Jacksonville Jaguars defense must tighten up, fix mistakes vs Broncos

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to give Andre Cisco more snaps.

Last week, Joe Cullen told the media rookie Andre Cisco and Andrew Wingard would alternate at safety. In the end, Wingard got the starting nod and most of the defensive snaps. Cisco got the field in the third quarter but the case could be made that he should have entered earlier.

Wingard missed a pair of tackles and gave up a big play. Also, he finished the game with a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 58.9. Moving forward, the Jaguars are better off rolling with Cisco. He may also give up a few big plays at first but he has a higher ceiling than Wingard. The Syracuse product showed flashes in the preseason and even posted the highest Pro Football Focus grade among rookie safeties.

Heading into the game, it’s fair to wonder if Cisco will start or if he will get more playing time at least. Cullen just said he’s getting better. Maybe he isn’t fully ready but is Wingard the better alternative? One thing is certain, the former Orangeman hasn’t had any setbacks after he underwent ACL surgery.

Head coach Urban Meyer said after Week 1 that the coaching staff has the 2021 third-round pick on a pitch count. But the fact that Wingard struggled in Week 1 should prompt them to give Cisco more snaps against the Broncos. Maybe the Jags want to wait a bit more before giving him a bigger role on defense but if Wingard struggles once again, they will have no option but to go with Cisco in Week 3.