The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking to start the month of December on the right track this Sunday against their in-state rivals in the Tampa Bay Bucs. Both teams will come into the game below .500, but most fans would agree they have the talent to make this game competitive and interesting.
Here are three bold predictions for Sunday’s game, which will take place at TIAA Bank Field:
WR DJ Chark Jr. will have his second 150-plus yard day with two touchdowns
The Jags will be up against the No. 31 ranked passing defense (289.9 YPG average) Sunday, which sets DJ Chark Jr. and the passing game up to eat. He’s been Nick Foles’ favorite receiver since his return from collarbone surgery and that likely won’t change this year.
Despite the success of Foles’ and Chark’s connection, the young receiver had his second-lowest receiving yards total of the year last week against the Tennessee Titans (38). Typically when he doesn’t get going and/or Leonard Fournette struggles, the Jags normally don’t have a good day on offense. That said, they need to get to Chark early and often.
There will be times where he and the Jags’ other receivers are lining up against rookie cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who is learning the game. He currently has a grade of 58.5 on Pro Football Focus while Chark is one of the highest-graded Jags on the roster with a 80.7. Those numbers alone should warrant a lot of targets for Chark.
Tre Herndon will have two picks
Jameis Winston has thrown at least two picks or more in six of his 11 games, which explains why he leads the NFL in interceptions thrown. If the Jags’ pass rush can move him off of his mark and agitate him, Sunday’s game could be another game in which he makes several mistakes.
Earlier in a post from earlier, I said Tre Herndon was a player to watch because Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich will look to target Herndon with their dynamic duo of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans clicking. With a lot of targets will come several opportunities for picks so I wouldn’t be shocked if Herndon allows a lot of completions while also snagging two picks as he did against the Jets.
The Jags will have over 30 points in this game, which would be the highest of the year
If there ever was a time to go against the grain and say the Jags will score a lot of points, it’s against the Bucs. Sure, it’s a little hard to envision after only scoring 36 points total in their last three games, but with better play calling, I believe the Jags are capable of better on offense.
As mentioned earlier, I could see Chark having two touchdowns alone. With Winston throwing picks like they’re going out of style, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Jags had a pick-six either. Add in three Josh Lambo field goals and you have the Jags’ highest point total of the year.
