Daily Archives: October 28, 2021

Staff Report| Gonzales Weekly Citizen

A joint investigation led to three arrests after authorities executed a search warrant at a residence on Woodhaven Drive in Gonzales and Kay Drive in Prairieville on Oct. 18.

Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office deputies,Gonzales Police Department officers, and East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office deputies worked together on the matter, according to an APSO news release.

Detectives reported finding about27 pounds of marijuana, some 900 THC Vape Pens, 42 bottles of THC syrup, 37 jars of THC wax, 34 packs of THC edible candies, and 30 premade marijuana cigarettes.

On the same day, deputies executed a second search warrant on a residence located on Kay Drive in Prairieville. Detectives located marijuana, 446 premade marijuana cigarettes, and other drug paraphernalia. Both search warrants were connected to the joint investigation.

Three subjects were arrested and charged with the following:

-- Jack Bush, 37, of Gonzales was charged with five counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. He also faces a misdemeanor and felony charge with the Gonzales Police Department.

-- Sabrina Fisher, 22, of Prairieville was charged with possession of marijuana, four counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and Illegal carrying of a firearm in the presence of Illegal controlled dangerous substances.

-- Derrick Diez, 23, of St. Amant was charged with four counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and Illegal carrying of a firearm in the presence of Illegal controlled dangerous substances.

The three suspects were booked into the Ascension Parish Jail near Donaldsonville. No bond information was given.

Continued here:

Agencies' joint investigation leads to arrests of Ascension Parish trio - Weekly Citizen

The Ascension Parish School Board joined its statewide counterpart in leaving the National School Boards Association after the group asked for federal help in dealing with what it called "the growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation" against local K-12 officials over COVID-19 precautions.

In an about face, the National School Boards Association has backed off its claim that actions by local school board activists amount to "dome

NSBA apologized last week for its Sept. 29 letter asking President Biden to get the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to address "acts of malice, violence and threats" against public school officials that could be classified as "equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes."

In its apology, the national group said: "To be clear, the safety of school board members, other school officials and educators, and students is our top priority, and there remains important work to be done on this issue. However, there was no justification for some of the language included in the letter. We should have had a better process in place to allow for consultation on a communication of this significance."

The Louisiana School Boards Association is dropping out of the National School Boards Association after officials of the umbrella group asked

The Louisiana School Boards Association voted on Oct. 15 to withdraw from NSBA after the national organization's request for federal intervention.

Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today.

On Tuesday, the Ascension Parish School Board unanimously approved without comment by board members a resolution supporting the Louisiana School Boards Association's withdrawal.

The vote means the Ascension School Board will suspend financial and other support to the NSBA, including travel to any event hosted, supported or endorsed by the organization.

Ascension Parish resident Brandon Gomez voiced support for the resolution ahead of the vote Tuesday.

"Local school boards should make local decisions," he said.

"We pay y'all, y'all serve us," Gomez said. "We should always be the first to be considered and the last to be left out."

Follow this link:

Ascension Parish schools cut ties with national group for labeling parents terrorists - The Advocate

Staff Report| Gonzales Weekly Citizen

Learn how to write a query letter and book proposal that will cause editors to want more. Retired Natchitoches Parish school music teacher, author, and civic leader Danny Von Kanel leads this publishing seminar, brought to you by Ascension Parish library.

Von Kanel will show attendees how to find market opportunities, write a query letter that gets noticed, what works and what doesnt, how to get a book published, and keys to writing an effective book proposal.

Von Kanel has published hundreds of magazine articles and led other Get Published seminars throughout Louisiana.

Get Published will be at 5 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Ascension Parish Library in Gonzales. Registration required and seating is limited. To register, call (225) 647-3955.

LYRC and LTRC

Calling all kids and teens in third through 12th grade. Its time to voice your opinion on your favorite books at Ascension Parish Library by casting your vote in the Louisiana Young Readers Choice Award (LYRC) and Louisiana Teen Readers Choice Award (LTRC) contests.

