How Will the Jaguars Adapt After Losing Their Key Two-Way Athlete?
The Jacksonville Jaguars' offense has been in a tailspin after a hot 4-1 start to the season. The team has suffered two straight losses while being outscored 55-19 with no existing rushing attack. Coming off a crucial bye week, the Jaguars are heading into a matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week Nine. However, the offense will look a lot different, as if the team did not already have enough problems. Rookie two-way athlete Travis Hunter recently suffered a knee injury during practice and will miss at least the next four weeks. Thankfully for Jaguars fans, his ACL is still intact. However, the team will still have to adapt to an offense without him for the next four games at least, including an important matchup in Week 10 against the Houston Texans.
It will be intriguing to see how this offense can find its footing. They have already been a struggling unit in recent weeks, and Hunter was one of the growing bright spots. Before the bye, Hunter had eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in London. One receiver that will have to step up is Brian Thomas Jr., who has had a disappointing sophomore slump after a great rookie season with over 1,000 receiving yards. With Hunter out, it is inevitable that Thomas will have to take back a larger workload and has to make the most of it with the season potentially on the line. The rushing attack will also have to find its footing, with veteran Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie Bhayshul Tuten leading the way for a unit that has been struggling but showed its potential earlier in the season. Veteran receiver Parker Washington can also have an impact after the loss of Hunter, as he has become one of the more promising receivers with potential on the roster.
Due to Hunter being a two-way prodigy, the Jacksonville defense will be affected as well by this injury. Hunter was a second-string cornerback on the depth chart, with veterans Jourdan Lewis and Montaric Brown ahead of him. Fans should expect the recent addition from Cleveland in Greg Newsome II to get an increase in snaps, as well as third-string cornerbacks in Jarrian Jones and Christian Braswell. Thankfully, the defense has more to offer to support a loss in Hunter than the offense. At the end of the day, it will be the player’s responsibility to make up for this big loss, losing one of the most highly anticipated rookies ever.
