If you could pick with certainty one game the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to win, it was the one against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12. However, the Jags ended up losing 21-14 even though the Falcons were coming off a two-game streak and had scored a combined three points in their last two games.
If the Jaguars want to keep up with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13, they will need to fix the following three issues that popped up against the Falcons and have persisted in recent weeks.
Concerning Jaguars issue No. 1 – The Jaguars gave up 149 rushing yards.
As recently as Week 9, the Jaguars’ had a stout run defense but that is no longer the case. Against Atlanta, they had no answer for wide receiver/running back Cordarelle Patterson and gave up 149 rushing yards to the Falcons. To make matters worse, this wasn’t an outlier. This is the third straight week in which they let opposing teams go over 100 yards rushing.
From Week 6 to Week 9, Jacksonville’s defense gave up an average of 72 rushing yards. In the last three games, they’ve surrendered 149. Josh Allen told the local media cited overrunning blocks and playing too thick on the block as reasons for not being able to stop Patterson in Week 12.
The silver lining is that the Jaguars have allowed less than 200 passing yards in three of their last four games. Then again, it may not matter much since they went on to lose those three matchups. The Jags’ offense is struggling more than the defense but that doesn’t give them a free pass and the two units have played a factor in the team’s most recent three-game skid.
The Los Angeles Rams rank 24th in rushing yards heading into Week 13. They have tallied fewer than 100 rushing yards in three of their last four games. This will be a good chance for the Jaguars’ run defense to get back on track. They can’t put it to waste.
Concerning Jaguars issue No. 2 – Two costly penalties in a key drive.
Penalties have been a common theme for the Jaguars this season, and Week 12 was no different. Although they were flagged a ”manageable” six times, many of those penalties came at key moments. In particular, right tackle Jawaan Taylor’s was flagged twice and both times came with the game on the line.
Trailing 21-11 with 12:57 left in the fourth quarterback, the Jags got hot and drove from their own 10-yard line to Atlanta’s 19. Things were looking bright for them but Taylor was then flagged for a false start, which moved Jacksonville back to the Falcons’ 24-yard line. Sure, no problem, the Jaguars ended up getting a first down and got to the 6-yard line. Again, the right tackle was flagged, this time though it was an offensive holding, which cost Jacksonville’s offense ten yards.
The Jaguars went on to attempt three passes. All of them were incomplete and had to settle for a field goal and came out with three points instead of seven. This changed the dynamic of the game. Down 21-14, they had another drive to tie the game in their last possession but they had to score a touchdown. They would have had better odds of tying the game if they only had to kick the field goal.
Of course, Taylor wasn’t responsible for the Jaguars’ three incompletions preceding the field goal but he didn’t help matters.
Concerning Jaguars issue No. 3- The Jaguars trailed once again.
It’s become a recurring theme for the Jaguars to trail by more than 10 points by the time halftime. In Week 12, they were trailing 21-3 by the third quarter, and the week before, they were down 20-3 by halftime. There’s no doubt the Jaguars’ offense has struggled in 2021 but the defense isn’t making their job any easier, having to play catch up in each of the last three weeks.
It was the same thing against the Indianapolis Colts. Although Indy let the Jags come back and the final score was 23-17, the game was 17-0 by the first quarter. Jacksonville deserves credit for allowing just six games the rest of the game and getting within striking distance of the Colts. Nevertheless, they wouldn’t have to get back in the game if they didn’t let opposing teams score at will in the first two quarters.
In Week 8, things snowballed pretty quickly. The Seattle Seahawks scored 24 unanswered points before the Jaguars put some points on the scoreboard. They lost running back James Robinson to a heel injury in that game but you can’t blame him for the team’s defensive woes.
The Jaguars’ defense has some pieces and has previously shown they can perform at a high level. In fact, the unit played a big role in the team’s two wins this season. They just have to be more consistent. As Josh Allen said after the loss to the Falcons, they need to find what the problem is and move on.