Herding Cats: Analyzing the Jacksonville Jaguars Offense vs the New England Patriots
Allen Robinson, Wide Receiver
Sep 20, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) catches a touchdown pass as Miami Dolphins cornerback Brice McCain (24) cannot defend in the first quarter at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
If you didn’t know who Allen Robinson was before last weekend, surely you do now after Bortles launched this surface-to-air missile to him over the Dolphins defense for a 46-yard touchdown. The second-year wideout from Penn State pretty much flew under the radar last year, but almost single-handedly kept Jacksonville competitive against Miami, piling up 155 yards to go with two touchdowns on the day. Don’t bother adding him on your fantasy waiver wire, he’s already gone.
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In all seriousness, Robinson’s performance last week looked like he just might be the man for the job that Jacksonville was hoping they would get when they rolled the dice on Justin Blackmon a few years ago. A big target at 6’3’’, Robinson helped Bortles out all over the field, snagging long balls and converting a few third downs in critical situations to keep the Jaguars in the game until they could put the Dolphins away with a chip-shot field goal.
Obviously, it’s only one game, and Robinson didn’t exactly throw down in Week 1 (27 receiving yards), but guys like this that light up a stat sheet out of nowhere don’t tend to disappear. Unless you’re Jonas Gray, of course.
Who Can Stop Him?
Last week, the Pats secondary picked off Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor three times, and it wasn’t exactly who you’d expect to be snagging interceptions:
Logan Ryan (1 INT, 4th quarter)
Duron Harmon (1 INT, 2nd quarter)
Malcolm Butler (1 INT, 2nd quarter)
Okay, maybe you saw the Malcolm Butler one coming. It was an acrobatic thing of beauty, though.
Realistically, with a receiver the size of Robinson, the secondary absolutely cannot let him run wild like the Dolphins did on that 46-yarder. If the defense needs to press, so be it, but if, say, Bradley Fletcher happens to have one of his what appear to be habitual brain farts in coverage, Robinson could make him pay dearly. Of course, if New England grabs the lead early, forcing Bortles into throwing early and often could pay big dividends for a secondary in which New England’s recent draft choices have all of the team’s interceptions this season.
Next: Trust the Trojan?