OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Going through his first Jaguars training camp, receiver Chris Conley has already gotten used to hearing a certain message from position coach Keenan McCardell.
It’s repeated almost daily and sounds something like this: Be ready for the deep ball. At all times.
“Everything starts off of the ‘go’ ball,” Conley said. “Every route is supposed to look like a ‘go.’ … He really wants that to be our trademark — the fact that we can make plays downfield. We don’t have clear-out routes. We don’t want guys running just to run. We want them to be threats, and we want to use those threats often.”
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Such was the case during Tuesday’s joint practice with the Ravens when Conley lined up on the left side of the formation. Quarterback Nick Foles faked a handoff to running back Leonard Fournette and unleashed a deep ball down the sideline. Conley got a step on Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith and hauled in a touchdown of about 65 yards, the most exciting play for the Jaguars offense in either day of work against Baltimore’s defense.
Surely, McCardell was pleased with what he saw.
“We have DJ Chark, Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, Marqise Lee — a lot of guys that can run and take the top off (a defense), guys that can make plays downfield,” Conley said. “That’s what we’re going to live by. We’re going to live by the fact that we’re going to be attacking all the time.”
The Jaguars did little downfield attacking last season, the product of an offensive line that couldn’t protect long enough for those routes to develop and a quarterback in Blake Bortles who struggled to throw them. They had 41 completions of at least 20 yards, which ranked 27th in the NFL and was dwarfed by Kansas City’s 76. Their three completions of at least 40 yards ranked 31st.
That allowed defenses to creep closer to the line of scrimmage and stop the run with no fear of being exploited. It’s not the only reason why Fournette averaged a pitiful 3.3 yards per carry over 133 attempts, but it didn’t help.
Fournette is impressed with what he has seen from the passing game in training camp and feels it can carry over when the regular season begins Sept. 8 against Kansas City.
“It’s kind of hand-in-hand, the running game helping the passing game, the passing game helping the running game,” Fournette said. “We believe that’s going to happen in the season.”
If it does, Conley will play a big part in it. He’s never been targeted 70 times in a season (69 in 2016 is a career high) but has quickly developed a rapport with Foles. On deep balls and intermediate routes, the two seem to analyze the defense similarly.
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That was noticeable in both joint sessions against a Ravens defense that was first in total defense (292.9 yards per game) and fifth in passing defense (210 ypg) last season.
“We know that everything that we do against them is going to have to be earned,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said prior to Tuesday’s practice. “We thought we were able to come out here (Monday) and compete against a very good bunch of players, especially in the secondary. Our receivers, they’re just trying to go out there and get better each day.”
Improvement remains necessary. The Jaguars don’t have a No. 1 receiver and are counting on several less-than-sure things: Lee returning from an ACL injury, Cole bouncing back from an awful season and Chark making a jump after a dismal rookie year.
Even with the early success, it’s easy to look at the receiving group and wonder if it truly has enough talent to keep opposing defenses from loading the box. And the answer won’t come until at least September or October.
But after a couple of productive days against one of the league’s better defenses, the Jaguars will enter Thursday’s preseason opener feeling they can succeed — and maybe even attack. And for now, that’s not so unreasonable.
“(Foles) is a really good deep-ball thrower,” said Conley, a teammate of Foles’ in Kansas City. “And I think, over time, as he works with people, he gets comfortable to the point where he really hits guys in stride and makes explosive plays.”
Ten other observations from the Jaguars’ second and final joint practice with the Ravens:
1. Without offering many details, Marrone described linebacker James Onwualu’s knee injury as “significant” and said the team “won’t be expecting him back (this season), unfortunately.”
Onwualu was injured about 70 minutes into Monday’s practice. A nearby Ravens player immediately signaled for the medical staff, and Onwualu was quickly carted off the field and did not return.
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Acquired off waivers from San Francisco in April, Onwualu was playing well in training camp. He was listed as the Jaguars’ co-starter at strong-side linebacker with Leon Jacobs, and his ability to contribute on special teams gave him a good chance of making the 53-man roster.
“He was batting his butt off for a position on the 53,” Marrone said. “He was right in the thick of it to a point where you can say, ‘If we needed to make a decision today, would he be on the team or not?’ I would say that he might be on the team. I really would.”
Onwualu had two tackles and a forced fumble while playing special teams for San Francisco last season. He played in 14 games with the 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers over the past two years.
“I saw him (Monday) afterwards, and it’s just a tough situation,” Marrone said. “You thank the player for everything he put in, but you kind of know what the road looks like ahead, which is always a tough road for anyone that has an injury.”
