Jacksonville Jaguars: 3 horrible stats that defined loss to Texans

3. The Jacksonville Jaguars gave up big plays at an alarming rate.

You can’t give up as many plays as Jacksonville’s defense did in Week 1 and expect to win. Cornerback Shaquill Griffin surrendered that 52-yard reception to wide receiver Brandin Cooks before halftime but he wasn’t the only Jaguar that struggled in coverage. C.J. Henderson just allowed one reception but it went for 32 yards. The same is true for safety Andrew Wingard, who surrendered just one pass but it traveled 29 yards.

The worst offender might have been rookie Tyson Campbell. The Georgia product gave up every single pass thrown his way, including a 40-yard completion. The Jaguars’ secondary should get a boost when Tre Herndon returns to the lineup. He’s currently nursing an MCL injury and is week-to-week. In the meantime, secondary coach Tim Walton needs to work with Campbell and help him improve his ball skills. The rookie has trouble tracking the ball when it’s on the air. Also, the team’s brass surely wants a better return from the investment they made in Griffin this offseason.

Then again, not everything falls on the back seven. Outside linebacker Josh Allen, who logged the Jaguars’ lone sack of the game, was their only defensive player that constantly applied pressure upfront. You can’t simply stop opposing quarterbacks if you don’t constantly rattle them and force them into making bad throws. Jacksonville’s front seven’s got to help the secondary moving forward. Having an efficient pass rush would help the back seven perform better.