Jaguars will try to end a 4-game skid as they host Panthers, who are winless on the road this season
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) paces in the bench area after he was injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
CAROLINA (2-13) at JACKSONVILLE (8-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
BETTING LINE: Jaguars by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Carolina 4-9-2, Jacksonville 8-7
SERIES RECORD: Panthers lead 4-3.
LAST MEETING: Panthers beat Jaguars 34-27 on Oct. 6, 2019, at Carolina.
LAST WEEK: Panthers lost to Packers 33-30; Jaguars lost to Buccaneers 30-12.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. catches a touchdown pass ahead of Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. Credit: AP/Rusty Jones
PANTHERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (19), PASS (30), SCORING (29)
PANTHERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (5), RUSH (21), PASS (4), SCORING (30)
JAGUARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (26), PASS (8), SCORING (T-13)
JAGUARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (25), RUSH (11), PASS (29), SCORING (20)
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17), defended by Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit (22), makes a catch during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, in Cleveland. Credit: AP/Ron Schwane
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Panthers minus-6; Jaguars minus-3.
PANTHERS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR DJ Chark plays his first game as a visitor in Jacksonville, which drafted him in the second round in 2018. The veteran is coming off his best game with the Panthers, catching six passes for 98 yards and two fourth-quarter TDs. Chark made an improbable reception the week before near the sideline against Atlanta, helping set up Eddy Pineiro's winning field goal as time expired.
JAGUARS PLAYER TO WATCH: Evan Engram needs two catches to become the second player in franchise history — joining Jimmy Smith (1999, 2001) — with 100 receptions in a single season and just the eighth tight end in NFL history to accomplish the feat. Engram has 98 catches for 824 yards and three TDs.
KEY MATCHUP: Panthers QB Bryce Young vs. Jacksonville's beleaguered secondary. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft is coming off his best game as a pro, throwing for 312 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-30 loss to the Packers. Young showed poise and moxie in the pocket and seemed to get more comfortable as the game went along. The Jaguars come into the game allowing 257.1 yards a game through the air. It will be vital for the Jags to get pressure on Young, but they are last in the league with 32 sacks.
KEY INJURIES: The Panthers placed OLB Amare Barno on injured reserve this week, and CB Troy Hill's status remains up in the air because of a concussion. ... The Jaguars won't have QB Trevor Lawrence in the lineup for the first time in three years. He sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder last week. C.J. Beathard will make his first start in three years. Jacksonville will get LT Cam Robinson (knee) and WR Zay Jones (knee/hamstring) back after missing games.
SERIES NOTES: The two 1995 expansion teams meet for the eighth time. The Jaguars have not beaten the Panthers since Dec. 9. 2007, with Carolina winning the past three games. Neither team has won a Super Bowl.
STATS AND STUFF: The Panthers are 0-8 on the road this season. Their most recent road win came in Week 18 last season at New Orleans. ... The Panthers have not taken a snap from center with the lead in the fourth quarter this season. Each of their wins came on the final play of the game, while trailing, before winning field goals by Pineiro. ... WR Adam Thielen's 7,646 yards receiving are fifth most among undrafted players. ... TE Tommy Tremble was more involved in the offense last week vs. the Packers with four catches for 59 yards. ... OLB Frankie Luvu had 10 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble last week for the Panthers. ... Pineiro is now the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history at 89%. ... The Jaguars have lost four in a row, but still control their path to winning the AFC South. They can clinch the division with a win plus losses by Houston and Indianapolis. ... Jacksonville is 2-5 at home this season. ... Lawrence, if he does play in Week 18, needs 264 yards passing to become the first in franchise history with 4,000 or more yards in consecutive seasons. ... RB Travis Etienne needs a rushing TD to become the fourth in team history with 10 or more in a season. ... OLB Josh Allen needs one sack to tie Calais Campbell for the franchise record (14 1/2) set in 2017. ... OLB Travon Walker has at least half a sack in five of his past six games.
FANTASY TIP: Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard has scored five touchdowns in the past five games. Engram and WR Calvin Ridley have become go-to options with Christian Kirk sidelined and Jones dealing with nagging injuries.
More football news