LYRC and LTRC were established by the State Library of Louisiana to find out which books you like best. Several titles have been nominated for three different age ranges: grades 35, 68, and 912. The lists include books by award-winning authors, and we want to know which are your favorites. Anyone who wishes to vote must read or listen to three or more of the nominated titles for their grade level before voting. Voting begins Monday, and votes must be submitted no later than Feb. 18, 2022. For more information, call the library or visit myAPL.org.

Wood Slice Turkeys

Turkey Day is just around the corner. Gear up for Thanksgiving by making a turkey out of a slice of wood and let it gobble its way into your home seasonal decorations. Beginning Monday, pick up a craft packet from any Ascension Parish Library location that contains supplies to make an adorable wood slice turkey. The only thing you will need to provide at home are scissors. After putting your turkey together, finish it off with a magnet to proudly display him on the fridge or tie a string around him to make a cute ornament. You can even use him as a placeholder at the dinner table. Its up to you!

Be sure to snap a photo of your finished creation and share it with us on Facebook or Instagram by tagging us @myAPLibrary. Designed for kids ages 68, but all ages are welcome to participate. Younger children may need assistance with completing the craft. Available while supplies last. For more information, call the library or visit us online at myAPL.org.

Starting and Financing a Small Business Seminar

Join Ascension Parish Library at 1 p.m. Nov. 17 for a virtual small business seminar designed for individuals who want to learn what it takes to start and run a successful small business.

Presenter Sonia E. Wilson, business consultant with Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southern University and A&M College - Baton Rouge, will focus on helping participants learn how to determine the feasibility of their idea, as well as how to obtain a small business loan. Topics of discussion include: the purpose of developing a feasible business plan; assessing business risks; marketing strategy development; management planning; financial planning; identifying sources of funds for business start-ups; the dos and don'ts of borrowing money; the loan application process; and key resources available to get assistance.

Advance registration is required for this Zoom webinar brought to you by Ascension Parish Library. To register, visit the APL Business Resource Center at aplbusinessresource.com and click on Webinars. An email address is required to register. After registering, you will receive an email with information on how to join the live session. For additional information or assistance, call (225) 647-3955.

More:

Ascension Parish Library to host publishing seminar - Weekly Citizen

Ascension, Flee and Summer of Soul are among the 15 documentaries that have made DOC NYCs 2021 Short List, an annual round-up of the nonfiction films most likely to figure in the upcoming awards season.

Those three films also appeared on the International Documentary Associations shortlist of semifinalists for the IDA Documentary Awards and were nominated in the top category at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and the Gotham Awards. They are the only films to have been honored by all four groups this year.

Other films on the Short List include Attica, Becoming Cousteau, Bring Your Own Brigade, Faya Dayi, Homeroom, In the Same Breath, Introducing, Selma Blair, Julia, Procession, The Rescue, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain and The Velvet Underground.

All of the films will be screened in a special section at the DOC NYC festival, the largest U.S. festival devoted to nonfiction film.

The festival also announced a second Short List for documentary shorts. It included A Broken House and Eagles (Aguilas), both of which were also on recent shortlists from the IDA and the Cinema Eye Honors.

The DOC NYC list is overseen by Thom Powers, artistic director of DOC NYC. The list has included the eventual Oscar winner eight times in the last nine years, and 39 of the last 45 Oscar-nominated documentary features.

Last year was atypical, with the DOC NYC short list including only three of the five Oscar nominees, missing The Mole Agent and also the eventual winner, the late-breaking My Octopus Teacher. It did, however, contain 10 of the 15 films that made the Oscar shortlist for doc features.

The 2021 DOC NYC festival will run from Nov. 10-18 in New York City, and will continue online screenings until Nov. 28.

