Jaguar Report

Why it is Time For the Jaguars to Get DJ Chark A QB and Let Him Work

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver DJ Chark is talented and productive and can be a game changer for the franchise. So get him a quarterback and let him work.

Kassidy Hill

In “Avengers: Infinity War,” as the epic film built to the penultimate climax, the enemy was raining spaceships full of soldiers down onto the battle field. King T’Challa (Black Panther) began barking orders to prepare for the imminent battle. 

Down the list he went, setting his subjects and soldiers up for success with a plan. Then he paused, turned and pointed to a man across the room, yelling for someone to “get this man a shield.”

Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, was the leader of the Avengers and arguably the most important of the universe saving superhero’s. He wasn’t necessarily the strongest or smartest but he was their leader; the perfect solider who also possessed the heart of the entire group. Captain America was recognizable by his shield but defined by his character; still, while he didn’t need his shield to be effective, he was at his best with it in his hand.

On Sunday, in a 41-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, there were multiple moments when Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark reminded viewers just how strong he can be, how much of a difference he can make on the field. And in what started as a dispersed joke here and there, quickly became a theme: meme’s of the Black Panther with the paraphrased line, “get this man a quarterback.”

DJ Chark doesn’t need a dynamic quarterback to be effective. He’s made his mark since arriving in 2018 with questionable at best quarterback play. And yet, imagine what could happen if Chark—the leader and hinge on which Jacksonville's offense can swing—had a consistent and competent passer from whom he could take advantage.

Both of those factors are important: the consistency and the competency. Those two factors are important because they spawn the three keys to productive receiver play. The first, chemistry between the passer and receiver, i.e. knowing how fast a receiver can run an out route or how quickly they turn their head on a post route. The second, simply put, knowledge of the offense’s entire route tree. And third, knowledge of the defense each are facing (both the pass rush and the secondary).

It's difficult to play through an offense missing even one of those facets. Jacksonville—and thus Chark—has bumbled through a season with all three as glaring issues from week-to-week.

The Jaguars have started three quarterbacks this season: Gardner Minshew II, Jake Luton and Mike Glennon. In the process, they have changed the starter four times, although one of those was due to a Minshew injury.

Chark has had big moments with each guy, but had arguably his best chemistry with Minshew. That isn’t entirely surprising considering Minshew was the starter for 12 games last season when Chark put together a Pro-Bowl season, and was the starter for all of the offseason work as well as the first seven games this season.

Before the season kicked off, Chark referenced the established chemistry he and Minshew had created, after a topsy turvy 2019 season.

“[It’s been] just from confidence of filling in, to just being his team—being the captain,” Chark said at the time of Minshew’s improved play.

“I think that’s a big jump because you know that the guys in the locker room support you and they want you to succeed. [As] opposed to wishing that somebody else was quarterback and things like that. So, I think that’s the biggest thing that transfers on the field—translates to the field because when you’re dropping back, everybody on the team wants you to succeed. So, I think that’s the biggest thing and the confidence that he has.”

And it paid off.

When Gardner Minshew II was the starting quarterback from Week 1 through Week 7, Chark had a 63% target-reception ratio (26-41) and three touchdowns. 

DJ Chark's numbers go significantly up when playing with a consistent quarterback week-to-week. © Kareem Elgazzar via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Compare that to when the quarterback room started experiencing constant turnover (Minshew-Luton-Glennon-Minshew) and Chark’s ratio from Week 8-Week 14 dropped to 48% (19-41) and one touchdown despite seeing the same number of targets in fewer amount of games.

For that matter, his only touchdown during that time was on the lone first target thrown to him by someone other than Minshew.

The past two weeks have seen an uptick with a 67% target-catch ratio against the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears, thanks in large part to the four receptions on five targets for 53 yards versus the ravens with Minshew at quarterback.

With Glennon back pulling the trigger this weekend, Chark put together his best game since Week 9 (with quarterback Jake Luton ironically) with 62 yards and a touchdown on four receptions, giving some credence to the fact that chemistry plays a difference, with it being the duo's fourth game together.

As mentioned, Chark is talented enough that no matter the challenges, he’ll chip away and eventually break the dam. He’s had only five touchdowns this season but spread it around; three with Minshew, one with Luton and one with Glennon. And he’s done that at times with little to no reference to the man under center.

Following the Week 9 game versus the Texans, Chark explained just how new his connection with Luton was.

“Honestly, the first time I really caught for him was last week, that week coming into the game. A lot of times I made sure I got my reps with Gardner [Minshew II] so that we had that timing. Because he takes a lot of the reps on scout team, I would ask the receivers who were on scout team what’s he strengths and weaknesses. Then once we started working together, we were able to make our adjustments on the fly.”

Since then, the inconsistency and whiplash from a rookie still learning the game (Luton) to a veteran who won’t take risk (Glennon) to a scrambler who takes nothing but risk (Minshew) means Chark has been the victim of an offense that has no direction.

According to Pro Football Focus, Chark has only four dropped passes on 94 total targets this season, meaning on the majority of his incompletions, the receiver never had a chance to get a hand on the ball, lending to the belief the passes aren't getting to him in an adequate manner. Furthermore, six passes intended for D.J. Chark have been intercepted, highest on the team.

“It’s not DJ’s fault—all of DJ’s fault, it’s not all the quarterbacks’ fault,” said Jay Gruden before Week 15.

“So, it just hasn’t happened like we would like it to happen. That’s part of the reason we’re sitting here on a…losing streak. He’s our number one guy and we’ve got to figure out better ways to get him the ball. He’s got to do a better job of getting open, we’ve got to do a better job of getting him balls when he is open. So, it goes hand-in-hand.”

As the Jaguars offense has spurted, Chark has been a victim. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Chark, for his part, takes the blame on himself.

“I have pretty high goals for myself, goals that I usually don’t speak on, but I hold myself to those standards,” he told reporters back in Week 10.

“So, any frustration that the outside may see, it’s because of my goals and the way that I want things to happen, not necessarily based on anyone else or the team or anything. It’s really an internal battle for myself and so even on good games, like the last game, I felt like I did well, but if I had to grade myself it definitely wasn’t 100 percent and I definitely feel like I could’ve done better. 

"That’s something that my wife talked to me about, just basically I can’t put too much pressure on shoulders but I feel like if I want to be great, that’s the expectations that I have to reach. It’s really just me versus me. It’s not necessarily anything someone else is doing.”

So on Sunday, versus the Bears, Chark took the game upon himself once again. After a couple of bad overthrows from Glennon, Chark got a step beyond Bears defensive back Kindle Victor. Just past the pylon, Chark jumped, showing off his pure athleticism, before turning and high pointing the ball. He turned again in mid-air to keep an eye on his feet. After expertly getting one foot down just inbounds, he toe tapped his other foot on the edge for the score.

Two possessions later, Chark was having to make the tackle after a Glennon interception in the middle of the field misread the defense.

Once it became clear the Jaguars weren't going to stick with one passer this season, it became of more importance to find a way to bring in Trevor Lawrence next season, something that is now possible with Jacksonville owning the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. DJ Chark deserves it. 

Get this man a quarterback. 

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Kassidy Hill
KASSIDY HILL

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