Jaguars look to stifle the Texans ground game on Sunday

Can the Jacksonville Jaguars once again stop the opposing run game on their way to a victory on Sunday?

The Jacksonville Jaguars did not make a move at the NFL trade deadline this season. As they prepare for the Houston Texans in a critical AFC South showdown in London, the team is now focused on Sunday’s game and looking to stop the run. It’s something the defensive front has improved on in the past three weeks.

"“We have a lot of guys who are stepping up and doing a good job,” Marrone said. “I think it shows that when we’re fitting things properly and doing our job, obviously it’s a difficult scheme to run the ball against,” Doug Marrone said via Jaguars.com.“… Some guys have been stepping up. …We’ve got guys who are stepping up on the inside and doing a good job of creating some penetration at the line of scrimmage and being able to get off blocks and make plays. At the end of the day, it’s a trend we work extremely hard at and we want to keep it going.”"

The Jaguars suffered a huge loss when defensive tackle Marcell Dareus was placed on the I.R. with a core muscle injury that required surgery. He could be back before the end of the season. In his place, Taven Bryan played a solid game against the New York Jets. The team has been using Calais Campbell inside at tackle, with both Josh Allen and Yannick Ngakoue on the outside.

Abry Jones had his best game of the season this past weekend against the New York Jets. The Jaguars also worked Dawuane Smoot into the rotation both inside at tackle and on the edge. He recorded a sack in the game and has been playing his best football this season.

The Jaguars have had issues stopping the run. This is an area the coaching staff must address.