The Jaguars defensive line must put pressure on Baker Mayfield

The Jaguars’ defensive line must keep Baker Mayfield in the pocket.

The 1-9 Jaguars don’t have a lot on the 7-3 Cleveland Browns. The Browns have a great defense and run game, and the passing game is okay. Over the past few weeks, the Browns have increased their percentage of run plays to passing plays. So unfortunately for the Jaguars, the odds are currently against them. But if they can find a way to put consistent pressure on Baker Mayfield, they might be able to affect other areas of the team.

For a good part of the season, Mayfield still seemed to struggle with his progression as a pro quarterback. But in the last three games the Browns have played, Mayfield hasn’t thrown a single interception—granted, he has been throwing less.

Mayfield is still has a lot of flaws and the biggest way to rattle him is for the Jaguars’ defensive line to continue to put pressure on him and force him to stay in the pocket. Mayfield does well at improvising on the field—rolling out of the pocket to sail a pass downfield or extend the play on his feet.

The Jaguars must force him to stay within the pocket. Mayfield still continuously struggles with his footwork, often throwing an unstable base. Consistently smacking him down will hurt his confidence and force him to make mistakes.

The Jaguars are going to need to put more effort into their defensive line if they have any hope of stopping the Browns at home on Sunday (Nov 29).

Defensive end Dawuane Smoot is having his best season yet in terms of pressures. He has seven QB hurries, 1.5 sacks, and 10 QB hits but it’s going to take a collective effort from Smoot, DaVon Hamilton, Doug Costin, Adam Gotsis, and K’Lavon Chaisson to put the pressure on Mayfield and keep him in check.