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12/22 15:16 CST Parker Washington is far from an afterthought in Jacksonville's receiver room Parker Washington is far from an afterthought in Jacksonville's receiver room By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) --- Parker Washington was a somewhat forgotten receiver in Jacksonville when training camp opened. With Brian Thomas Jr. coming off a Pro Bowl, two-way rookie Travis Hunter garnering so much attention and Dyami Brown having signed a one-year, $10 million contract in free agency, there was seemingly little room for Washington. The third-year pro, a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 from Penn State, was generally considered a backup with more big-play potential as a punt returner. Yet, every time he touched the football, good things happened. It's the reason why teammates and coaches weren't surprised to see Washington have a breakout performance in a 34-20 victory at Denver on Sunday. Washington caught six passes for a career-high 145 yards and a touchdown in the team's sixth consecutive --- and most impressive --- win. "I've known him for a super long time, so it's nothing new for me," college teammate and Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange said Monday. "I know that's what Parker can do. Parker is super special. He is a talented player, and he always comes to work and works hard, so he deserves every single bit of it." Washington was on the receiving end of five of Jacksonville's longest eight plays against the Broncos. The biggest highlights: a 12-yard TD catch in the first quarter and three third down catches in the third that moved the chains and led to 17 points. He had five receptions on third down plays. "He's so explosive, he's so strong," coach Liam Coen said. "A lot of things were kind of set up for Parker to have a day. That didn't just happen. We prepared that way all week. We wanted to get him involved early, and he had a look in his eye from a very early start that he was going to have a big day." Washington now leads Jacksonville in receptions (45) and yards (645), becoming another dependable option for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. With the addition of veteran Jakobi Meyers, Thomas emerging from a sophomore slump and Hunter expected back from a knee injury next season, Washington might not get the same playing time in 2026. But no one should count him out given how he's delivered this season. "I just want to keep that rolling and stay confident," he said. "Keep having fun with it."

What's working The Jaguars were 8 of 15 on third down against Denver, raising their total to 19 of 39 in their past three games. The results are a combination of Lawrence having a fairly clean pocket, making accurate throws and scrambling for yardage when things break down.

What needs help Jacksonville remains the NFL's stingiest run defense, but the unit gave up 231 yards on the ground the past two games. It would have been considerably better against the Broncos without a 38-yard touchdown scamper by rookie RJ Harvey early in the third quarter.

Stock up Lawrence continues to put up video game-like numbers. He has 15 TD passes and two rushing scores in his past five games. He now has 26 TD passes and seven rushing scores this season --- both career highs.

Stock down Second-year defensive tackle Maason Smith, a second-round draft pick from LSU in 2024, was a healthy scratch after drawing the ire of coaches the previous two weeks. He jumped into the neutral zone on a second-and-7 play against Indy and was flagged for taunting against the New York Jets. It led him to the bench.

Injuries The Jaguars played stretches at Denver without two starting offensive linemen: C Robert Hainsey (groin) and RG Patrick Mekari (back). RB Bhayshul Tuten (finger) and DE Danny Striggow (ankle) will try to return this week.

Key number 20 --- number of years it's been since the Jaguars won 12 games in a regular season. They can get No. 12 at Indianapolis on Sunday.

Next steps The Jaguars have a chance at the AFC's No. 1 seed but need to win out and have New England (12-3) and Denver (12-3) each lose one of their two remaining games. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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