Maurice Jones-Drew, Cecil Shorts not practicing
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts (84) catches the game winning pass in the end zone while being defended by Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (23) in the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars could lose their two best skill-position players for this week’s game against the Buffalo Bills, as both Maurice Jones-Drew and star wide receiver Cecil Shorts seem highly questionable to play on Sunday. According to the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran, neither Jones-Drew nor Shorts are practicing today, and both players also missed yesterday’s practice.
MJD suffered a hamstring injury last week in the Jaguars rivalry win over the Houston Texans, and he stated that he would “definitely” play this week after initially suffering the injury. His statement always seemed a bit too optimistic, and it’s starting to sound more and more like MJD won’t play this week. It remains to be seen, though, if he will indeed be out, since he still has a shot at playing. In a contract year, Jones-Drew is most likely determined to be out there, and there’s still a chance he can practice tomorrow. But at this point, MJD looks like a very iffy game-time decision, and I wouldn’t expect him to play. He’s been targeting tomorrow’s session as his day to practice (so nobody should have expected him to practice today, anyway), and he will have to practice tomorrow in order to play on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Shorts is missing from practice due to a groin injury, and it seems like he has aggravated an injury he suffered earlier this month. Shorts hasn’t missed a game this season, and he is one of the toughest players in the game. I mean, he played through an SC sprain and still managed to do well, so that should tell you how tough he is.
Nobody thought Shorts’s status was in question when he missed yesterday’s practice, but it now looks like he will have to practice tomorrow in order to play against the Bills. Consider Shorts a game-time decision, but I expect him to play this week, mostly due to his toughness. Both guys are total toss-ups, so be sure to check on all news regarding both of them.