JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Sunday’s Week 5 game against the Philadelphia Eagles in London boasting one of the NFL’s more balanced offensive attacks, with four receivers each surpassing 100 yards and at least one touchdown through the season’s first four games.
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers leads the group with 13 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns, while tight end Brenton Strange has posted 14 receptions for 167 yards and one score. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has nine receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown. Running back/receiver Washington tops the group with 16 receptions, 228 yards and two touchdowns.
“That’s what allows us to go out there and keep defenses on their toes,” Washington said Wednesday at the Miller Electric Center. “That’s the best part. It gives a lot of guys opportunities. You don’t know who’s going to get the opportunities. That’s really cool to see. Most important, it’s about winning games.”
Washington added that the shared target distribution is a feature, not a flaw. “There are plenty of games,” he said. “We have a lot of opportunities. The best part about this offense is we love to see other guys making plays. We feed off that energy and continue to keep going.”
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence singled out receiver Cameron, whose five catches this season have produced three first downs and two touchdowns, as a standout contributor. “He has been awesome,” Lawrence said. “He’s really stood out since training camp when we got really competitive. We got a chance to see him go up and make some crazy catches and win some one-on-ones. Obviously, the physical ability is there, but the way he plays, if you watch the tape, he attacks. Whether it’s run game, pass game … every route, he’s running it to win. Every time he has a chance to block someone, he’s trying to put them in the ground.”
The 3-1 Jaguars will face a 2-2 Eagles team at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday. Lawrence described Philadelphia’s defense, coordinated by Vic Fangio, as a formidable challenge. “They do a really good job with disguises in the back end. They make everything look the same. They’re always really good upfront,” Lawrence said. “It’s a mix of really good coaching and also good personnel. His scheme is always really sound. They do a good job limiting big plays. They’re always a really good defense.”
Lawrence called Fangio, a former head coach of the Denver Broncos, “a great coach,” adding: “He’s been doing it a long time.”
On defense, linebacker Foye Oluokun was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week following Jacksonville’s 22-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. It is the fourth time Oluokun has earned a conference player of the week honor - he previously won AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 1 last season and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice with the Atlanta Falcons, in Week 9 of 2020 and Week 16 of 2021. “It means something, but I’m already on to the next game,” Oluokun said.
The Jaguars’ first injury report of the week listed eight players as limited in practice: left tackle Anton Harrison (elbow), right tackle Cole Van Lanen (knee), nose tackle DaVon Hamilton (foot), defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (groin) and cornerbacks Jarrian Jones (foot), Jourdan Lewis (hamstring), Montaric Brown (hamstring) and Jaylon Jones (hamstring). Safety Eric Murray did not practice due to a concussion. Meyers, listed with a thumb injury, practiced in full. Kickoff at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is Sunday.