Four Down Territory: How the Jaguars beat the Redskins

A win on Sunday over the Washington Redskins would give the Jacksonville Jaguars a victory in their home finale at TIAA Bank Field in 2018.

It’s been a strange week for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Coming off a 30-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans last Thursday night, the team was officially eliminated from the 2018 playoff picture. That did not stop the organization from making moves tot he roster on Friday, cutting veteran safety Barry Church and placing offensive lineman Josh Walker and linebacker Leon Jacobs on the injured reserve list.

This is a franchise in disarray but has a chance to bring some holiday cheer to the city with a victory over Washington this Sunday. A loss could put the wheels in motion for more changes at the top of the coaching staff as well as more roster cuts once the season is over Dec. 30.

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The Jaguars have lost eight of their last nine games. Washington has lost four games in a row and is holding onto a thread of a chance to make the NFC playoffs. Can Jacksonville play the spoiler and guarantee the Redskins will be home for the new year? We shall see.

Here are four keys to a Jaguars victory on Sunday over the Redskins.

First Down: Keep it simple – Run the football, control the clock leave quarterback Cody Kessler with manageable third down conversions.

It sounds simple and easy enough, but Jacksonville has scored a total of 212 points this season. That’s simply atrocious.

"“If Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette plays as well Sunday as he did last month in losses to Pittsburgh and Buffalo, the Jaguars’ offense has a chance to reach 20 points,” writes John Oehser of Jaguars.com. “If that happens, the Jaguars can win. If he plays as he did against Tennessee, it’s hard to see the Jaguars scoring enough to win.”"

Don’t count on it being easy, but it is possible.

Second Down: Stop the run – Another one of those easier said than done theories. Adrian Peterson has been a flat out beast this season and after getting run over by Derrick Henry last week, Jacksonville gets another stud thoroughbred thrown at them.

This week, hopefully, the defensive interior will be better prepared.

"“He’s 33 and he’s in his 12th NFL season. But the future Hall of Fame running back remains capable of big days, and the Redskins’ season-long rash of injuries mean he’s their best offensive option,” Oehser added."

Also, Peterson is 112 yards award from surpassing Eric Dickerson for eighth all-time on the career rushing list. Don’t let that happen in the Jaguars final home game of the season.

Third Down: Force turnovers into points – This does not mean the defense must score in this game, although it would be a big help. The defense does, however, need to pressure Josh Johnson early and often into mistakes.

Should Jacksonville be able to take away the Redskins running game, Johnson will be forced to throw the ball downfield, something he has not done a lot of in recent years.

Jacksonville was a second in the NFL with 33 turnovers last season. This year, they have 14 turnovers in 13 games.

I don’t need to spell this one out for you or the team. Take the ball away, set up scoring opportunities and keep Washington’s offense on the sidelines.

Fourth Down: Play with pride – OK, I am stealing this one from Oehser.

The Jaguars must make the last three games of the season about playing for urgency and pride. They must also find some continuity for something to build on this offseason. The results of the 2018 season aren’t even close to what they were in 2017.

For everything that is happening within the organization and how the players have underperformed this season, making the most of a bleak situation is the best this roster can do this week and beyond.