Chris Clemons Has Emerged Post-Bye
By Luke Sims
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Chris Clemons was almost a non-factor for the Jacksonville Jaguars before the week 11 bye. He looked slightly better than a free agent bust.
For a player who was supposed to help revamp the Jaguars defensive line, proving to be the most effective pass rusher on the team, Clemons has been a bit of a letdown. For weeks 1-11, Clemons was graded by Pro Football Focus as the worst 4-3 defensive end in the NFL (among those taking 25+ of snaps). He either completely deceived everyone over the past nine seasons or the Jaguars were just terrible at judging talent. He came from Seattle where he had worked with Gus Bradley before. This was supposed to be a plug and play success.
Instead, we got terrible play after terrible play.
Maybe somebody talked to the underperforming defensive end or maybe he finally put it together that he needs to keep performing if he wants to keep making money, but Clemons has seemingly emerged following the bye week. He has rocketed up PFF’s grades to land in the top five over the past two games. He has racked up three sacks (tied for most among defensive ends), a QB hits, and five hurries (good for seventh). He’s tacked on five defensive stops in those two games as well (compared to just 15 over the previous ten weeks). He also hasn’t been flagged for anything yet, when he was averaging almost one a game before the break.
We’re only two weeks out from the bye, but Clemons may have turned a corner since joining the Jags. He may be emerging as the player we all hoped he could be when it was announced he was coming down.
If Clemons can keep his play up, the Jaguars’ already solid defensive line may end up among the best in the business. Right now, Clemons has the third best pass rushing percentage (PFF Signature stat) over the last two games. I desperately hope that he can keep it up.