The Jacksonville Jaguars have help on the way for their stalled ground game and short-yardage woes.
Veteran left tackle Cam Robinson will return to practice Wednesday following a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers.
Since it will be Robinson’s first on-field work in nearly six weeks, the Jaguars would prefer to ease him back into the starting lineup.
But given the team’s offensive struggles — Jacksonville ranks 29th in the league in third down efficiency and 26th in yards per carry — coach Doug Pederson surely will be tempted to get Robinson on the field when the Jaguars (2-2) play their second consecutive game in London on Sunday.
Jacksonville beat Atlanta 23-7 in a “home” game at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, then packed up and moved across town to prepare to be the visiting team against Buffalo (3-1) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“We’re definitely going to incorporate him into the (rotation), get him out there, see where he’s at physically from a football standpoint,” Pederson said Monday. “I know he’s in really good shape. He was in the meetings the last couple of weeks. Mentally, I think he’s in a really good spot.
“Now it’s just a matter of where he is football-wise. We’ll see come Wednesday. We definitely want to get him in there, get him in the mix and see how it all kind of shakes out all week.”
The Jaguars could use Robinson sooner rather than later. Trevor Etienne ran 20 times for 55 yards against the Falcons, who stopped six of nine third down attempts that needed 5 yards or fewer. Jacksonville came up short on third-and-1 and third-and-2.
And that was after Pederson benched left guard Ben Bartch in favor of veteran backup Tyler Shatley and started using guard Blake Hance as a sixth offensive lineman in short-yardage situations.
Robinson’s return could prompt another change, with 6-foot-7 left tackle Walker Little potentially sliding to left guard and giving Jacksonville more size inside.
“I think he can definitely boost us,” Pederson said of Robinson. “He’s a bigger body, power, physical guy in the run game. And we know. We obviously recognize that we need to be better in those third-and-1, fourth-and-1 situations and must stay on the field. He can definitely help us there.”
WHAT’S WORKING
Jacksonville’s pass rush showed life after two lackluster weeks, with Josh Allen getting three sacks and Travon Walker adding another. Allen now has six sacks in four games, one shy of his total for all of last season. Walker, the overall No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, has two sacks after managing just 3½ as a rookie.
Allen will try to add to his sack total against his namesake, Buffalo QB Josh Allen. Jacksonville’s Allen had an interception, a sack and recovered a fumble in a 9-6 upset of the other Josh Allen and the Bills in 2021.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
The Jaguars are 0 for 3 on fourth-and-1 plays this season. They’ve failed to convert with a screen pass, a quarterback sneak and another pass. It hasn’t cost them a game yet, but Pederson acknowledged it’s a problem they need to correct moving forward.
STOCK UP
Cornerback Darious Williams had his best game with the Jaguars. He returned an interception 61 yards for a touchdown against Atlanta and should have had another pick. His performance came a week after he got beat for a 68-yard touchdown that helped Houston seal a 37-17 victory in Jacksonville.
STOCK DOWN
Rookie tight end Brenton Strange, a second-round draft pick from Penn State, was flagged for holding and unnecessary roughness on the same play in the first quarter. Strange got an earful from Pederson on the sideline. He has two catches for 7 yards this season.
INJURIES
Rookie receiver Parker Washington (knee), making his NFL debut against Atlanta, injured a knee on a punt return and “probably will be out this week,” Pederson said. Punt returner/receiver Jamal Agnew (thigh) is expected to practice in a limited capacity Wednesday.’
KEY NUMBER
24 — age Trevor Lawrence turns Friday. The third-year pro has family and friends in London to celebrate.
NEXT STEPS
The Jaguars need to clean up Lawrence’s protection. He’s been sacked eight times in four games and scrambled eight times for a season-high 42 yards against the Falcons.