The lists, from the DOC NYC release:

Short List: Features

AscensionDir/Prod: Jessica KingdonProd: Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan TruesdellWinner of the Best Documentary Feature Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, Ascension is an impressionistic portrait of Chinas industrial supply chain that depicts a thriving capitalism in a communist state. (Courtesy of MTV Documentary Films)

AtticaDir/Prod: Stanley Nelson, Traci CurryFilmmakers Stanley Nelson, a 2016 DOC NYC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and Traci Curry team up to revisit the 1971 New York prison uprising that was the largest in U.S. history. (Courtesy of SHOWTIME Documentary Films)

Becoming CousteauDir/Prod: Liz GarbusProd: Dan Cogan, Mridu Chandra, Evan HayesOscar-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus takes a nuanced look at Jacques Cousteaus passions, achievements, blind spots, and tragedies. (Courtesy of Picturehouse)

Bring Your Own BrigadeDir/Prod: Lucy WalkerProd: Holly Becker, Julian Cautherley, Lyn Davis Lear, Martha MitchellOscar-nominated director Lucy Walker focuses on one day in Californias 2018 megafire season to discover why these infernos are growing more common. (Courtesy of CBS/Paramount)

Faya DayiDir/Prod: Jessica BeshirWinner of multiple festival prizes, Faya Dayi takes us on an ethereal journey through Harar, Ethiopia, the hometown of director Jessica Beshir, as she follows the harvesting of the euphoria-inducing khat plant. (Courtesy of Janus Films)

FleeDir: Jonas Poher RasmussenProd: Monica Hellstrm, Signe Byrge Srensen, Charlotte De La GournerieDenmarks official Academy Awards submission for Best International Film, Flee uses animation to tell the story of Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym), who fled Afghanistan as a boy, relying on human smugglers to reach Denmark. (Courtesy of NEON)

HomeroomDir/Prod: Peter NicksProd: Sean HaveyDirector Peter Nicks, the recipient of DOC NYCs 2021 Robert and Anne Drew Award, follows the senior class of Oakland High School through the tumultuous year of 2019-2020. (Courtesy of Hulu)

In the Same BreathDir/Prod: Nanfu WangProd: Jialing Zhang, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn HepburnIn this penetrating film essay, filmmaker Nanfu Wang seeks to understand how governments shaped information about the Covid-19 pandemic both in China and the United States. (Courtesy of HBO Documentary Films)

Introducing, Selma BlairDir: Rachel FleitProd: Mickey Liddell, Pet Shilaimon, Troy NankinFilmmaker Rachel Fleit documents actress Selma Blair as she adapts to living with multiple sclerosis with humor and unflinching candor. (Courtesy of Discovery+)

JuliaDir/Prod: Betsy West, Julie CohenProd: Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein, Holly SiegelThe Oscar-nominated directors of RBG deliver a touching portrait of the iconic television chef Julia Child who became a celebrity in her fifties, defying expectations for women of her generation. (Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

ProcessionDir: Robert GreeneProd: Susan Bedusa, Bennett Elliott, Douglas TirolaSix midwestern men all survivors of childhood sexual assault at the hands of Catholic priests and clergy come together to direct a drama therapy-inspired experiment designed to collectively work through their trauma. (Courtesy of Netflix)

The RescueDir/Prod: E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy ChinProd: P.J. van Sandwijk, John BattsekThe Oscar-winning directors of Free Solo take us inside the dramatic rescue of 12 young soccer players and their coach trapped by monsoon floods inside a cave in Thailand. (Courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films)

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony BourdainDir/Prod: Morgan NevilleProd: Caitrin RogersOscar-winning director Morgan Neville creates a multifaceted portrait of Anthony Bourdain, drawing upon extensive unseen footage from his travels and emotional memories from his friends. (Courtesy of Focus Features)

Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)Dir: Ahmir Questlove ThompsonProd: Joseph Patel, David Dinerstein, Robert FyvolentAcclaimed musician Ahmir Questlove Thompson makes his directorial debut shaping a treasure trove of footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures / Onyx Collective / Hulu)

