When Trevor Lawrence uncorked an 18-yard touchdown pass to Zay Jones on Sunday, the wide receiver wasn’t yet behind Indianapolis Colts cornerback Darrell Baker Jr.
But the Jacksonville Jaguars’ third-year quarterback lofted a ball near the back corner of the end zone, hoping Jones would wind up exactly where he should. Jones didn’t disappoint. The 28-year-old receiver broke to the sideline and made an impressive diving reception.
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“It was a curl concept that we had, we had the ability to put a double move on it if we want,” Jones explained Monday. “Trevor made the call, so I just ran up there, did my little stutter, and I knew that in those situations, the ball is going to be put back further. I had to maneuver around to get there.”
Jones got to where he needed to be and gave the Jaguars a 14-7 lead shortly before halftime. By the end of the game, Jones had five receptions for 55 yards.
“The reason he is so reliable, number one is that the quarterback trusts him, he knows where he’s going to be,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said of Jones on Monday. “He and Trevor have logged a lot of hours throwing and catching off to the side and working on different things. There’s that trust factor with him, and again, not saying he doesn’t have trust with other players, it’s just referring to Zay.
“It’s just a great double move, throw and catch for the touchdown. Really, the late in the game throw that Trevor made to him, just knowing exactly where he was going to be to make that throw. That’s who Zay is.”
Jones spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders before joining the Jaguars on a three-year, $24 million contract last year. In his first season with Jacksonville, Jones put up career-best numbers, hauling in 82 receptions for 823 yards and five touchdowns. He kept his good year rolling into the postseason where he caught another 13 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.
With Calvin Ridley added to the fold in 2023, it seemed Jones — who was the No. 2 receiver for the Jaguars a year ago — would be relegated to a lesser role this season. If Sunday was any indication, Jones isn’t going to be disappearing into the shadows any time soon.
