Trying to overcome 0-4 start, Jaguars collide with Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars are the NFL’s only remaining winless team after four games, and a climb out of that big of a hole to reach the postseason has occurred just once in league history.

Jacksonville isn’t waving the white flag, but prospects of a turnaround will grow even bleaker if the Jaguars don’t defeat the visiting Indianapolis Colts in an AFC South clash on Sunday.

The 1992 San Diego Chargers are the lone 0-4 team to recover and reach the playoffs. That team started slowly while adjusting to new coach Bobby Ross and had strong leadership from Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau.

In Jacksonville, coach Doug Pederson is in his third season and is fielding questions about losing the locker room. His Jaguars have been outscored 109-60 to start the campaign.

“I talk to these guys every day. I see them every day. And no, I have not lost the locker room,” Pederson said Wednesday. “I think these guys have done everything I’ve asked. They continue to play and practice hard and battle.”

Pederson said the team will not make any excuses for the slow start that includes last week’s 24-20 road loss to the Houston Texans. Yet on the other hand, he seemed to point blame toward the players.

“We need our elite players to play elite. And that’s it,” Pederson said. “Sometimes, that’s what it comes down to. Are they going to be elite every week?”

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is getting paid like he’s elite — he was given a five-year, $275 million extension in the offseason — but he’s not performing at that level.

Lawrence’s completion percentage of 53.3 is second worst in the NFL among qualifiers — only Anthony Richardson (50.6) of the Colts is lower.

Worse is that the Jaguars (0-4) have lost each of Lawrence’s past nine starts.

“I’ve dealt with a few of these (slumps) in my career unfortunately. It’s never fun,” Lawrence said Wednesday. “You have to be thick-skinned. You have to be persistent when you’re in a situation like this. Keep your head down and keep working.”

Indianapolis (2-2) has lost in each of its past nine visits to Jacksonville.

Colts coach Shane Steichen isn’t the least bit concerned with the Jaguars’ record.

“I don’t care that they’re 0-4,” Steichen said. “They’re a damn good football team. They’ve had some close games, obviously, that could have went either way. And we’ve got a division opponent that we gotta go beat.”

The Colts don’t know if they will have Richardson (hip) available after he exited last week’s 27-24 home victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Richardson was a limited practice participant on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with an oblique injury and was listed as questionable. Joe Flacco would start if Richardson cannot; Flacco completed 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh.

“If (Richardson) feels good and he’s ready to go, he’ll be out there,” Steichen said.

Richardson played high school and college football (Florida) in Gainesville, which is approximately 75 miles from Jacksonville.

“It’s definitely an important game, a divisional game, and then going back to Florida, that’s my home state, so I always want to play down there,” Richardson said. “But like Coach said, I don’t have to necessarily practice to play. We’re just taking it day by day, just seeing how I’m feeling and seeing if I’m ready to roll out there on Sunday.”

Running back Jonathan Taylor injured an ankle against the Steelers and was ruled out after missing practice every day this week. Taylor is fifth in the NFL in rushing yardage (349) and missed practice on Wednesday. Trey Sermoin will start in Taylor’s place.

Defensive end Kwity Paye (quadricep) and cornerback Kenny Moore (hip) were ruled out, and center Ryan Kelly (neck) and tackle Braden Smith (knee) are questionable.

Jacksonville star defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (concussion) missed practice on Wednesday, but returned in a limited capacity Thursday and Friday.

Hines-Allen is questionable along with five of his teammates: tight end Evan Engram (hamstring), linebacker Yasir Abdullah (neck), linebacker Devin Lloyd (knee), safety Darnell Savage (quadricep) and safety Daniel Thomas (hamstring). Engram has missed the past three games.

–Field Level Media

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels out to continue historic start vs. Browns

Robert Griffin III captivated the nation’s capital with a stellar rookie season in 2012.

But Griffin, who was named Offensive Rookie of the Year and led Washington to the playoffs that season, didn’t deliver as much early success compared to the franchise’s current Heisman Trophy-winning rookie quarterback.

Thanks to a sterling first month, Jayden Daniels has the Commanders off to their best four-game start since 2011 as they prepare for a Week 5 clash against the Cleveland Browns in Landover, Md., on Sunday.

Washington (3-1) has won three straight since losing 37-20 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in its season opener. The franchise started 2-2 with Griffin in 2012.

“I didn’t have any expectations,” Daniels said of how he thought his first season would begin. “For me personally, how much can I learn and keep going? How fast can I learn to become a pro and keep going from there.”

Drafted second overall out of LSU, Daniels, 23, has quickly emerged as a front-runner to win the same award Griffin did 12 years ago.

Daniels’ completion percentage (82.1) through four games is not only the best in the league, but it’s also the highest mark of all time during a four-game stretch (minimum 50 passing attempts).

