Preview: QB Trevor Lawrence clear concussion protocol as Jaguars face Bucs on Christmas Eve

‘Twas the night before Christmas, down in the Bay, the Jaguars and Buccaneers were set to play.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to face off on Christmas Eve at 4 p.m. in a game that could have large implications for both division-leading teams.

With a loss by Jacksonville and a win by either the Houston Texans or the Indianapolis Colts, the Jaguars will no longer be No. 1 in the AFC South and could potentially fall out of the playoff standings completely.

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It could be an uphill battle for the team as quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens, however, he cleared protocol on Saturday afternoon and traveled with the team to Tampa Bay.

Lawrence was officially listed as questionable to play this weekend after missing practice Wednesday and Thursday and being a limited participant in Friday’s practice.

“[For] most guys if you don’t clear usually by Friday then you can’t risk putting a guy on the field this close to game time,” head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday prior to Lawrence clearing protocol. “That’s any player, just take the position out of it. [Lawrence] is trending in the right direction and hopefully things go well.”

If Lawrence can’t go, they’ll turn to backup quarterback CJ Beathard for the game. Beathard said earlier this week he was preparing as if he was going to start.

It’s something he does every week, especially since he could enter any game at a moment’s notice.

“I think this is not as chaotic as people would think,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday. “[Beathard is] a quarterback. They both operate really well from the pocket. The things we want to do, the things they see well, then utilizing the guys around them is a big part of it.”

The Jaguars will be facing off against the NFL’s resident gunslinger, Baker Mayfield.

Mayfield has thrown for 3,315 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season. He’s coming off a performance against the Green Bay Packers where he completed 22 of 28 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

He was awarded the NFC Player of the Week for his numbers last week and is getting hot for the Bucs at the right time.

“He’s gotten better as the season has gone on,” Pederson said of Mayfield this week. “He’s getting the ball out of his hand extremely fast. It does slow down pass rush when you can do that, especially in the third-and-short [or] medium range.”

The Jaguars have hit a three-game skid of losses that’ve put their season into a bit of a tailspin. Correctable mistakes, according to the team, have been reoccurring themes on the losing streak.

Pederson’s messaging this week has been about a “sense of urgency” and “accountability” as they head to face the Buccaneers. He’s implored players and coaches alike to take care of their jobs.

That message will especially be important for the wide receiver room, who’ll be down two starters on Sunday.

Calvin Ridley, young receivers prepared to step up with Jaguars down Jones and Kirk

Calvin Ridley knows he’ll have to step up to the plate as the season winds down. With Christian Kirk on injured reserve and Zay Jones week-to-week with a hamstring injury, Jacksonville is going to need Ridley to be his best self.

“My approach is going to change for the rest of the season,” he said Wednesday in the locker room. “I'm trying to just do the best I can do for the team. We got to pick it up right now.”

Ridley has recorded 60 catches for 781 yards and five touchdowns in his first season with the Jaguars. He’s topped 100 yards three times this year, showing flashes of the player Jacksonville’s staff knows him to be.

But through the final three games, they’ll need him to be that player consistently as the team is jockeying to hold on to their lead in the AFC South.

“We didn’t make it too easy for ourselves right now. But it shouldn’t be no pressure,” Ridley said. “Just trying to get back to what we were doing before we lost those three. Get on the right foot and take it from there.”

It won’t just be Ridley who’ll be asked to step up. When Kirk was injured, rookie receiver Parker Washington was thrust into the starting lineup.

He’s done well in the role, picking up 100 yards on 12 receptions with a pair of touchdown catches in the last three games.

And another rookie, Elijah Cooks, could see an increase in playing time with Jones sidelined.

“I'm gonna step up in the way the team needs me,” Cooks said in the locker room Thursday. “If they need me out there [at] receiver, special teams, I'm gonna come in and do my job every time.

"Injuries, you don't ever want to see it happen, but it's the name of the game. If people are down … next man up mentality, and that's how we play.”

At 6-foot-4, Cooks has the size to be a game changer. He displayed those game-changing abilities in the preseason where he reeled in nine targets for 146 yards.

