Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans: Pro Football Focus Recap

Dec 5, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis (89) catches a 41-yard pass between Houston Texans strong safety D.J. Swearinger (36) and linebacker Darryl Sharpton (51) in the first quarter at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars got the weekend off after defeating the Houston Texans at home on Thursday 27-20. The Jaguars probably had their best all-around performance of the season despite almost succumbing to Matt Schaub’s comeback attempt in the fourth quarter. The offense continues to show flashes despite less-than-stellar quarterback play and the defense delivered another strong performance. With 4 wins, the Jaguars have most certainly exceeded their expectations for this season.

Let’s take a look at the grades provided by our friends at Pro Football Focus. Here’s how week 14 played out according to PFF:

Best Overall Offensive Grades:  Maurice Jones-Drew (+2.1), Cameron Bradfield (+1.9), Ace Sanders (+0.5)

Maurice Jones-Drew had by far his best game of the season before leaving with an injury. His 48 yard run was his longest of the season and he showed more burst and power than he has in any previous game. Hopefully his injury isn’t too serious because he was just starting to provide consistent production. Cameron Bradfield’s presence at the top of the grades is shocking, but he was solid in pass protection and only gave up one QB hurry. Ace Sanders is quickly becoming a favorite target of Chad Henne and is proving to be a reliable player in the slot. He only got 26 yards on 3 receptions, but most of those yards were after the catch.

Best Overall Defensive Grades:  Paul Posluszny (+2.5), Tyson Alualu (+1.4), Ryan Davis (+1.1)

Paul Posluszny and his run defense (+2.8) was a big reason why the defense only gave up 53 yards to Ben Tate on the ground.  The Jaguars continue to frustrate opposing running backs and Thursday was no different. Tyson Alualu has been solid over the last several weeks and he provided a decent pass rush on Thursday night with a combined 4 QB hits and hurries. Ryan Davis has been terrific since being called up from the practice squad and got to the quarterback with two sacks.

Most Disappointing Grades: Will Rackley (-4.5), Mike Brown (-2.1), Austin Pasztor (-1.6), Dwayne Gratz (-2.9), J.T. Thomas (-1.9), Johnathan Cyprien (-1.2)

Will Rackley found himself with the worst grade again thanks to a poor pass blocking grade (-4.4). He was responsible for 2 QB hits and a hurry in addition to committing a penalty. Austin Pasztor also had his troubles pass blocking, but the offensive line as a whole had a tough time against a pretty good Houston defensive front. Mike Brown was credited with two drops which significantly hurt is receiving grade.

Gratz, Thomas, and Cyprien all received poor pass coverage grades which dominated their overall grades. Gratz got 12 balls thrown in his direction and he allowed 7 of them to be caught, but he only allowed 18 yards after the catch. J.T. Thomas had a hard time covering tight end Garrett Graham, giving up 2 catches on 2 targets for 37 yards. Cyprien was involved on the touchdown pass to Graham and gave up 5 receptions on 8 targets overall.

Other notes:

• Marcedes Lewis is usually more dominant blocking than receiving, but on Thursday his pass grade (+1.3) was higher than his run blocking grade (-1.4). He’s found a nice spot in this offense as a receiver and should be utilized even more effectively with a better quarterback.
• Henne was by no means awful (-1.0 overall), but he was ineffective for a majority of the game. He had a couple nice throws throughout the game to Sanders and Shorts, but he still can’t be relied upon to consistently move the chains.

– Daniel Lago

Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89