3 takeaways from Jaguars discouraging loss to Chiefs in Week 10

2. The Jaguars’ defense has regressed considerably in recent weeks

Head coach Doug Pederson has often talked about the importance of playing complementary football. While he’s mostly referring to the offense and defense, it also applies to all the position groups on both sides of the ball.

You can’t do a good job of rushing the passer only to allow your secondary to get torched. Similarly, cornerbacks can only hold their coverage for so long and the front seven must do a good job of dominating the line of scrimmage.

The Jaguars have at times struggled to generate pressure at the line of scrimmage and others to defend the back end. But against the Chiefs, the whole defense was overwhelming. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins did force a fumble and safety Andre Cisco registered an interception

However,  the defensive line couldn’t contain Patrick Mahomes and often gave him enough time to find his receivers. Similarly, wide receivers Kadarious Tooney, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were often open and that falls squarely on the secondary’s shoulders.

All things considered, Jacksonville’s defense has regressed in recent weeks. Sure, they’re once again creating takeaways but they’ve had a hard time stopping the pass and the run. To make matters worse, their tackling hasn’t been optimal, and have given up several big plays in recent weeks. Their dominant performances in Weeks 2 and 3 now look like a thing of the past.

The Jaguars will next have their Bye Week and if there was ever a good time to make adjustments, this is it.