The Washington Redskins (6-7) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9) come face-to-face for the first time in four years on Sunday at TIAA Bank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL. At the beginning of the season, both teams thought this matchup would have a much different vibe.
The Jaguars entered the year with high expectations after making a spontaneous playoff run all the way to the AFC Championship game last season. The expectations were not as high for the Redskins but the season seemed promising with the addition of quarterback Alex Smith and running back Derrius Guice. At one point this matchup was shaping up to be a highly anticipated meeting between two playoff contenders led by power runners Guice and Leonard Fournette. Instead, the Redskins and Jaguars find themselves riddled with injuries that have changed the trajectory of their seasons.
The Redskins’ troubles started in the preseason with the loss of Guice who was supposed to be the core of their running game alongside Chris Thompson. Fortunately, the Guice injury didn’t impact the team as much as anticipated thanks to running back Adrian Peterson entering the picture. The Redskins pushed forward to a 6-3 record and the number one spot in the NFC East with Alex Smith in the driver’s seat. Then the unthinkable happened. Smith suffered a broken fibula and tibia in a home loss to the Houston Texans, and backup quarterback Colt McCoy suffered a fractured fibula against the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks later.
Since both injuries, the Redskins have lost four straight games and are on their fourth quarterback, Josh Johnson, after the Mark Sanchez experiment failed. They also face a host of injuries entering Sunday’s game.
Despite penalties, Redskins O-linemen Williams and Moses plan to play their games
On the other end of the spectrum, the Jaguars woes began with an onslaught of injuries that morphed into overall dysfunction. First wide receiver Marquis Lee suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason after the Jaguars opted to release wide receiver Allen Robinson and re-sign Lee in the offseason. It’s no secret that the Jaguars are built around the run so when Leonard Fournette injured his hamstring in the season opener, it was another huge blow to the already shaky offense. This gave third-string running back Corey Grant an opportunity to step- up but he suffered a foot injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. When it became clear that help was needed at running back, the Jaguars brought in Carlos Hyde who never quite filled the void.
Other major offensive starters that eventually found their way to the injured reserved list include tackle Cam Robinson (knee), center Brandon Linder (knee), guard Andrew Norwell (ankle), and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (abdomen). To add insult to injury, Fournette finally returned to the lineup only to be suspended after a fight with Shaq Lawson during the Buffalo Bills game. In an effort to salvage a season spiraling out of control, Coach Doug Marrone announced the release of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and the benching of starting quarterback Blake Bortles in favor of Cody Kessler the day after the Bills debacle. It’s worth mentioning that the ineffective offense has clearly impacted the Jaguars defense who is not performing nearly as well as they did last season.
So who will come out on top on Sunday? It really depends on which team has the most fight left in them. The Redskins are trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive while the Jaguars are looking to close out their final home game on a positive note. The Jaguars and Redskins still have something to prove in the midst of a season that has both teams searching for answers.