Daniels has only tossed three touchdown passes (rushing for another four scores), but the Commanders’ offense has still flourished with him. Washington averages 30.3 points per game, third most in the league.

The touted rookie has led more scoring drives (23) than he has thrown incompletions (19). He has been intercepted on just one of his 106 pass attempts, with that pick coming in last Sunday’s 42-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Daniels has shined on Sundays, but Commanders coach Dan Quinn is also impressed by how the first-year signal-caller prepares himself on the days leading up to gameday.

“If you’re around him, you feel this work ethic,” Quinn said. “There’s no magic pixie dust that we’re throwing into him. It is absolutely grinding, working, and a lot of confidence comes from that.”

While Washington has totaled 80 points in its past two games, Cleveland (1-3) has managed just 66 all season. The Browns are averaging the sixth-fewest points per game in the league (16.5).

Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, in his first year with Cleveland after spending his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos, said the Browns’ offense has yet to jell.

“Collectively, as a unit, we just all have to be on the same page at the same time. That’s the biggest thing, for real,” Jeudy said. “Because as an offense, as a group, if one person messed up, the whole play is messed up.”

The Browns scored on their first two drives last Sunday to take a 10-0 lead against the Raiders in Las Vegas but sputtered after that. Rodney McLeod Jr. returned a fumble for a touchdown in the fourth quarter for Cleveland’s only other points.

“Little things do become the big thing,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “We’ve talked about that a lot. So, we focus, in this building, on things that we can control, things that we can get better at. And I think that’s the mindset, that sort of winning mindset, that we have where we’re going to get together and find a way to fix it.”

Star running back Nick Chubb was ruled out of Sunday’s game despite taking the practice field Wednesday for the first time since sustaining a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of last season. Chubb, a 1,000-yard rusher in four straight seasons (2019-22), was a limited participant both Wednesday and Thursday.

Tight end David Njoku (ankle) was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game after being limited in practice Wednesday and not practicing Thursday.

Defensive end Myles Garrett (Achilles) didn’t practice Wednesday and was limited on Thursday. Linebacker Jordan Hicks (ribs/elbow/triceps) did not practice either day. Offensive tackle James Hudson III (shoulder) was limited on Wednesday and didn’t practice Thursday. Defensive end Alex Wright had season-ending surgery to repair his torn triceps on Thursday.

Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. is dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of practice Wednesday and Thursday, but Quinn said Friday he’s trending in the right direction but will be a game-time decision. Fellow running back Austin Ekeler cleared concussion protocol and will play, said Quinn, who added that wide receiver Noah Brown (groin) and defensive end Clelin Ferrell (knee) will be ruled out.

–Field Level Media

Run-happy Ravens visit Bengals for AFC North showdown

One of the fiercest rivalries in football renews on Sunday afternoon when the Baltimore Ravens visit the Cincinnati Bengals for both teams’ first AFC North battle of the season.

The teams have combined to win the past three division titles and five of the past six. Baltimore (2-2) dethroned two-time AFC North champion Cincinnati last year and is coming off two straight wins to level its record this season.

The Ravens scored a 35-10 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, a game that featured an 87-yard touchdown run from Derrick Henry on Baltimore’s first play from scrimmage. Henry enters Week 5 leading the NFL in rushing with 480 yards, while the Ravens are leading the league on the ground as a team at 220.3 rushing yards per game.

Henry is on the brink of two major milestones. The 30-year-old back needs just one touchdown to reach 100 for his career (includes rushing and receiving) and is 18 rushing yards shy of the 10,000-yard plateau.

“There’s a lot of things about Derrick that make him unique — talent is one of them for sure, and work ethic is another one for sure,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s just a very tough human being.

“Really, the proof is in the results, and you kind of go by what you see. So, when we were evaluating the possibility of bringing him in here, I just think we looked at how he’s been playing. And to see that continue on obviously is great, but we did expect him to play this way, and we’re excited about it.”

Behind a season-best 141 yards on the ground as a team and a pair of rushing scores from Chase Brown, the Bengals (1-3) earned their first win of the season last Sunday in Charlotte, a 34-24 decision against the Carolina Panthers. Cincinnati built a 17-point lead late in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown at the end of the first half and on the first possession of the second.

Ja’Marr Chase scored on a brilliant 63-yard catch-and-run while Joe Burrow completed 22 of 31 passes for 232 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The Bengals have totaled 67 points in their past two games.

“We’re confident in our group. We’re rolling on offense right now,” Burrow said. “We’ve still left some points out there, which when you score 33, 34 back-to-back and you feel like you’ve left points on the board, that’s a good spot to be as an offense. We’re gonna continue to chase perfection, try to score on every drive. It’s a big opportunity. We thrive in these moments.

