JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser's Thursday Jaguars notes and observations: Quarterbacks coach/play-caller Scott Milanovich on turnovers, running back Leonard Fournette on willpower to keep battling, more …
1.What Scott Milanovich wants from his quarterback this week – and the entire offense, for that matter – is simple. It's what Jaguars coaches have wanted all season – fewer turnovers from an offense that has committed too many this season. "This week we need to get rid of the turnovers," Milanovich, the Jaguars' quarterbacks coach and the team's play-caller the last three weeks, said Thursday as the Jaguars (4-10) prepared to play the Miami Dolphins (7-7) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, Sunday at 1 p.m. Jaguars quarterback Cody Kessler in three starts has three turnovers and one touchdown pass, losing a fumble in the first quarter of a 16-13 loss to the Washington Redskins this past Sunday and throwing a fourth-quarter interception that led to the Redskins' game-winning field goal. "We had a fumble and an interception late in the game," Milanovich said. "It starts with that, but that's our whole team – particularly the quarterback: protect the football and make some throws downfield." The Jaguars are tied for the fifth-most turnovers in the NFL this season with 27, and their minus-12 takeaway-giveaway ratio is tied for 29th in the NFL. …
2.Running back Leonard Fournette's objective for the last two games is clear. "Just keep fighting, no matter what the circumstances are keep battling," he said. "It's been a tough season for us as a whole, even for the fans …. just showing that willpower to keep fighting." Fournette during his Thursday media availability was asked how he handled the frustrations of a season in which the Jaguars have lost nine of 10 games and in which he has rushed for 396 yards and four touchdowns on 115 carries after rushing for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie last season. "It's hard," Fournette said. "There are days when you think about a lot of that stuff, and you try not to let it affect you – just knowing the talent we have on this team, how our season went down. We have to grow out of it. It must have been meant to happen, to open up our eyes." …
3.A couple of late-season bright spots for the Jaguars: wide receiver Dede Westbrook and defensive linemen Taven Bryan. Westbrook, a fourth-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, has emerged as perhaps the team's best offensive player in recent weeks and leads the team with 662 yards and five touchdowns on a team-high 56 receptions; he also returned a punt 74 yards for the Jaguars' lone touchdown against Washington. "It's been fun to watch him since last year, how much he has improved," Milanovich said. "There are some players you come across sometime who just have a great feel for the game, guys who grow up playing in the backyard and just understand situations. Dede's that guy. He understands it. The improvement he has made in a year and a half has been outstanding. We're trying to get him the ball as much as we can." Bryan, the No. 29 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, has played at least 21 snaps in each of the last five games after playing that many just once in the first nine games. He has two tackles for loss in the last four games, and nearly had his first career sack against Washington. His tackle of Redskins quarterback Josh Johnson originally appeared to be a sack but was ruled a tackle for loss when it was ruled that Johnson intended to run on the play. "Like I told him today: Once he figures this out, he's going to be really a solid player," defensive coordinator Todd Wash said. "You see flashes now. Obviously some things are different for him each and every week – some blocking schemes, how we want him to play some different things. He's picking that stuff up."
4.Fournette practiced full for a second consecutive day Thursday with a foot injury sustained against the Redskins; Head Coach Doug Marrone had said he might be limited in practice this week. Also Thursday, safety Jarrod Wilson practiced full with a foot injury after missing Wednesday for personal reasons; Wilson last Sunday played in place of starter Ronnie Harrison after the latter sustained a season-ending knee injury. Four Jaguars players missed practice for a second consecutive day Thursday: kicker Josh Lambo (right groin), wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr., right tackle Jermey Parnell (knee) and Harrison. Chark has missed the last four games with his injury while Lambo and Parnell missed the Washington game; Josh Wells started in place of Parnell and Kai Forbath made two of two field-goal attempts while kicking for Lambo. Marrone earlier this week said the team will place Harrison on injured reserve by the end of the week.
