Jaguars offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett believes Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will put a lot of pressure on this wide receivers Sunday.
With LeBeau's ability to force pressure from any level of his defense, quarterback Blake Bortles will need to get the ball out quickly. In order to get rid of the ball faster, the Jaguars' wide receivers will need to be able to create separation as soon as possible.
"I would say, with their scheme, it's more about the wide receivers winning fast," Hackett said.
"The whole process for what they do is it's going to be man coverage and they are going to try to lock you down. They are going to give you that extra second for the guys to get there, but they're still only bringing five guys [for pass rush], so the [running backs] are going to be critical and the tight ends, but it's more for the tight ends and the wide receivers to win fast and get the ball out of [Bortles'] hand."
The wide receiver with the most speed on the roster is probably Marqise Lee, who will now be the team's top option in the receiving game. Following Allen Robinson's season-ending injury, Lee is now the most dynamic receiver on the depth chart.
Lee's quickness will be counted on in Week 2 against the Titans, who will start Logan Ryan and Adoree' Jackson at cornerback. Lee and Jackson are both USC alums. The former Trojans will likely face off a few times at EverBank Field.
Even with Jackson's (4.39 40-yard dash) speed on the outside, the Jaguars could take advantage of Lee's yards-after-the-catch (YAC) ability.
Lee's ability to stop and start his acceleration could lead to mistakes in coverage for Jackson, who is a rookie.
"Marqise, when he runs, he runs hard and fast all the time," Hackett said. "Any time you get him the ball in space, even if it's a short shot, you never know what's going to happen. I think any time you can get the ball in his hands, it's going to be exciting."
Along with Lee, Hackett has speed at the position with undrafted wide receiver Keelan Cole. Known for his big plays during training camp and the preseason, Cole may be a good second option for getting the ball out quickly.
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Ramsey, Bouye miss second straight practice
The Jaguars were without their top two cornerbacks for the second straight practice Thursday.
Jalen Ramsey (ankle) and A.J. Bouye (illness) were held out of practice Wednesday and failed to return to the field for the second session of the week. Both played in the Week 1 win over the Houston Texans.
Ramsey suffered the injury in the season opener. Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said he was "day-to-day" during a conference call with the Tennessee media. Bouye is probably in that same boat.
The Jaguars have Aaron Colvin, Tyler Patmon, Jalen Myrick and Lafayette Pitts behind Ramsey and Bouye. If one or both of the starting cornerbacks were to miss the Week 2 matchup against the Titans, Patmon's role would likely be increased significantly.
Joining Bouye and Ramsey on the injury report for a second straight day were quarterback Blake Bortles (wrist), center Brandon Linder (knee) and running back T.J. Yeldon (hamstring). Bortles and Yeldon continued to practice in a full capacity. Linder was limited for a second consecutive day.
Defensive tackle Abry Jones (knee) and safety Calvin Pryor (ankle) were added to the injury report. Both were limited on Thursday.
More News and Notes
- The Jaguars welcomed back offensive tackle Jeremiah Poutasi to the practice squad Thursday. He replaced rookie Avery Gennesy, who was placed on practice squad injured reserve.
- Jaguars special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis said running back Corey Grant is expected to receive more kick return opportunities this week. With Lee taking on the brunt of the Robinson loss, the Jaguars may want to scale back his return duties. Lee is listed as the starting kick and punt returner.
- DeCamillis said the Jaguars are constantly watching out for kickers and punters throughout the league and free agency. However, he feels like there are limited quality options on the open market. He also said his focus is on the improvement of punter Brad Nortman and kicker Jason Myers.
- New wide receiver addition, Max McCaffrey, will wear number 19 moving forward.
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter at @Mike_E_Kaye.