Week 12 Game Scout: Jaguars at Cardinals

Nov 25, 2017 - 12:40 AM JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (7-3) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-6)

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, University of Phoenix Stadium. TV: CBS, Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta.

SERIES HISTORY: Fifth regular-season meeting. Series tied, 2-2. The Cardinals have won the last two, most recently a 24-17 win at Jacksonville in November 2013. This will be the Jaguars' first visit to University of Phoenix Stadium. They are one of only two NFL teams yet to play in Glendale (the Titans will be making their first visit in two weeks). The last time the Cardinals played the Jaguars in Arizona, it was in 2005 at Arizona State University.

KEYS TO THE GAME: Blaine Gabbert is coming off a career-high three touchdown passes in his Arizona debut last week against the Texans.

If Adrian Peterson and the running game can't get going, look for Gabbert to use his running ability a lot more than he did last week, when he scrambled three times for 15 yards.

Coach Bruce Arians issued challenges this week to his struggling offensive line and wide receivers, expecting both groups to respond with better efforts. If the linemen do, it can only help Peterson, who has been hit or miss since coming aboard.

Gabbert will have at least one new target this week as rookie wide receiver Chad Williams, a third-round pick out of Grambling, was told by Arians he will get a shot for extended playing time against Jacksonville.

The Jaguars continue to lead the league in rushing (160.6 yards per game), but that's where the Cardinals have excelled, currently 10th in the league (101.3) in stopping the run.

But Cleveland was fourth in that same category last week and the Jaguars still managed to rush for 139 yards. Even with the Cardinals ranking 22nd in defensing passing attacks, the Jaguars aren't likely to turn Blake Bortles loose. He threw just 30 times last week after a 51-attempt effort the week before.

Jacksonville is much more designed to keeping Bortles' throws in the low 30s, and having the trio of Leonard Fournette, T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory tote the ball 40-plus times. If an injured offensive line can get healthy, look for a strong running attack by the Jaguars.

Arizona also needs to ratchet up its pass rush, which has been below average other than Chandler Jones and his 10 sacks. The Cardinals will look to rattle Bortles by knocking him off his mark. The Cardinals have lost that battle more times than they have won it, even against average quarterbacks.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Jaguars CBs A.J. Bouye and whoever replaces Jalen Ramsey if he can't go. It will be tough to totally shut down Fitzgerald, who has 69 catches and is headed for another 100-catch season. Fitzgerald lines up all over the field. Ramsey and Bouye aree enjoying banner seasons, with little difference between the two until Ramsey was hurt (hand, questionable). Bouye leads the team with four interceptions, including back-to-back picks in the team's last two games. With the Cardinals' other top receiver, John Brown, iffy with a turf toe, it puts more pressure on Fitzgerald to have a big game. If the Jaguars' duo shuts him down, the Jaguars will likely come out on top.

--Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette vs. Cardinals ILB Deone Bucannon. Bucannon is a heavy hitter for an undersized linebacker and will have to bring it when he gets a chance to bring down the thundering Fournette, who moves incredibly fast and doesn't shy away from contact. Look for Bucannon to try to punch out and strip the football when he has leverage on Fournette. It's something all the Cardinals' defenders have been spending extra time on during practice.

FRIDAY INJURY REPORT

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

--Out: WR Allen Hurns (ankle)

--Questionable: G Patrick Omameh (quadricep), T Jermey Parnell (knee), LB Donald Payne (hamstring), CB Jalen Ramsey (hand)

ARIZONA CARDINALS

--Out: WR John Brown (toe), DT Corey Peters (ankle)

--Questionable: S Rudy Ford (knee), WR Brittan Golden (groin), DT Josh Mauro (ankle), RB Elijhaa Penny (knee), QB Drew Stanton (knee)

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Jaguars DE Calais Campbell. It's homecoming for Campbell, who spent the first nine seasons of his career in Arizona. Campbell was a popular player with the Cardinals and enjoyed success there with eight consecutive seasons of at least five sacks and highlighted with Pro Bowl selections in 2014 and 2015. He's enjoying his best season after signing a four-year, $60 million contract with the Jaguars in March. "I get that it's a storyline, but for me, you have to make it just another game," Campbell said. "I have friends there. I spent a lot of time there, a lot of history. But you've got to live in the moment." Campbell is tied with Dallas' DeMarcus Lawrence for the NFL lead at 11.5 sacks.

FAST FACTS: Jaguars QB Blake Bortles has 1,144 yards and 11 TDs in four road games vs. the NFC. He has 10,417 passing yards since 2015, third most in the AFC. ... RB Leonard Fournette rushed for 111 yards in Week 11. He has four 100-yard games in 2017, tied for most in the NFL and second most by a rookie in franchise history. He ranks third in the AFC with 740 yards. ... WR Marqise Lee has two TD catches in the past three games on the road vs. the NFC. ... DE Yannick Ngakoue had 2.5 sacks last week. He has four games with two-plus sacks in 2017, most in the NFL. He has 10 sacks, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his past six road contests. ... Cardinals QB Blaine Gabbert passed for 257 yards and three TDs in Week 11. He spent three seasons (2011-13) with Jacksonville and had 22 TD passes. ... RB Adrian Peterson has 164 rushing yards (82 per game) and three TDs in two career games vs. Jacksonville. He has 99 career rushing TDs and needs one to become the ninth player in NFL history with 100. ... WR Larry Fitzgerald had nine catches for 91 yards and a TD last week. He has 15,157 receiving yards and surpassed Tony Gonzalez (15,127) for fifth most all-time. He ranks second in the NFL with 69 receptions and fifth with 768 yards. He aims for third in a row at home with 10 receptions and 100 yards. ... LB Chandler Jones is tied for fourth in the NFL with 10 sacks. He has four sacks in the past four at home.

PREDICTION: Gabbert and the Cardinals' offense doesn't pose enough of a threat to this stingy, aggressive Jaguars defense.

OUR PICK: Jaguars, 23-13.



--Ellen Port