JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars on Friday practiced at the Miller Electric Center.
The Jaguars (3-1) will play the Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville Monday in a 2025 Week 5 game. A look at Friday around the Jaguars – with offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile speaking to the media before practice and rookie wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter speaking to the media after practice.
The Jaguars rank fourth in the NFL in rushing through four games, a marked improvement for a team that ranked 26th last season.
A key reason: The blocking of the Jaguars' wide receivers, with wide receiver Dyami Brown on Thursday saying run-blocking is simply part of the group's makeup.
"I was kind of taught that back in high school," Brown said with a smile. "My coach drove us to that. He always said, 'No block, no rock.'"
Brown added, "But it kind of falls into place like that. When you make plays in the run game, somehow the ball comes to you and finds you in the pass game."
The Jaguars are averaging 144 yards rushing after averaging 101.7 last season, having rushed for at least 139 yards in three of four games. Running back Travis Etienne Jr. is the NFL's third-leading rusher with 394 yards and two touchdowns – a league-leading 6.1 yards-per-carry average.
Etienne has runs of 71 and 48 yards this season, with downfield blocking from tight end Brenton Strange and receivers such as Brown and Brian Thomas Jr. key on those plays.
"If we want the ball, we have to block," Hunter said. "If you want the ball, you have to go block. They're not going to draw plays for you if you're not giving effort in every aspect."
Udinski on Thursday praised quarterback Trevor Lawrence's development this season in his first season in Head Coach Liam Coen's offense.
"I think you see the progress from an overall perspective," Udinski said.
Lawrence has thrown 5 touchdowns with 4 interceptions, with his longest touchdown pass of the season to date 11 yards and a long pass of 46 yards.
"When you kind of zoom out and see where we started in the spring, where he was in training camp and where he is, you see bits of progress show up," Udinski said. "It's not going to be linear where everything's going to be perfect in a straight line going from where we started to what we're going to. There are going to be ups and downs.
"He knows that, we know that, but you see the progress show up in bits and pieces. The goal is to continue to build on that progress and hopefully January, February we're saying the same thing about where we are there relative to know that we say now, relative to the spring.
"If we continue to keep building the way we're building, I'm confident that that improvement will continue to come."
Campanile on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes: "As good as there has ever been, I think, at the position."
"It's a lot of work preparing for him," Campanile said.
Mahomes, the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player following the 2019, 2022 and 2023 seasons, has thrown seven touchdown passes with one interception this season.
"He has every attribute," Campanile said. "He's top tier, so he can put a ton of strain on you. Everybody has to do a great job plastering down the field because he's just kind of kept so many plays alive in his career and been able to get the ball down the field.
"Not only that, he really does a great job of throwing on time. The rhythm pass game is as good as there is in the league too. You can't say enough good things about him because he really is an incredible player."
Wide receiver Parker Washington on the Monday Night Football stage: "It's just football. Yes, it's Monday Night Football, but you have to block that out and remember that it's just football."
The Jaguars issued the second of three injury reports for the week Friday, with defensive end Travon Walker and linebacker Yasir Abdullah the only players listed as not participating.
Walker underwent wrist surgery Monday following an injury sustained in a victory over the San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday, with Abdullah missing that game with a hamstring injury.
Campanile on Walker: "He's a tough kid, so if he's available, I know he'll do everything he can to play."
Jaguars players practicing limited for a second consecutive day Friday: Rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten (shoulder), Brown (shoulder), starting left guard Ezra Cleveland (concussion/ankle), offensive lineman Chuma Edoga (knee), starting right Anton Harrison (elbow), starting right guard Patrick Mekari (knee), rookie reserve offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (knee) and starting Eric Murray (neck).
