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| Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey will have to figure out a way to limit Bears WR Brandon Marshall on Sunday. (US Presswire) |
The Jaguars (1-3) have a tough decision to make with the Chicago Bears (3-1) coming to town on Sunday. The Bears feature WR Brandon Marshall, who has 23 receptions for 352 yards on the season, and the Jaguars must find a scheme to stop him.
There are two case studies coach Mike Mularkey can draw from. The Jaguars have faced two other elite WRs this season -- Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans and A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals.
With Johnson, the Jaguars focused on preventing the big play. They limited him to just three receptions for 21 yards, but that allowed the Texans to rush for more than 200 yards, and let QB Matt Schaub complete 26 passes, many of which were to the TEs and RBs underneath the coverage.
With Green, the Jaguars were more aggressive, using CB Derek Cox in man-to-man coverage. Green made them pay with six reception for 117 yards and a touchdown.
“A lot of people are probably jumping to these conclusions just based on a couple plays in the last game [against Cincinnati],” Cox told the Florida Times-Union. “The thing about our position is it’s you out there on an island. You’ve got a quarterback back there with a cannon for an arm. You got receivers with athletic ability beyond what most people are aware of, and you’re expected to defend him on your own. The job is a huge task."
Whether the Jags leave that huge task to Cox again against the Bears is a storyline to watch on Sunday.
Practice participation report: WR Laurent Robinson (concussion), LB Daryl Smith (groin), C Brad Meester (rest) and DT Tyson Alualu (rest) were held out of Wednesday's practice. DE George Selvie (knee) was limited.
Robinson has not been ruled out for Sunday, but he continues to be questionable at best after sustaining two concussions in two weeks. Smith is not expected to play until Week 7 at Oakland.
For more news and analysis of the Jaguars, follow Daniel Lewis @CBSJags.