The Velvet UndergroundDir/Prod: Todd HaynesProd: Christine Vachon, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, David BlackmanFilmmaker Todd Haynes explores the history of The Velvet Underground and the 1960s New York scene of experimental art, music, and film. (Courtesy of Apple Original Films)

Short List: Shorts

AudibleDir: Matt OgensProd: Geoff McLeanAfter breaking their winning streak, Maryland School for the Deafs championship high school football team shares their triumphs, trials, and how they will bounce back. (Courtesy of Netflix)

The Bree Wayy: Promise Witness RemembranceDir: Dawn PorterProd: Niema Jordan, Kimberly Reynolds, Cubie KingDawn Porters uplifting short takes us behind the scenes of Amy Sheralds Breonna Taylor portrait, bringing grace and dignity to the tragic loss of her life. (Courtesy of MTV Documentary Films)

A Broken HouseDir/Prod: Jimmy GoldblumProd: Dick Gephardt, Matt Weaver, Harrison NalevanskyArtist Mohamad Hafez rebuilds monuments, neighborhoods, and cities of his beloved Syria, working through his longing for home. (Courtesy of POV Shorts / The New Yorker)

Camp Confidential: Americas Secret NazisDir/Prod: Daniel Sivan, Mor LoushyProd: Benji Bergmann, Jono BergmannCamp Confidential reveals the secret government-sanctioned camp that smuggled Nazis into the United States after World War II, as camp workers come forward for the first time in history. (Courtesy of Netflix)

Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. LeyendeckerDir: Ryan WhiteProd: Christopher Leggett, Marc Gilbar, Jessica Hargrave, Conor Fetting-Smith, Rafael MarmorExploring the work of one of the grandfathers of modern marketing, Coded unpacks illustrator J.C. Leyendeckers advertisements that animated his male partner and became an easter egg of queer coding in art. (Courtesy of MTV Documentary Films)

Dont Go Tellin Your MommaDir: Topaz Jones, rubberbandProd. Luigi RossiAccompanying Topaz Joness album, Dont Go Tellin Your Momma is a visual marvel documenting the Black ABCs and growing up in New Jersey. (Courtesy of The New York Times Op-Docs)

Eagles (guilas)Dir/Prod: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Maite ZubiaurreA raw portrait of the team of people called Aguilas del Desierto, who search for missing migrants along the southern border of Arizona. (Courtesy of POV Shorts / The New Yorker)

Joe BuffaloDir/Prod: Amar ChebibProd: Hayley Morin, Mack StannardSkateboard legend Joe Buffalo faces himself in this raw portrait of trauma, addiction, and finding freedom in skating. (Courtesy of The New Yorker)

Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great DayDir: Christine TurnerProd: Lily PlotkinThis chilling reflection examines the horrific history of lynchings as cultural events and celebrations that included souvenirs and postcards. (Courtesy of MTV Documentary FIlms)

Nothing to DeclareDir/Prod: Garret DalyProd: Martina McGlynnTwo men laugh about their days of mischief and wonder as they remember their most iconic adventure: hopping on a one-way plane to New York.

The Queen of BasketballDir: Ben ProudfootProd: Elizabeth Brooke, Abby Lynn Kang Davis, Gabriel Berk Godoi, Brandon Somerhalder, Sarah StewartLusia Harris, the first and only woman ever officially drafted to the NBA, takes a seat and shares her story as a woman before her time and a legend in the womens basketball community. (Courtesy of The New York Times Op-Docs)

A Ship from GuantnamoDir: Dara Kell, Veena RaoProd: Beth Jacob, Mansoor AdayfiUnjustly stuck behind bars for more than 20 years, Moath al Alwi builds elaborately detailed ships out of scrap materials from Guantnamo Bay. (Courtesy of The New York Times Op-Docs)

SnowyDir: Kaitlyn Schwalje, Alex Wolf LewisProd: Rebecca Stern, Justin LevyStuck in the trenches of the family basement, the beloved family pet Snowy is about to get a new lease on life. (Courtesy of TIME Studios)

