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Tuesday takeaways: Hurns has no doubt

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1)No doubt.We begin Tuesday takeaways with wide receiver Allen Hurns confirming something that never was in much doubt: the second-year wide receiver will play Thursday against Tennessee, this after visiting a specialist in Philadelphia on Monday regarding a core injury. Hurns visited the specialist this season after the Jaguars' Week 3 loss to New England and Monday's visit was prescheduled, meaning it was not regarding an injury sustained this past Sunday when he caught five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore. "It's the same thing I've been battling all year – nothing new," said Hurns, who has 41 receptions for 697 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Hurns said postseason surgery on the injury is a possibility, but that he's not worried about it getting worse this season. Hurns also played through a foot injury against Baltimore, but said he is more certain this week he will play than he was last week.

2)Moving forward.The Jaguars' reaction to the NFL's announcement Monday that they never should have had a chance for a game-winning field goal against Baltimore? Pretty much what you would expect: mistakes happen, and they're thinking about the Tennessee game. The Jaguars beat the Ravens 22-20 with kicker Jason Myers kicking a game-winning 53-yard field goal on an untimed down after the clock showed :00. A face-mask penalty on Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil set up the untimed down on what would have been the game's final play, but the league announced Monday that Jaguars left tackle Luke Joeckel wasn't set at the snap. That should have meant a penalty and a 10-second run-off with the game ending. "We truthfully haven't put a lot of time into it," Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley said, with Joeckel on Tuesday saying he was focusing on Tennessee. Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles – whose face mask Dumervil grabbed – was asked about the play, with the questioner adding that Bortles probably didn't care too much about the NFL admitting the mistake. "No, not really," Bortles said with a hint of a smile. Bradley was asked if it was disappointing the league didn't give the Jaguars a chance to celebrate before saying the victory shouldn't have counted. "Believe me, we celebrated it," Bradley said, laughing.

3)Next man up …again. The news Tuesday that defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks (torn triceps) will be placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn triceps puts the Jaguars in the familiar position of re-manning the defensive line's interior. Marks, the team's starting three-technique tackle, missed the first five games of the season while rehabilitating from January reconstructive knee surgery. During that time, strong-side end Tyson Alualu started at the three-technique with rookie Michael Bennett backing him up and third-year veteran Abry Jones also taking snaps there. Alualu is capable at the positon, but Marks' ability to disrupt and penetrate is unique among Jaguars linemen. "You always hear that thing, 'Next Man Up,' but to lose him there for the rest of the year … a bunch of us have to step up and try to fill that role," Alualu said. "The type of player he is … he's a baller. When he's healthy, he's always making plays." Another option for three-technique snaps: strong-side end Jared Odrick, whose skills as an interior pass rusher fit the position.

Take a look at images as the Jaguars returned to the practice field to prepare for their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

4)D-Rob time?Could this be the week for Denard Robinson? That will depend mostly on the status of running back T.J. Yeldon, who was listed as not practicing Monday and Tuesday after sustaining a foot injury in Baltimore. Yeldon's emergence as a three-down back has resulted in a reduced role for Robinson, who entered the season as a backup after starting nine games last season. Robinson played 10 plays against Baltimore, carrying once for a yard. He has rushed twice for three yards in the last three games. "We've been talking about it the past couple of weeks to try to see if we can get him more reps," Bradley said of Robinson. "It hasn't worked out. I think his focus should be on the number of reps he does get to make sure he does very well in those reps. Hopefully then, his numbers will increase so T.J.'s can go down and he will get more of an opportunity. Hopefully he takes advantage of those plays he gets."

5)Not fade away.The Jaguars' troubles with the fade pass have been well-documented this season, and they continued Sunday against Baltimore. Wide receiver Allen Robinson caught a two-yard fade for a touchdown against Houston in Week 6, but Bortles has struggled with the throw at times. Fades to Robinson and tight end Julius Thomas and Robinson fell incomplete in the second quarter against Baltimore. Third-quarter fades to Robinson and wide receiver Bryan Walters were also incomplete, though Walters' incompletion was catchable. "It's a thing where you just throw it to the back of the end zone and give your guy a chance," Bortles said. "But there are little things that go into it – whether or not to throw it back-shoulder or not, who's running it, what's the personnel, who's covering them. All those things have a little bit of an effect on it." Jaguars' offensive coordinator Greg Olson said the Jaguars spend a practice period each Thursday working on fades. "We spend a lot of time on it, to be honest with you," Olson said. "We'll get better at that." Asked if the throw actually is not as easy as it looks, Olson said, "We should make it easier than it (has been) and we will."

 
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