“We’re excited about it in front of our fans that we’re gonna need on Sunday. I hope they’re excited, too. We’re putting in the work this week to go out and put our best foot forward.”

The Ravens swept the season series between the teams in 2023 after the squads split a pair of games in 2022.

The Bengals hope to get some defensive reinforcements on Sunday. Defensive end Myles Murphy and defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson began practicing this week and could be activated in time for the game against Baltimore. Both practiced in full this week but are listed as questionable.

Star defensive end Trey Hendrickson (neck/back) returned to full practice Friday and will play Sunday, as will defensive tackle B.J. Hill, who returned to practice after a Week 2 hamstring injury. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) is doubtful and cornerback Mike Hilton (knee) is questionable after both sat out practice all week.

Ravens corner Arthur Maulet (knee/hamstring) was ruled out after not practicing Thursday or Friday. Linebacker Chris Board (ankle) returned to full practice Thursday and Friday and will play Sunday. Wide receiver Deonte Harty (knee), running back Rasheen Ali (neck) and offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees (ankle) are questionable despite full practices Friday.

–Field Level Media

Patriots, Dolphins both looking to turn things around

Changes could be coming for the Miami Dolphins as they prepare to face the New England Patriots on Sunday in Foxborough, Mass.

Miami (1-3) has been feeling the loss of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa over the past two weeks, getting outscored 55-15 in losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans.

With Tagovailoa on injured reserve because of a concussion sustained in a Week 2 setback against the Buffalo Bills, Tyler Huntley started under center against Tennessee on Monday. He threw for just 96 yards on 14-of-22 passing as the Dolphins fell 31-12.

Even though Miami beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-17 in its season opener, it didn’t lead until Jason Sanders booted a 52-yard field goal as time expired. Since then, the Dolphins haven’t been able to get the upper hand on their opponent, making them the first team since the 2017 Cleveland Browns to never hold a lead through the first four games of a season.

“Everything’s on the table,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said following the loss against the Titans. “You can’t argue that the offense is good. … In a situation like this, I hadn’t really been in one where we haven’t had production consecutively like this.

“So, you really have to open your mind to all things.”

Still, Huntley is expected to draw the start against New England (1-3).

The Dolphins will also have to adjust to life without linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during Monday’s game.

“I know that my purpose is to inspire people to never give up, no matter how many times you get knocked down,” Phillips said Wednesday in a social media post. “There is nothing in life that you can’t overcome as long as you don’t quit.”

Moving in a different direction offensively is also something that the Patriots are considering.

Lead back Rhamondre Stevenson, who started his season with a promising 120-yard performance on the ground against the Cincinnati Bengals, has been struggling to hang on to the ball. He has one fumble in each of his four games, two of which have been recovered by opposing defenses.

Because of those issues, Antonio Gibson could end up serving as RB1 on Sunday.

“That’s definitely under consideration,” New England coach Jerod Mayo said of moving Gibson up on the depth chart. “I’ve had multiple conversations with Rhamondre. But look, we can’t preach that ball security is job security and still have him out there the majority of the time.

“So, I think it sends a stronger message to the players that there are certain things that we just can’t do to win, especially with the team that we have today.”

Whoever starts at running back will have to get to work behind an offensive line that is now without center David Andrews. The nine-year veteran needs shoulder surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Mayo said Friday that Andrews and right tackle Caedan Wallace (ankle) will go on injured reserve.

Like Miami, the Patriots have followed a season-opening victory with a three-game losing streak, most recently getting pounded by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, 30-13. Gibson was New England’s leading receiver, hauling in three catches for 67 yards.

Safety Kyle Dugger (ankle) and wide receiver K.J. Osborn (shoulder) didn’t practice for New England all week and are questionable. Receiver Kendrick Bourne (knee), safety Jabrill Peppers (shoulder), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder) and guard/center Nick Leverett (ankle), Andrews’ replacement, were among those who remained limited at practice Friday and are listed as questionable. Linebacker Sione Takitaki (knee) is doubtful after three limited practices this week.

Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer missed practice all week due to a shin injury and was ruled out. Running back Raheem Mostert (chest) returned to full practice Friday and is expected to play Sunday. Backup QB Skylar Thompson (ribs) was limited all week and is questionable, as is corner Cam Smith (hamstring), who practiced all week.

Veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had his first full practice with the Dolphins on Thursday and practiced in full again on Friday but is listed as questionable. The three-time Pro Bowl selection is eligible to play Sunday against the Patriots.

Beckham, 31, signed a one-year, $8.25 million deal with Miami in May, but he missed the first four games of the season after he was placed on the physically unable to perform list with a knee injury.

–Field Level Media