5Q: Lions Offense Can Rebound Against Jaguars Defense

Previewing Sunday's Detroit-Jacksonville with Jaguars beat reporter.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) celebrates with wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

John Shipley is the Jacksonville Jaguars beat reporter for Jaguars OnSI. He recently answered five questions from Lions OnSI to preview Sunday's matchup between Jacksonville and Detroit at Ford Field.

The Lions enter the game at 8-1 and are two-score favorites over the struggling 2-8 Jaguars. Shipley discusses Mac Jones' first start, the emergence of rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas and a key matchup between two former top-10 picks.

What are some of the factors contributing to the Jaguars' 2-8 start?

John Shipley: The defense has been one of the worst in the league for most of the season, though missing players like Tyson Campbell, Foye Oluokun and Darnell Savage for extended stretches certainly didn't help since they are three of the five best players on that side of the ball. The offense has also been poor in the red-zone and at extending drives, which has led to a lot of games where the Jaguars haven't even ran 50 plays. 

What was your assessment of Mac Jones' start against the Vikings?

Shipley: It was, well, not good. Nobody expected Mac Jones to be Trevor Lawrence; he doesn't have the athletic traits, the arm strength or the overall aggressiveness. With that said, Jones was probably worse than anyone expected. He only pushed the ball downfield three times, and two of them ended up being interceptions. The lack of a running game from the Jaguars' offense certainly didn't help, but Jones looked like a immobile, quick-game based passer who can't do much more.

How has rookie WR Brian Thomas Jr. looked in the first half of the 2024 season?

Shipley: He has been probably the best rookie receiver in franchise history, and that is even with the Jaguars failing to get him the ball over the last two weeks. He is a top-level deep threat due to being one of the fastest players in the entire NFL, but he is more than just speed. He has the ball-tracking ability to haul in any pass in his stratosphere, while his route-running has been a pleasant surprise. With that in mind, the Jaguars have failed to get him involved like a true No. 1 WR, with Thomas catching just four passes over the last two weeks.

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What 1-2 matchups are you focusing on in this week's game?

Shipley: Travon Walker against Penei Sewell will be a heavyweight battle. Walker is having the best season of his career in 2024 after recording 10 sacks a year ago. He is at 10 quarterback hits and 7.5 sacks this season and has been a force against the run to boot. Sewell is one of the few tackles who can match Walker's strength and physicality. This will be two athletic freaks battling for 60 minutes. On the other side of the ball, I will go with Mitch Morse vs. Alim McNeil. Morse has been steady all season but had his worst game last week. Mac Jones needs a running game and interior projection to have a chance.

Who wins and why?

Shipley: The Lions win by a comfortable margin. The Jaguars have played good teams tough all year (one-score losses to Houston, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Minnesota), but their offense can't move the ball with Mac Jones at quarterback. The Jaguars aren't as bad as their record says, but their offense looked dead on arrival with Jones under center as opposed to Lawrence. The Jaguars' defense has been more disruptive lately, but they are still giving up a ton of yards, too.