Jacksonville Jaguars 2020 season preview: Gardner Minshew and low expectations
The Jacksonville Jaguars are ranked No. 32 in ESPN’s Football Power Index ahead of the 2020 NFL season. With no preseason games this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, Week 1 is the first time we’ll see new acquisitions and rookies for every team. Week 1 will also give us the first NFL games since Super Bowl LIV in February.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Jaguars heading into the season, from the big question to answer and the toughest stretch on their schedule to a bold prediction and potential breakout fantasy football stars.
He had a solid rookie season in relief of Nick Foles, going 6-6 as a starter and throwing 21 TD passes with only six interceptions, but the offense still averaged only 18.8 points per game. That was good enough for GM Dave Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone to give Minshew a chance in 2020 to prove he can be the long-term starter. To do that, though, the Jaguars have to win games. In the past decade, they won just 51 games and had just one winning season. Winning would start with better production in the red zone. Per ESPN Stats & Information data, no team had fewer drives reach the red zone than the Jaguars 2010-19 and they ranked 28th in red zone TD percentage and 31st in red zone scoring percentage. — Mike DiRocco
One of the Jaguars’ major weaknesses in 2020 was run defense (139 yards per game allowed), and they added two players in free agency to try to address that: NT Al Woods and DT/DE Rodney Gunter. Woods opted out because of the coronavirus. He was going to be the anchor on the defensive line, so it’s a huge loss, especially because there have been other issues along the line. Gunter (heart condition) and DE Aaron Lynch (personal) retired, and DTs Brian Price and Dontavius Russell were lost for the season to injuries. CB Rashaan Melvin, who was going to compete for a starting job with Tre Herndon, also opted out because of the coronavirus, as did special-teams standout Lerentee McCray. It won’t be easy to make up for not having some of those key players. — DiRocco
Overall ranking: 32
Offensive ranking: 32
Defensive ranking: 31
Special teams ranking: 4
Total wins: 4.9
AFC South title chances: 1.9%
Chances to make playoffs: 4.2%
Super Bowl chances: 0.1%
2021 draft picks: Nos. 1 & 18 (via LAR)
FPI’s strength of schedule rank: 23
• One-stop shop: Guides for every team »
• Simulating all 269 games: Projections »
• The NFL’s 40 most compelling people »
• NFL Rank: The top 100 players »
More NFL coverage »
Toughest stretch: December looks brutal, with games against 2019 playoff teams in three consecutive weeks beginning in Minnesota on Dec. 6. After a home game against Tennessee (which made the AFC title game) the stretch concludes at Baltimore against reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson.
Over or under 4.9 wins? Under. The losses along the defensive line will hurt, as will not having DE Calais Campbell and CB A.J. Bouye, both of whom were traded in the offseason. And this is certainly not the year to have to rely on young, untested players on defense: The quarterbacks the Jaguars are scheduled to face have made a combined 30 Pro Bowls, won three MVPs and won four Super Bowls (this list includes both Mitchell Trubisky and Foles in Chicago). Plus, there is only one new starter (TE Tyler Eifert) on an offense that wasn’t all that productive. — DiRocco
Allen will not only shatter the franchise’s single-season sack record but will threaten 20 — which means he’ll lead the league, too. DE Calais Campbell holds the record (14.5, set in 2017), and Allen recorded 10.5 last season as a rookie despite playing only 60% of the defensive snaps. He came back to camp leaner and stronger, and he’s been hard to handle during training camp. The Jaguars have had just one player in their history record double-digit sacks in back-to-back seasons (Campbell in 2017-18), and Allen will become the second before November. — DiRocco
Minshew enters his second NFL season as Jacksonville’s unquestioned starter, which is an impressive feat considering he was a sixth-round pick. Minshew impressed as a rookie, throwing 21 touchdowns to only six interceptions in 14 games. He also ranked first among all quarterbacks in scrambles and was fifth in rushing yardage. A probable second-year leap combined with a high floor thanks to his legs makes Minshew an intriguing sleeper, especially in a Jacksonville offense that will be throwing early and often under new OC Jay Gruden. — Mike Clay
ADP for the top players:
DJ Chark Jr.: 70.3
Ryquell Armstead: 150.8
Chris Thompson: 165.1
Gardner Minshew: 166.4
Josh Lambo: 169.6
Super Bowl odds: 250-1 (opened 125-1)
Over/under: 4.5
Playoff odds: Yes +700, No -1100
The Jaguars won six games last year, but even less is expected of them in 2020. In fact, they have the worst Super Bowl-winning odds of any team in the league, and it’s not even close. Ouch. — ESPN Chalk staff
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill as of Sept. 1.
No. 91: Josh Allen
DiRocco: How it all unraveled for Jaguars after 2017 AFC title game
DiRocco: Jaguars see Minshew as a lot more than a quirky QB
DiRocco: All signs point toward top of 2021 draft for Jaguars
DiRocco: Jaguars hope army of sanitizers will save the season
DiRocco: Chark aims to match productivity of his position coach