3 Jacksonville Jaguars stats that explain head-scratching Week 15 loss

2. The Jacksonville Jaguars couldn’t pressure the Texans in Week 15.

This one was a bit surprising. The one thing the Jaguars have done well in 2021 is causing disruption at the line of scrimmage. Just last week, they pressured Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill 21 times and sacked him four times. However, they couldn’t bring the same kind of heat to Davis Mills in Week 15. The rookie out of Stanford completed 19 of 30 passes for 209 with two touchdowns and one interception. Moreover, he earned the first win of his NFL career.

All in all, the Jaguars’ defense registered a measly 15 pressures and one sack, courtesy of defensive tackle Malcom Brown. Against the Titans, defensive coordinator Joe Cullen dialed up blitzes from all over the field but he refrained from doing so against the Texans. Outside linebacker Josh Allen was one of the most dominant edge rushers in the middle of the season but has been relatively quiet in recent weeks.

Allen still posted a team-high four pressures against the Texans but hasn’t made any big plays, which is what you expect from the best player on your defense. Having said that, his teammates are supposed to step up and that hasn’t been the case either. Dawuane Smoot has played well but other than him, no other Jaguar consistently applies pressure throughout the year. It may not be a bad idea to draft Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux if Jacksonville clinches the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Jaguars are currently a 2-point underdog ahead of Week 16. If they want to have a shot at beating the Jets at MetLife Stadium, the defense will need to bounce back and pressure rookie Zach Wilson at a high rate.