Jacksonville Jaguars Secondary Injuries Hurt the 2014 Season

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary has been decidedly worse over the last couple of games.

After losing Alan Ball with a biceps injury (week seven) and Will Blackmon (week eight) with a finger injury, the already thin Jaguars’ secondary got substantially thinner.

Both players are on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Both players were veterans in the system.

Both players provided consistency (though not spectacular) play at their positions on the outside and at nickel, respectively.

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Since their injuries, the Jaguars have allowed a whole lot more yards through the air after improving each week since week five. Two games (weeks seven and eight) saw the Jaguars hold opponents below 200 yards passing.

Weeks nine and 10, however, saw increases to nearly 250 yards passing in both contests.

Blackmon, never an every down player, topping out at 64 of 70 snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week five. He was, however, a consistent defender at his nickel position. His loss (which has provided for some great tweeting for those who follow him) hasn’t been as big of an impact as Ball’s, but it has forced a loss at safety depth as Sherrod Martin is moved from safety to the nickel position to cover for him. Martin has proven more adept than Blackmon so far, allowing 71.4% of passes thrown his way to be caught with an average of 5.2 yards after the catch compared to Blackmon’s 75.7% of catches allowed with 6.1 yards after the catch. The sample size, of course, is much lower. Martin is allowing longer per catch averages (15.4), however by about three yards.

Ball’s loss on the outside is the big one to focus on, though.

Ball has been a journeyman corner during his career but he has had some good seasons, including a relatively positive season last year with the Jaguars. Since his injury, Dwayne Gratz has been playing in his place. Gratz was demoted following an injury and poor play earlier in the season and was replaced by Demetrius McCray who has played solidly, if unspectacularly on the outside.

Since replacing Ball, Gratz has allowed 53.8% of passes thrown his way to be completed (26th in the league) but has allowed a staggering 26.7 yards average per catch (third worst in the league). Ball was allowing 10.2 yards per catch, 17th best in the league). He’s also been burned for two touchdowns (tied for fourth worst in the league).

Ball and Blackmon weren’t exceptional players at their positions, but losing them has forced some less than desirable changes along the secondary, particularly in Ball’s case. Gratz simply has to play better and Martin needs to continue to play decently in the nickel corner slot (despite being a safety). However, both players are allowing per catch averages that are far too high. 15 yards and 23 yards per average hurts the Jaguars way too much and it’s that kind of play that ruins strong defensive stands and turns third and 10 into first downs or (even worse) touchdowns.

Thanks to Pro Football Focus for the in depth numbers.