The Jacksonville Jaguars enter their matchup with the Cleveland Browns with more doubts than certainties.
Star QB Trevor Lawrence will likely miss the game with an ankle injury, as he was unable to put weight on it and was helped off the field in the fourth quarter of their overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.
On top of that, backup QB C.J. Beathard might not be at 100 percent either, as he was listed as a limited participant with a hand/wrist injury, according to ProFootballTalk.
Nonetheless, Jaguars insider Demetrius Harvey shook off all doubts about his availability, stating that he actually suffered a shoulder injury after landing awkwardly on it, and the ‘limited’ tag is pretty much meaningless (via Demetrius Harvey on Twitter).
No one reads transcripts anymore. Or watches pressers.
CJ said after the game that it was his shoulder and he just landed on it awkwardly.
He’s fine, and reiterated that again today in the locker after being “limited” which means if you miss even 1 rep for injury rest.. https://t.co/CFdzMSjyic
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) December 7, 2023
Whatever the case, the Browns and their stout defense would obviously rather square off against a backup and not Trevor Lawrence, who has shown the ability to light it up and is one of the most promising prospects in the league.
This game could have crucial postseason implications, and both teams desperately crave a win to keep their hopes alive.
The Jaguars know that a loss could cost them the division, as the Houston Texans are lurking closely.
As for the Browns, they’ve dropped back-to-back games after reaching seven wins, and failure to close the season out could send their once-promising campaign down the drain.
Cleveland has some well-known QB issues of their own, and whether Joe Flacco or Dorian Thompson-Robinson will be behind center for that matchup remains to be seen.
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