Jaguars-Lions: 5 Players to Watch

Which Jacksonville Jaguars will determine a victory or loss against the Detroit Lions?

Nov 10, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr (1) runs the ball after the catch agains the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are underdogs in a big way this week.

The Jaguars own the NFL's worst record at 2-8, and now they will be tasked with taking on the NFC's best team in the Detroit Lions.

For the Jaguars to make an upset happen, though, they will need several of their top players to come through on a big stage. So, which players will the game come down to? We break it down below.

Travis Etienne

The Jaguars' offense has failed to get the running game going in any form or fashion over the last few weeks. That has to change this week if they want to keep the game from getting out of hand and forcing Mac Jones into a bigger role. With Tank Bigsby banged up with an ankle injury, it could be Travis Etienne who is tasked with leading the running back room.

DaVon Hamilton

The Jaguars saw their interior defensive line have its most disruptive game of the season last week. To have a chance against an elite Lions' offense, they will need to have a repeat performance. The leader in that performance will likely have to be nose tackle DaVon Hamilton, who has played his best football of the season in recent weeks. Hamilton can be a stalwart vs. the run and an effective pass-rusher, and this will be a big chance for him to step up.

Mac Jones

Simply put, the Jaguars need more out of backup quarterback Mac Jones this week. Jones was put in a tough situation last week considering the injuries at left guard and wide receiver, but the difficulty of opponent doesn't get any easier this week. Jones expressed a lot of confidence in his ability to bounce back this week. If the Jaguars are going to have a chance, they will need him to do just that.

Jarrian Jones

The Jaguars will need all hands on deck in the secondary this week. The Lions spread the ball around in their offense and make sure to get plenty of different players involved. Perhaps the most important of those players is Amon-Ra St. Brown, who does plenty of his damage out of the slot. How well Jarrian Jones slows down one of the NFL's most productive receivers will dictate the success of the defense.

Brian Thomas Jr.

The Jaguars haven't been able to get their best playmaker involved in the last two weeks for a number of reasons. Four catches and 36 yards over two games is unacceptable, though, and the Jaguars know they need it to change if they want to have a chance on offense. The Lions are likely going to give Thomas some extra attention, so how the Jaguars respond will speak volumes.

"Yeah, I mean, we need to do something. I think the biggest thing is continuing to try to give him those opportunities. There are times where you call things where you really think he's going to get the ball right here and something happens to take the play away," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said.

"Whether it's a pressure, whether it's the ball just didn't get thrown for whatever reason. We were calling screens the other day that didn't even get thrown out to him at times. There are opportunities and we’ve got to continue to find those. We’ve got to continue to give him opportunities because like we say every week, he is dynamic for us, and so, he needs opportunities to get the football.”

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