Jaguars post-week 1 stock report

Which Jaguars stocks are rising and which are falling after the 40-26 week 1 loss to the Chiefs?

The Jacksonville Jaguars had the perfect storm of misfortune to kick off their 2019 season. Not only did they fall 40-26 to the Kansas City Chiefs at home, largely due to a massive collapse by their once elite defense, but their starting quarterback went down with injury only 10 plays into the game.

But even in the debacle that was week 1, some Jaguars players still stood out in positive ways while others on the roster had a bumpy start to the season.

After week 1, which players stocks are rising and which are falling?

STOCK UP :

Will Richardson Jr.:

Heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Chiefs, the top storyline was the last-minute hyperextended knee injury to starting left tackle Cam Robinson. This meant that Richardson, who spent all of training camp and the preseason battling to become the starter at right guard, would have to step in on the blindside and block Kansas City’s elite pass rusher Frank Clark.

Richardson said Friday that he had only played one snap at left tackle in a game since high school — a kneel down at NC State — but it didn’t look that way Sunday. He gave up a few pressures but largely held his own when left on island against Clark, and he was strong in the run game. The team gave him a lot of tight end and running back help, but he far exceeded most expectations.

D.J. Chark :

2018 second-round pick D.J. Chark will be the first person to tell you he needed to take a big step in his development after a rocky rookie season, one where he caught only 14 passes for 174 yards.

Chark took a large step toward becoming the player the Jaguars need him to be when he exploded against the Chiefs with four catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown catch from Foles isn’t a ball he catches last year, and his 69-yard catch and run later in the game was the type of big plays the team missed all last season. The hope is that Chark can continue his development with Nick Foles sidelined.

Gardner Minshew :

This one is obvious. Minshew played much better than anyone thought after coming off of the bench cold after taking zero starter reps throughout practice and training camp (sans starting preseason games with the reserve offense). He completed his first 13 passes and ultimately only threw three incompletions, something nobody would’ve guessed would happen after he played poorly in the preseason.

Minshew was decisive with the ball, made good decisions and didn’t panic against pressure. The team gave him a few easy throws, but they also asked him to uncork it deep a few times. If it were not for turnovers and penalties, none of which were due to him, he likely would’ve put more points on the board than he did.

STOCK DOWN:

Ronnie Harrison :

Nobody had a more disappointing individual performance than second-year safety Ronnie Harrison. Harrison was almost solely responsible for Sammy Watkins’ 68-yard catch and run touchdown on the game’s third play after he whiffed badly on a tackle attempt when Watkins caught the ball, but the damage didn’t end there.

In the second half, Harrison was penalized three times himself. Every time the Jaguars’ defense seemed to get a stop, Harrison was shooting himself and the unit in the foot and helping keep the Chiefs offense on the field. Harrison’s unmitigated aggressiveness and swagger is his greatest strength, but on Sunday it was also his biggest weakness.

That was BIG from @sammywatkins 😍#KCvsJAX 📺: KCTV5 pic.twitter.com/NomU1fIEDy

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 8, 2019

A.J. Bouye :

A.J. Bouye had an elite 2017 season before regressing a bit in 2018. The theory was that with an improved pass rush, like the team had in 2017, Bouye would revert back to his previous top-tier corner status. That didn’t happen Sunday.

The Jaguars pass rush hounded Patrick Mahomes on Sunday, but it didn’t matter for Bouye’s performance. He gave up too many uncontested receptions in zone coverage and missed several tackles that led to Chiefs receivers gaining big chunks of yards. If the defense is going to bounce back, they need Bouye to turn it around.

Myles Jack :

Myles Jack was always going to be on here after his punches to Chiefs receiver Demarcus Robinson landed him with an ejection at a pivotal point in the second quarter. But it wasn’t just Jack’s lack of discipline that lands him on here. 

Even before Jack was ejected, he was struggling Sunday. He couldn’t keep up with tight end Travis Kelce for the second straight year, and Kelce caught a 42-yard pass with Jack in coverage at one point. If Jack is going to prove the Jaguars made a right call by making him one of the game’s highest paid linebackers, he needs a bounce-back performance in a bad way.