JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Evan Engram's status is uncertain for their "Monday Night Football" matchup against the Buffalo Bills, so Brenton Strange is set to take on a bigger role in the Jaguars’ offense.
Strange, who impressed with three receptions for 65 yards against the Cleveland Browns, has already surpassed his rookie season yardage total by 30 yards in just one game.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence expressed confidence in Strange, calling him the team’s “next-man-up” and emphasizing his readiness to step into a key role with Engram’s status uncertain.
“Evan is a huge part of our offense, our team. He brings a lot of energy and leadership too. Not even talking about just football, but just his mindset and the way he is in the huddle and the sidelines, very intense. So, you’re missing a big piece of your offense, but great teams figure out a way to next-man-up, to step up and make the plays, which Brenton did a great job of that," Lawrence said. "I was proud of the way he responded. I’m not surprised. I think he’s been working in the dark for a while, and he finally had an opportunity. Obviously, it’s unfortunate the way it comes about with Evan getting dinged before the game, but either way, he stepped up and made the plays when his number was called and had a lot of trust in him."
Strange’s performance came on short notice, with Engram getting injured just before the Browns game. Now, with Engram’s return still uncertain, Strange will likely continue to serve as Lawrence’s go-to target at tight end.
With or without Engram, the Jaguars’ offense has struggled this season, currently ranking 29th in the NFL, averaging just 15 points per game. In contrast, the defense has been a strong point for the team, ranked 9th in the league by allowing only 19 points per game.
However, the offense showed signs of life in the second half against Cleveland, particularly during four drives where they ran an up-tempo, no-huddle style offense. On those drives, the Jaguars scored 10 points, with one drive ending on a missed field goal.
Wide receiver Christian Kirk is a fan of the faster pace and hopes to see more of it going forward.
“It takes thinking out of it. It’s all just reactionary. You get the play call. Get up to the line of scrimmage. Then you snap the ball. So, you’re just reacting to what the defense is doing. There’s not as much time presnap to try to decipher what they are in, maybe second-guess yourself. It’s just reactionary and I feel like that’s when us as players are best,” Kirk said.
“When a team goes up-tempo, it changes for the defense, and they have to get their calls in faster. A lot of times it simplifies defensive calls because you’ve got to play fast. You can’t try to do all these funky coverages and pressures or whatever because the ball is about to be snapped, and you’ve got to communicate that across the board. A lot of times you’ll see defenses kind of simplify it,” Lawrence added.
Questions about the Jaguars struggling offense will be answered when they face the Buffalo Bills for Monday Night Football on Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m.