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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

Jaguars Press Taylor: "We've Been Through This…"

JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence remains in concussion protocol.

Lawrence, who has started 48 consecutive games to start his career, did not practice Thursday afternoon as the AFC South-leading Jaguars prepared to play the NFC North-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium Sunday.

Seventh-year veteran quarterback C.J. Beathard will make his 13th NFL start if Lawrence can't play.

"We always put together a plan that fits both guys in a lot of things, the way they play quarterback," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday.

Beathard practiced full Wednesday and Thursday with Lawrence missing practice both days. Beathard also practiced with the first-team offense leading to a Week 6 victory over the New Orleans Saints and a Week 14 loss to the Cleveland Browns with Lawrence uncertain those weeks because of injuries.

"We've been through this," Taylor said. "This is not as chaotic as people would think. We're not sure of Trevor's status going into a game. Now, they have different skillsets, so you may feature different things based on the timing of the way they get the ball out, their movement skills, different things like that maybe you feature one way or the other.

"He (Beathard) is a quarterback. They both operate really well from the pocket, the things we want to do, the things they see well, then utilizing the guys around them is a big part of it."

Taylor also addressed a Jaguars wide receiver corps that could for the first time this season be without two of its top four receivers. Wide receiver Zay Jones missed practice for a second consecutive day with a hamstring injury sustained against the Ravens and wide receiver Christian Kirk is on injured reserve.

All goals lie ahead☝🏻 Swipe through practice photos as the Jaguars preparation for Week 16 and the final stretch of the season. The Jaguars kick off in Raymond James Stadium on Sunday at 4:05pm ET. 

"It's a rotation of everybody," Taylor said. "Really going into the tight end room, the running back room of each personnel grouping on each play is specific to who we think does each thing well. You'll lean on a little bit more of Ag (wide receiver Jamal Agnew), [wide receiver] Tim [Jones], [wide receiver] Elijah [Cooks], [wide receiver] Parker [Washington] … kind of that young rotation of guys stepping into their role.

"Ideally, getting [tight end] Brenton [Strange] back (from a foot injury) would help us out. [Tight end] Luke [Farrell] has continued to come on in all aspects of the game, so it's by committee of everybody stepping in of filling those roles.

"That's what you expect week to week in the NFL anyways."

NOTABLE

  • Sunday's game marks the first meeting between the Buccaneers and Jaguars since defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell left the Tampa Bay staff to join the Jaguars in his current capacity before the 2022 season. Caldwell worked with Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles from 2012-2021, serving as a linebackers coach under Bowles with the Arizona Cardinals when Bowles was defensive coordinator there from 2013-2014, with the New York Jets when Bowles was head coach there from 2015-2018 and with the Buccaneers when Bowles was defensive coordinator from 2019-2021. "He's been special for me in my career," Caldwell said. "He's a great friend. When we first got together, we looked at defense the same way. Then being with him so long, looking at how he sees the game, that influenced how I see the game. He was one of the ones that really took me under his wing. Just being with him for so long, understanding how to look at a defense, how to take away something from an offense, just being multiple … I've kind of put my own imprint the defense and, but he has been a big factor in me getting this far and getting where I'm at."

NOTABLE - INJURY UPDATE

  • Lawrence and Jones were the lone Jaguars players not practicing Thursday, with six players practicing limited for a second consecutive day: Cornerback Christian Braswell (hamstring), cornerback Tyson Campbell (quadricep), safety Andre Cisco (groin), left guard Ezra Cleveland (knee), left tackle Walker Little (hamstring) and tight end Brenton Strange (foot). Beathard practiced full for a second consecutive day with a left shoulder injury.

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