Jaguar Report

While Most of the Jaguars' Offense Struggled, Keelan Cole Impressed in London

The Jaguars offense didn't find the end zone against the Houston Texans on Sunday, but veteran wide receiver Keelan Cole had a strong day to follow his other two solid performances this season.

John Shipley

While Most of the Jaguars' Offense Struggled, Keelan Cole Impressed in London
While Most of the Jaguars' Offense Struggled, Keelan Cole Impressed in London /

Entering Sunday's game against the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Keelan Cole had only four catches for 33 yards on the season. But in London, Cole overcame a struggling Jaguars offense to post five catches for 80 yards and shine the talent that has kept him on Jacksonville's roster since 2017.

Cole was forced to step up for Jacksonville following wide receiver Marqise Lee being placed on the team's reserve/injured list with a shoulder injury earlier the week and receiver Dede Westbrook missing the Texans game with a neck/shoulder injury. For the first time all season, Cole played more than 25 snaps (he played 55 on Sunday) and had more than two targets (was targeted six times). 

Cole did not produce a touchdown as he had in Weeks 7 & 8, but he was a constant bright spot for a Jacksonville offense that sputtered all game long. 

For the third-year wide receiver who was lost in the shuffle early on this season and struggled for much of the 2018 season, Sunday was a big step in a positive direction for his development. Since having one of the best games of his young career against the New England Patriots in Week 2 of the 2018 season, when he recorded seven catches for 116 yards and a touchdown, he struggled to post numbers as he did on Sunday. 

For instance, here are some things Cole did on Sunday per Pro Football Reference. 

  • Record five catches for the first time since Week 3 of the 2018 season (Aug. 23, 2018).
  • Have more than 70 yards receiving for the first time since the Patriots game in 2018 (Aug. 16, 2018).
  • Record a long catch of 30 yards or more in a game for the first time since Week 14 in 2018 (Dec. 6, 2018).

Cole, a former undrafted rookie, has flashed great potential at times with Jacksonville. He has also had his lows, including issues drops in 2018, but he has talent. On Sunday, Cole seized his opportunity despite the team's offense once again failing to find the end zone or succeed in the between the 20s. 

Cole made flashes in Weeks 7 & 8 to show that maybe he did deserve some playing time, namely when he scored red-zone touchdowns in each game despite the offense working through its issues in that area of the field in each game.

“I thought Keelan did well. He made a great catch on that TD grab," offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said Oct. 24, a few days following the team's 27-17 victory over the Cincinnatti Bengals in Week 7. 

"Gardner [Minshew II] had to throw it early. They tried to pass it off down there inside the five-yard line. They were a little late passing it off and Keelan made a great play. The ball was in the air before he was looking for the football. That is not an easy catch to be running a corner route with the ball over your shoulder, locate and then have to know where you are on the sidelines as well. That degree of difficulty of catch was up there."

DeFilippo also mentioned that day that he was proud of the way Cole has remained ready to contribute to the team despite not playing a lot of snaps. After all, Sunday against the Texans was the first time he played more than 34% of the team's offensive snaps all season, as he played 82% of the snaps and was relied upon as a starter in the offense for the first time all season.

"I am proud of the way he stayed in it and even though he has not gotten the playing time," DeFilippo said after Week 7. "Everyone wants to play every snap. I’m sure he wants [more playing time]. He has done a great job staying in it.”

With Lee out for the season and Westbrook's health still something to watch moving forward, Cole may be expected to have to be depended upon more and more. If he plays like he did on Sunday when given those opportunities, the team's offense will be better for it. 

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John Shipley
JOHN SHIPLEY

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.

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