Can Brian Thomas Jr.'s return help Jaguars' struggling offense?

Can Brian Thomas Jr.'s return help Jaguars' struggling offense? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As the Jacksonville Jaguars get ready for their Week 13 game against the Tennessee Titans, they received both good and bad injury news on Friday. The bad news is that defensive end Travon Walker will miss the game. The good news is that receiver Brian Thomas Jr. will return to the lineup.

Tom Pelissero reported Jacksonville's injury situation on Friday afternoon.

Thomas has missed Jacksonville's last three games. The team did fine with him sidelined, going 2-1. That said, Jacksonville's offense, and particularly its passing game, has been rough. In the three games Thomas missed, quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 60% of his passes for 567 yards with five touchdowns, five interceptions and a 78.0 passer rating.

Thomas, while not without his flaws, should help open the field up more. Even having missed the last three games, Thomas' 30 receptions and 420 yards are only slightly behind Parker Washington, who leads the team in both receptions (35) and receiving yards (421). If nothing else, Thomas' return gives opposing defenses another viable threat to think about.

Additionally, Thomas is coming back at the perfect time.

The Titans are an NFL-worst 1-11. That should be a good team for Thomas to work any possible rust off against. After that, the Jaguars will enter a stretch of four games that include two against the division-leading Indianapolis Colts and another against the 9-2 Denver Broncos. At 7-4, the Jaguars enter Week 13 one game behind the Colts in the AFC South and are in a logjammed AFC Wild Card picture.

For the Jaguars to have a chance to win the division or at least secure a Wild Card spot, they'll need to be firing on all cylinders through that stretch. Getting Thomas back should help an offense and quarterback that both need a jolt.