He made the 53-man roster as a one of six receivers but has seen a large share of his playing time on special teams. With the injury to Jones, his skillset could help Jacksonville offensively.

To say he’s excited for the opportunity is accurate and something to watch for is a touchdown celebration if he scores Sunday.

“The receiver room, we got it down,” he said with a smile. “If we touch that endzone, we’re going to turn up. I promise you.”

Priority for Jacksonville’s defense is containing Mike Evans, Caldwell reflects on Tampa tenure

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell got to see Mike Evans up close when he was a member of Tampa Bay’s coaching staff.

The 10-year veteran receiver has topped 1,000 yards in every season he’s played in, recording 10,345 career yards and 84 touchdowns. And even a decade into the league, he’s averaging 16.3 yards per catch and has snagged 11 touchdowns this season.

“He’s consistent,” Caldwell said earlier this week. “He takes the top off the defense; he goes up and competes for the ball … I saw it first-hand.”

For Caldwell, the emotions aren’t raging as he returns to Tampa Bay. Though he won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2020 and was able to accelerate his career, Sunday will be about business.

“The last few weeks haven’t been good for us,” he said. “We get an opportunity to go back out there. I’ll see a bunch of good faces down there, friendly faces, it’ll be good to be back in that stadium. At the end of the day, it’s all about us trying to get a victory.”

One of the faces he’ll see will be Buccaneers’ head coach Todd Bowles. Bowels brought Caldwell onto his staff when he was the defensive coordinator in Tampa.

“He was one of the ones that really took me under his wing, just being with him for so long,” he said.  “Understanding how to look at a defense, how to take away something from an offense. Just being multiple [defensively]. I’ve kind of put my own imprint on the defense, but he’s been a big factor in me getting this far and getting [to] where I’m at.”

One of the impression’s Caldwell has modified is a culture of caring in Jacksonville. Earlier this week, outside linebacker Josh Allen was asked about Travon Walker’s play.

Allen responded that he thought Walker could play better and explained how he views accountability as a teammate. On Thursday, Caldwell took time to acknowledge the standard the team has set for themselves.

“When you have a fellow player that tells you that you can get more, that you can do more, that really stands out because we’re all about accountability,” Caldwell said. “If you can be accountable to yourself and to your teammate, that’s huge for us.

“Josh being able to step up like that and showing that he cares about Travon enough to want more from him, that’s big and that’s the culture we have around here.”

Engram wins 'Good Guy' award from Jacksonville media

Tight end Evan Engram was voted as the 2023 “Good Guy” and presented with an award by the same name on Friday in the Jacksonville locker room.

The award recipient is deemed as the most helpful, most available and accommodating player to media throughout a season.  Engram is a player who is always willing to talk with media during the week and after games.

He often finds himself speaking multiple times a week and answering similar questions from different media outlets. But through it all, he doesn’t complain.

This is the second time he’s won the award, being voted as the recipient of the New York Giants in 2019.

In Jacksonville, Kirk was the 2022 selection and Lawrence won it his rookie year in 2021.

Injury Report

Aside from Lawrence, wide receiver Zay Jones is questionable to play with a hamstring injury, on top of the knee injury that's nagged him throughout the year. He's likely a longshot to suit up after missing two days of practice this week.

Beathard (non-throwing shoulder) was not given an injury designation and will be set to play in the game if need be. Offensive linemen Walker Little (hamstring) and Ezra Cleveland (knee) are both set to play after not receiving injury designations.

Andre Cisco (groin), Tyson Campbell (quad), Brenton Strange (foot) and Christian Braswell (hamstring) are all listed questionable to play this week.

For Tampa, wide receiver Rakim Jarrett was ruled out with a quad injury.

Defensive lineman Will Gholston (knee/ankle) and safety Antoine Winfield (calf) were both listed as questionable to play.

Carlton Davis (groin), Chris Godwin (knee/rest), Josh Hayes (illness), Ryan Neal (back), Vita Vea (toe) and Devin White (foot) were not given game designations and will be set to play Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence questionable for Jaguars ahead of Buccaneers game