Jaguars Star Finding His Groove Before the Playoffs

Brian Thomas Jr. still hasn't reached his potential

The most impressive part of the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive surge is that Brian Thomas Jr. still hasn't been impacting the game the way he's capable of doing so. Since returning from the high ankle sprain that kept him out for three games, he's totaled 15 catches for 238 yards and a touchdown in the last five weeks.

He found a deep connection with Trevor Lawrence in Weeks 14 and 15 against the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Jets, averaging nearly 22 yards per reception in that span. He hasn't been able to find his groove in the last two weeks, though, including in the rematch with Indy. However, he was shadowed by Sauce Gardner this last time around. Head Coach Liam Coen believes it's a sign of respect for what he can do for the Jaguars' offense:

"Yeah, when you have a guy that can do that, and you score quick, I think that's the big respect avenue is when we can't let people just score fast, that's the hardest, I think, way to go in a lot of ways. Because now it just becomes those kind of games, and he can do that to you. And so, we're gaining more and more confidence with that group. In the pass game yesterday, him and Trev connected on one that was arguably one of the better ones I've seen in practice of those guys, really, of the whole group all season. So, excited about those guys continuing to evolve.”

If Thomas Jr. can continue to take the top off of opposing defenses in the postseason, it'll significantly raise the ceiling on what the Jaguars can do on the attack. Even if he doesn't have massive counting numbers, the attention he commands will open things up for Jacksonville's passing game and make the offense exponentially more dangerous.

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