AFC Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Texans, Deshaun Watson

Colts

After confirming that QB Carson Wentz sprained both of his ankles, Colts HC Frank Reich said it was still too early to make a determination on his signal caller’s availability for Sunday’s game.

“We’ll have to see as we go here,” Reich said, via The Herald Bulletin. “I obviously read all the reports. Here in a few minutes after this call, I have a medical meeting with (GM) Chris (Ballard) and the doctors, and we’ll talk through it together as a staff. I’ll be able to hear more detail. I’ve been with the players most of the morning. So (we’ll) get more details from the docs, and we’ll map out a plan for this week.”

If Wentz is made inactive on Sunday, QB Jacob Eason will be next in line to pick up snaps at the quarterback position. Reich feels that Eason is prepared and ready for the opportunity if called upon.

“If Jacob has to play, then Jacob will be ready,” Reich said. “I think Jacob’s been doing a really good job. He’s been really dialed in. Scott Milanovich, our quarterback coach, has really spent a lot of time with Jacob all through training camp – but even here in these first couple weeks (of the regular season) – preparing Jacob just like he’s playing. So, if called upon, I’m confident that Jacob will do a nice job. The situation he got thrown into the other day is as tough as it gets, as tough as it gets. I can tell you that from experience. So he’ll be ready if he has to be.”

Reich also adds that if there’s any opportunity to Wentz to play on Sunday, he will. Reich also goes on to say that as a pocket passer, an ankle injury impacts Wentz’s game slightly less than if he was a mobile quarterback.

“I know this,” Reich said. “I know Carson has a very high threshold of pain. Naturally, I think it goes without saying that when you’ve got a guy who’s a pocket passer, (an ankle injury) affects his game a little bit less than a guy who is a mobile quarterback. I mean, I think that’s not rocket science. I think everybody understands that to be true. My history with Carson is that he’s a pretty fast healer and that he’s tough, and if there’s any chance he can play with these ankle sprains, then he’ll play. And, obviously, it’s an incredibly big game. We’re not holding back anything. This is a big game. So if he can play, he’ll play.”

Jaguars

Jaguars HC Urban Meyer emphasized the importance of loyalty in an adverse situation after the team’s 0-2 start.

“I’ve seen nonsense seep into organizations when you’re 2-0,” Meyer said, via Jaguars.com. “I guess I haven’t seen it when you’re 0-2, but I’ve seen it when you lose a game. We can’t allow that – and the good thing is I don’t see that happening. I told the players and staff: ‘That’s the one thing that will not be tolerated with the Jags, is nonsense.’ I see zero point zero of it. It’s a bunch of good players, good guys and coaches working their tails off.”

Meyer also stressed that he would like to have more balance within the team’s offense, instead of putting too much pressure on rookie QB Trevor Lawrence.

“We had a couple of dropped passes in some key situations that would have kept the chains moving,” Meyer said. “We’d also like to have a little more balance; it seems like we’re dropping back a little too much. The easy answer is make more plays, get guys in position to make more plays. That’s an easy answer. It’s hard to execute, obviously.”

Meyer admitted that there’s a little bit of concern with K Josh Lambo, but acknowledges that his kicker is going to get back to work in an effort to cut down on the missed field goals. He was 76-80 entering the season, but is 0-3 on his attempts this year.

“[There’s] concern, but the one thing I admire about him – first of all he’s had a decent career – is that he works his tail off,” Meyer said. “If he didn’t work hard, if he wasn’t a professional about everything he does … yeah, I’d have a problem with him. He misses some kicks … he’s a professional and he’s going to make those kicks. I have confident he will. I know he’ll be out there working again. I don’t know what the plan is as far as bringing someone else in.”

Lawrence struggled against a stout Broncos defense on Sunday, but Meyer has the utmost confidence in his young signal-caller.

 “I see a very good leader,” Meyer said. “I see obviously an exceptional talent and a guy that the game is hopefully going to start slowing down more and more as he gets more reps.”

Meyer was also asked about the process of OC Darrell Bevell learning Lawrence’s game and vice-versa.

“It’s him learning how to play the style of offense we’re playing,” Meyer said. “I know for his career that’s going to be the best thing to do. When I made that decision to hire Bevell and (QB Coach) Brian Schottenheimer, a lot went into that decision. To run a spread offense, I don’t know … I think he needs to become a professional quarterback. That also includes some spread elements in it, which we do. It’s going to be a combination of both. I know that’s the right thing for him and his career and his future.”

Texans

After speaking with Texans HC David Culley, SI’s Albert Breer believes there is virtually no scenario where QB Deshaun Watson suits up in a Texans uniform ever again, even as they’re down to just third-round QB Davis Mills and practice squad QB Jeff Driskel for Thursday’s game. The team is fully entrenched on getting maximum value for their quarterback.

“[GM] Nick [Caserio] and I, and our staff, sat down and we decided that this is how we were gonna approach things,” Culley said. “And to not only Nick’s credit and our staff’s credit, Deshaun did a heck of a job of being able to work with us and how we wanted to handle this particular situation. And basically, this worked out really good for both of us from the standpoint of this is how we gotta deal with it, this is the situation, and I think it was both of us working together, our team and him working together, and it hasn’t been a distraction. He hasn’t been a distraction. And basically, every day we come to practice it’s always about the Houston Texans, not about anything else. He’s helped us do that.”