JaguarsTalk: Pro Bowl or Bust - the Jaguars Offense
JaguarsTalk: Can’t go wrong with a little De La Soul - 3, that’s the magic number
We are going to play a little sports dead zone game that we here at JaguarsTalk like to call Pro Bowl or Bust (we literally just made it up so honestly we have no idea if we like to play it or not). This is where we pick the Jacksonville Jaguars players who are going to be selected to the Pro Bowl this upcoming NFL season. We make these selections based upon absolutely nothing. No 2022 statistics exist to corroborate our findings. No plays were made that can not be ignored. There existed no in-game presence that dictated on-field play in such a way as to deserve a Pro Bowl honor (what does that sentence even mean?). What does exist however is the innate ability of our staff to peek into the future, if only for a short time, and determine with great accuracy which Jacksonville Jaguars players will stand out from the pride and come year's end, receive Willy’s prized golden ticket. So sit back, relax and enjoy your Wonka whipple-scrumptious fudgemallow delight bar while we regale you with the following reasons as to why your Jaguars will make a run at the playoffs this season.
The Offense:
Trevor Lawrence - Will unfortunately not make the Pro Bowl. He will be much improved and he will reverse his rookie year TD to interception ratio, but it won’t be enough to be the best of the best. He most likely won’t even make the plaque for the alternates down in the ladies room. Don’t get me wrong, Lawrence will do what he needs to do not to lose games. He won’t be the reason the Jags win them though, at least not reason enough to punch his ticket. He will, however, make you proud and show that he deserved to be taken number one. Lawrence will be a fine wine. He will get better with age.
Travis Etienne - Will have one hell of a season. I believe he will top 800 yards rushing and 800 yards receiving this year. He will be used in multiple offensive schemes in order to take advantage of his elusiveness. Coach Doug Pederson will keep the D guessing by moving this speedster around. Etienne is hungry after last year and I think that his combination of speed, hunger and ability will get him to the big dance. Well really the junior prom if we are being honest. The big dance would technically be the Super Bowl. While Travis might be at the Super Bowl this year it will be in the stands, or most likely in someone’s box, but upon his own merit he will be playing in this years Pro Bowl.
James Robinson - Will not make the Pro Bowl. Make no mistake, he will have a very good year. It might look a bit average statistically speaking but that would only be because he’d be giving up many carries to the aforementioned Pro Bowl back, Etienne (and I think Snoop Conner will vulture some of those carries as well). Robinson will rush for over 500 yards and will be a welcomed force in the backfield giving Pederson the ability to make defenses account for both he and Etienne.
Christian Kirk - Will not make the Pro Bowl. Kirk will be an above average wide receiver for Jacksonville this year but not a true number one caliber guy along the likes of Cooper Kupp or Davante Adams. Kirk, along with Jones Jr., Zay Jones, Shenault Jr. and Treadwell will all, for the most part, perform respectably. Some will be better than others, none however will be Pro Bowl caliber. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Like the five colorful lions that work together to defend the universe from evil (read: Tennessee Titans), the Jags wide receivers will Voltron their way through the season working as one entity with no superstar. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Jamal Agnew - Will make the Pro Bowl, but not as a wide receiver. As a wide receiver he will be the Jaguars version of Tyreek Hill but with fewer catches. So maybe more akin to a Mecole Hardman, speedy but underutilized. Agnew will make the sought after Pro Bowl roster as a return specialist. Continuing the 80s cartoon theme from above, Agnew is the Cheetara of the Jaguars. Cheetara’s jogging speed was clocked at 120mph (30 second miles), so if Agnew wants to live up to his Thundercat spirit animal he better lace up and make sure that hip is 100%.
Evan Engram - I want to say yes Evan will make the Pro Bowl but my fingers are typing no he won’t. I want to say yes because I think that the tight end position will be heavily utilized and relied upon this upcoming season. I want to say yes because I think Trevor Lawrence will complete as many passes to tight ends as he will receivers this year. The problem, for Engram, is that I think his skill and ability is such that defenses will key on him leaving Dan “the man” Arnold as Lawrence’s go-to tight end. While Engram was a great offseason addition for the Jaguars, I think that maybe Dan Arnold will prove to benefit from said addition more than anyone else. That said, neither will make the Pro Bowl.
Brandon Scherff - I also want to say yes for Brandon as well, so I will. Scherff will again punch his ticket to the Pro Bowl. The guy is a machine. He’s like the Terminator. We all knew when watching the 1991 sequel that, in James Cameron’s reality (and IRL), there was no way the shape shifting T-1000 could defeat Arnold. Just like there is no way that Brandon Scherff will ever give up a Trevor Lawrence sack. The man is a Cyberdyne Systems pass protecting phenom. As for the rest of the offensive line, I am hopeful that they will perform admirably. Much like the cast of wide receivers on this year's Jags team, the O-line, with Scherff being a stand out, will be up to the task. They will do what’s necessary to make sure that Lawrence and the Jaguars stable of running backs can move the ball. The front five will be a strong and formidable group. They’ll dig in. I admire this type of attitude and it’ll be fun to watch these guys battle this fall.
So here you have it folks. Your Jacksonville Jaguars will be sending three offensive players to this year's Pro Bowl. Trust me, I too am astonished that a team having only won four games in the past two seasons can suddenly send three offensive players to the Pro Bowl. I’m having trouble believing it too, but here it is, in print. How did that State Farm television commercial go? They can’t put anything on the internet that isn’t true. Look, here comes my date. I met him on the internet. He’s a French model… uhhhh. Bonjour! JaguarsTalk may be taking some liberty here with the selections of Etienne and Agnew, especially considering they are both coming off serious injuries. We, however, believe that as long as their bodies hold up the contributions they will make to the success of the Jags this season will be immense. Pro Bowl worthy? We will see.
Tell us who from the Jags offense you see winning the 2022 Pro Bowl golden ticket in the comment section below.