What Youll RememberDir: Erika CohnProd: Marcia JarmelThis emotional video diary profiles a family struggling with housing insecurity and what the parents hope remains in their childrens memories. (Courtesy of The New York Times Op-Docs)

They Wont Call It MurderDir: Melissa Gira Grant, Ingrid RaphalProd: Ruun Nuur, Chase WhitesideA sobering chronicle of police killings in Columbus, Ohio, this documentary captures some of the countless stories of police brutality that have never been classified as murders by law enforcement. (Courtesy of Field of Vision)

Follow this link:

DOC NYC Short List Includes Summer of Soul, Flee and Ascension - TheWrap

Special to the Press Gazette | USA TODAY NETWORK| Northwest Florida Daily News

PENSACOLA Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola is now offering the most advanced technology for deep brain stimulation (DBS), a neurosurgical procedure to improve tremors and other symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

The surgical team was led by Dr. Deborah Boland, a neurologist specializing in movement disorders, and Dr. Ann Carr, a neurosurgeon.

"Deep brain stimulation isn't a cure for Parkinson's, but it can reduce several of the debilitating symptoms and significantly improve daily function and quality of life for many patients," Dr. Boland said. "We are pleased to bring the latest DBS technology and therapy to eligible patients across Northwest Florida."

Related:Ascension Sacred Heart employees file complaint over vaccine mandate

And:Biggest names in voice tech coming to Okaloosa Island for Project Voice AI conference

The surgery was performed successfully on Oct. 13 at Ascension Sacred Heart 's Advanced Brain and Spine Institute. DBS delivers mild electrical impulses to a targeted area of the brain that is responsible for the movement symptoms caused by Parkinsons disease. The electrical impulses can block or change the abnormal nerve activity that triggers symptoms.

DBS was first introduced 15 years ago and improved as new technologies were developed. It is an effective therapy for essential tremor, a movement disorder that causes people's hands or arms to shake while doing daily activities such as eating or writing. Essential tremor also may impact the head, vocal cords and tongue, and worsen stress and fatigue.

DBS surgery also may improve other movement symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as slowness of movement, stiffness or rigidity, and problems with walking and balance.

In the multi-stage procedure, electrodes are positioned in the brain and then a device that sends the electrical pulses to the electrodes is implanted under the collarbone. A thin wire is placed underneath the skin to connect the stimulator device to the electrodes.

"A critical piece of the surgery is positioning the electrodes in the precise location of the brain that is causing the tremors and other symptoms," said Dr. Carr. "CT scans or MRI scans are taken before and/or during the procedure to pinpoint the exact location and guide the lead and electrode placement."

Once activated, the pulse generator sends continuous electrical pulses to the target areas in the brain. The system operates much the same way as a pacemaker for the heart. The implanted generator is turned on by a hand-held device and the electrical pulses are adjusted until symptoms improve.

Several follow-up programming visits will be needed to fine-tune the stimulation sent to the brain to best relieve symptoms.

Before being considered a candidate for the therapy, patients must undergo an extensive evaluation process. Candidates for DBS are generally patients who meet these criteria:

Unlike other surgical options, an advantage of DBS therapy is that it is reversible; the device and electrodes can be turned off or surgically removed if the therapy does not work or it produces lasting side effects.

Boland, the area's only movement disorders specialist, said the team at Ascension Sacred Heart is using innovative wireless software to make DBS therapy more convenient and personalized. The Abbott device has U.S Food & Drug Administration approval for remote programming capabilities that will allow specialists to change the settings on the device while the patient is in their home.

This feature will save patients a trip to her neurology office in Pensacola.

For more information, visit ascension.org/sacredheartneuro.