2. Aside from Onwualu, the injury update for the Jaguars mostly remained the same entering Tuesday’s practice. Cornerback A.J. Bouye (hamstring) and running back Thomas Rawls (hamstring) did not participate. Running back Ryquell Armstead (quadriceps) was dressed but did not take part in team drills. Cornerback Saivion Smith (ankle) returned and did team work.
Four players were seen leaving the practice field on Tuesday: running back Benny Cunningham, safety Cody Davis, receiver Michael Walker and cornerback Brandon Watson. Cunningham later returned to the sideline with his helmet. Davis returned but was not wearing pads.
Any player nursing any sort of injury is likely to be held out from the preseason opener Thursday night.
3. Tempers flared briefly during a red zone period between the Jaguars’ starting offense and the Ravens’ starting defense. It was unclear what set off the skirmish, but Chark was seen chirping at several members of the Baltimore secondary. No punches were thrown.
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One of the players in the middle of the action was Fournette, who claimed afterward he was only attempting to defuse the situation.
“I tried to break the fight up and I got kind of caught up in it,” Fournette said. “They’re pushing me. The only thing in my mind was the Bills game, a $150,000 fine. So, I was like, ‘Nah, man. I’m good.’”
The NFL suspended Fournette for one game without pay last season after he and Buffalo defensive end Shaq Lawson were ejected from a game for fighting at New Era Field. Fournette was forced to sit out the Jaguars’ Week 13 game against Indianapolis, costing him one game check.
Was Fournette’s cooler head the sign of maturity? “(Last year, I was) defending my boys,” he said. “But I switched it up this year.”
4. Of his productive practice Monday when he caught several passes from Foles, Fournette said: “I’m a natural catcher. We’re just working on little things. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re getting there — as a coaching staff, players, our unit, everybody. We’ve got to keep working hard and working together, and it will come together.”
5. Marrone continues to rotate his starting offensive tackles. On Monday, Cedric Ogbuehi was the first-team left tackle and Jawaan Taylor was the first-team right tackle. On Tuesday, Leonard Wester was the first-team left tackle, Ogbuehi was the first-team right tackle and Taylor was bumped down to the second-team right tackle. Taylor should still be considered the favorite to start at right tackle Week 1, but Marrone insists the job remains an open competition.
“He’s got to earn it. It’s still open,” Marrone said. “It’s way too early yet really to lock in a starter at that position with the stuff that we have going on with the offensive line.”
During individual pass-rushing drills against three Ravens outside linebackers on Tuesday, Taylor used a strong initial punch and quick feet to stymie Shane Ray once and battle him to a draw another time. He also won once against Matthew Judon but lost on a good inside move by Mike Onuoha.
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He still has room for improvement, but Taylor’s upside should make him the choice at right tackle.
6. The most decisive victory in individual pass-rushing drills came when Ravens outside linebacker Pernell McPhee knifed past left guard Andrew Norwell. Afterward, McPhee shouted, “We put our s— on lock.” Norwell came back to win against defensive tackle Zach Sieler on the following snap.
7. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambled for at least one big gain Tuesday, but the Jaguars defense mostly did a decent job containing him. Defensive end Calais Campbell, who was dominant in a red zone period Monday, likely would have sacked Jackson once had hitting been permitted.
“He didn’t even see me, so I might have forced a fumble on that one,” Campbell said. “He is fast, but I had him in that situation.”
Asked whether it is difficult to refrain from hitting quarterbacks in training camp, Campbell said his mindset is to “treat him like my quarterback.”
“I don’t get close to the quarterback this time of the year,” Campbell said. “I wait until September. If it was September, he’d be in trouble. But right now, my body is just calculated that way. I’m used to it.”
8. Jackson’s best throw of the day came during a red zone period when he threaded a pass to tight end Mark Andrews between linebacker Myles Jack and free safety Jarrod Wilson. Andrews made an acrobatic effort to haul in the pass as he fell to the ground.
“When it’s all said and done, all the scheme, everything we do, it’s going to come down to whether the player makes the play or not,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “So, when you see players make plays in an environment like that, it’s good.”
Jack responded shortly afterward. With both first-team offenses simulating a late-game situation on separate fields, Jack intercepted Jackson to end the Ravens’ chance.
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9. Reserve running back Devante Mays lost a fumble early in practice that was returned for a touchdown by Baltimore’s defense. Mays saw an increase in snaps with Armstead and Rawls out due to injury but wasn’t able to make much happen with his opportunity.
10. The most humorous part of the day came before practice began. As defensive end Yannick Ngakoue took the field, a fan in the stands shouted to him that he deserves a new contract. Ngakoue, who ended an 11-day holdout Sunday, turned toward the crowd and shouted back “Tell them!” while making a check-writing motion.
(Top photo of Chris Conley: Douglas DeFelice / USA Today)