towards retooling and prepping for 2025 and beyond. It won’t be a full-blown NFL Rebuild, but the Jaguars have enough pieces to be appealing to a coach and general manager in 2025. The potential of the Jaguars is high as long as Lawrence and Thomas are on offense, and Walker and Hines-Allen are on defense. It’ll be a long second half of 2024 but would be the right decision to make to ensure the Jaguars’ long-term success.
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