More here:

Latest deep brain stimulation procedure to treat Parkinson's at Ascension Sacred Heart - The Northwest Florida Daily News

Few position groups on the Jacksonville Jaguars' roster entered 2021 with as much hype as the wide receiver room. Whether it was inside Jacksonville or on national pages, many pointed to the Jaguars' receiver group as a big plus for No. 1 overall pick and rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

But through six games, the Jaguars have seen dramatic change at the receiver position. After the entire team got off to a slow start through the air, the receiver room has seen its fair amount of shake-ups over the last three weeks as Lawrence has settled in and upped his game.

Losing DJ Chark to a season-ending ankle injury in Week 4 was the biggest change to a non-stop evolving receiver group, sending ripples across the entire unit. From Laviska Shenault to Jamal Agnew to Tyron Johnson, things changed for virtually every receiver not named Marvin Jones.

So, what is there to make of the Jaguars' wideouts sans Chark? How has the rest of the room stepped up or have to make adjustments in his absence? We break down the current picture of all three receivers, with help from Jaguars wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal, who spoke with Jaguar Report last week.

"I believe we're getting better. If you pull up game one to game now, the play intensity, that's the thing that jumps off the table most to me," Lal said.

"So we talked about we got to do better on scramble drills, of coming back to the ball. Trevor's such a good scramble quarterback, we can make some big plays in the scramble game. We want to get body on body, which means when a ball is caught, we turn and block someone ... So that and then continue our juice in the run game and attention to detail."

Shenault and Jones were each already starters for the Jaguars when Chark was injured, so his absence never meant they would see the field more frequently, even if it did change their roles. Instead, the player whose Chark's injuries opened up more playing time for has been kick/punt returner Jamal Agnew.

With Chark injured, Shenault has been moved to Chark's spot at the 'X' receiver spot, leaving the slot open for Agnew. Agnew has played offense before ... but not for long, spending his first three years in the NFL as a cornerback before moving to receiver last season.

"Relatively new to the position, but the intensity you see on his returns is how he's approached learning that position. So a real testament to him," Lal told Jaguar Report about his new starting slot receiver.

"Like he attacks in the classroom, he attacks a film study. He's really diligent on his techniques, he works on them extra. And then he does have the natural ability to make tough catches as we saw in this last game. He's just done a great job."

Agnew played sparingly on offense before Chark's injuries, playing just 28 offensive snaps during the first four games. And with the Lions as a full-time receiver last year, Agnew was on the field for just 199 snaps over a 16-game period (12.43 snaps a game). Over the last two games alone, Agnew has played 84 snaps (42 snaps per game). He has never seen a role with as much volume on offense as the one he is faced with now, but he has also never played better.

"It started in OTAs. You know, I thought, 'okay, here's a returner'. And most returners don't really want to play wideout. They want to either focus on returns or one of the other. He was 'like, no I'm gonna be a really good receiver in this league,' Lal said.

"And he showed glimpses in OTAs, he showed more in training camp and now he's really come on with the added reps.

As Lal explained, Agnew is the first slot receiver he has coached who "truly wants to do both" when it comes to excelling out of the slot and as a return man. He hasn't let himself become pigeonholed to any one role, even if he is arguably the NFL's best return man today.

That is a big reason Agnew has come on strong for the Jaguars in Chark's absence. Over the last two weeks, the former return specialist has caught 11 of 13 targets for 119 yards, leading the team in yards per route run (No. 39 in the NFL) during that period, per PFF.

Agnew's signature performance, of course, was against the Dolphins in Jacksonville's 23-20 win in Week 6. Agnew created multiple chunk plays for the Jaguars, but he did more than just give Lawrence a reliable outlet. Instead, the former cornerback gave the Jaguars some inside information that helped them prepare for the Dolphins' defense.

"I would say the thing that's lost is his defensive background. He can read coverages," Lal said. "Like this last game, they played the New England system, which they played in Detroit. So all week he was saying, 'oh, here's who they want to bracket and hey, if you go two yards inside the hash and turn your eyes back, they're going to undercut,' So he knows all the nuances because he was a defender in that system. So he can definitely bring that to his game."

