3 encouraging stats from the Jaguars win vs. Raiders in Week 9

2. The Jaguars’ defense allowed 0 points in the 2nd half of Week 9

Early in the game, the Jags had no answer for wide receiver Davante Adams, who caught nine passes on nine targets for 146 yards in the first half. In fact, cornerback Tyson Campbell struggled to keep up with him. But the Jags’ defense played with a sense of urgency in the second half and shut out the Raiders’ offense after giving up 20 points in the first half. Similarly, they held Adams to one catch for zero yards on eight targets in the second half.

You could argue that the Raiders have been a trainwreck this season but the Jacksonville defense also deserves praise for waking up and keeping them in check when they could have easily waved the white flag. On the other hand, it’s important to point out that the Jags had a few breaks. If Derek Carr had gone through his progressions, he would’ve torched Jacksonville’s back seven. Here’s one such example.

What’s impressive about Week 9 is that the Jaguars were able to make the necessary adjustments, something they’ve struggled to do this year. Back in Week 6, they had no answer for Matt Ryan and the Colts. Similarly, Daniel Jones and Russell Wilson got the best of their secondary in Weeks 7 and 8, respectively. But they showed against Las Vegas that they won’t give up and that they can adapt.

Moving forward, the Jaguars’ defense will need to start off strong. They were able to come back against the Raiders but they might have a hard time repeating the feat against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10.