No player in the Jaguars' offense has seen their role change more over the last month than Shenault. While Agnew has seen an increase in playing time, Shenault has been largely thrust into a different position altogether, moving from the slot and into Chark's role at the 'X' spot.

To give a reflection of just how much Shenault's role has changed, look no further than his snap counts. Per PFF, Shenault spent 151 snaps in the slot over the first four games, compared to just 31 on the outside. But over the last two weeks, that ratio has flipped. With Chark out of the lineup in Week's 5 and 6, Shenault played a combined 19 snaps in the slot, while spending 84 on the outside.

"Definitely becoming more professional about everything. He had to step into a position that he hasn't really played," Lal told Jaguar Report.

"He's now the X and with that formationally, we can move him into the slot, so now he's not only a slot but an X and all the nuances of playing that position are now things on his plate. He's done a great job of really being professional about studying and learning the position because it is pretty radically different than what he was doing."

What makes X so different from the slot in any offense is clear. Shenault is now being sent on deep routes more frequently and is seeing far many more isolation chances against cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage than he ever saw from the slot. He has had to fight cornerbacks to get open more frequently than he did from the slot, a byproduct of playing on the line of scrimmage compared to in the slot and without a cornerback getting their hands on him early.

That has led to extra challenges for Shenault, especially when it comes to separating. While the tape suggests that Shenault has struggled at times with the transition, Lal is confident in Shenault's trajectory and his willingness to attack the role.

"So extra film study, extra studying on the playbook, all that, he's so willing and he wants to -- he wants to move around even more," Lal said. "Every day he says well let me do this, let me do this. So we're taking it in steps but he's completely willing."

If there is one positive to point to when it comes to Shenault's recent play, though, it is his performance in high-pressure situations. Shenault caught three of the most important passes for the Jaguars against the Dolphins, converting two fourth-downs on scoring drives and gaining 12 yards on the second-to-last offensive play of the game while the Jaguars faced 3rd-and-20.

Shenault has had his bumps at X, but Lal has also seen him make clutch catches that proved to be difference-makers in a win -- things he hopes to see become a pattern with his young receiver.

"You can say many plays won us that game but those those were game winners. And then the last two catches to get us into field goal range, he caught both of them," Lal said.

"We were at 3rd-and-20 and he catches two catches and gets us 21 yards. Third and a fourth down. So he can be clutch. He has another step to go to be even more clutch because I know he can he do it."

When Chark went down with his ankle injury, many assumed that his natural replacement would be former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Tyron Johnson. After all, it was only a year ago that the speedy Johnson was one of the NFL's most dangerous and productive deep threats. Who better to take Chark's place as the team's field stretcher?

That hasn't exactly happened, however. Instead of playing a larger role, Johnson has been glued to the bench, playing only nine snaps in Week 4 (the week Chark was injured), losing out on snaps to Tavon Austin. The next week, Austin once again got snaps over Johnson, who played zero snaps. And in Week 6 against the Dolphins, Johnson was made a healthy scratch, not even making the active game day roster.

So, what exactly does Johnson need to do to see the field more, especially with the Jaguars missing their top deep threat in Chark? As Lal would explain, it comes down to attention to detail when it comes to Johnson's routes.

"Yeah, we just need him to run routes with the detail that we require in this offense. It's very specific in terms of splits, top of the route landmarks; you have to hit them on point with speed to have the play develop the way it should," Lal said. "And he's getting there but it's a work in progress right now."

That is one of the difficult parts of being a receiver, especially in the Jaguars' scheme. Things are moving at non-stop speed and passing windows close in the blink of an eye, especially when a rookie quarterback is the trigger man under center. As a result, that is the area Johnson will have to improve in if he wants to see a larger role in a post-Chark offense.

"It is just being disciplined when guys are running in front of you and you have to avoid, you still have to get to those landmarks and that's the challenge with that position," Lal said.

Originally posted here:

Agnew's Ascension, Shenault's New Role, and Johnson's Next Steps: Breaking Down the Jaguars' WRs - Sports Illustrated