The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Week 15 with a chance to make the playoffs but their margin for error is slim. Lose one game and you’re pretty much out, which could turn out to be a tall order when you take into account that their next opponent is the 10-3 Dallas Cowboys.
Head coach Doug Pederson is aware of the importance of this game. He met with the local media Friday and talked about what it means for the team:
“We’re playing for our lives, we’re playing to stay alive”, Pederson said. “This is gonna be a great atmosphere. I can’t stress it enough, if you don’t get up for these games, against good players, you might need to think about doing something else. As coaches and players, these are great games to play in and it’s gonna take a whole lot to keep the energy up in this one”.
The Jaguars are coming off a solid decisive over the Tennessee Titans but they’ve managed to win games in consecutive weeks just once this season. If they want to start their second winning streak, they’ll need to follow these three keys against the Cowboys.
3. The Jaguars front seven must get after Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
Outside linebacker Travon Walker had a career game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, registering a strip sack and three total tackles. But his status for the Cowboys game is in question due to an ankle injury. If Walker is unavailable, defensive ends Dawuane Smoot and Arden Key will then get more snaps.
Whether the former Georgia Bulldog is good to go, defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell must find a way to manufacture pressure up front. In particular, the trio of Folorunso Fatukasi, Roy Roberston-Harris, and DaVon Hamilton must create pressure from the inside. Even if they can’t get to Dak Prescott, they need to disrupt his timing and make him as uncomfortable as possible.
2. The Jaguars’ offensive line must slow down Micah Parsons
Week 14 marked the sixth time the Jaguars’ offensive line didn’t allow a sack this season. Although the group has struggled at times, they’ve also done a good job of protecting Trevor Lawrence for most of the year. In fact, they rank fourth in pass-blocking efficiency. On the other hand, their Pro Football Focus’ run grade is the worst in the league.
Next on the Jags’ slate is linebacker Micah Parsons, who has a legitimate shot at becoming the Defensive Player of the Year. Parsons is the kind of player that can do it all and must be accounted for on every single play. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor will try to look for ways to minimize his impact and he needs to do it without overlooking defensive end Demarcus Lawrence.
One way to contain Parsons and Lawrence is crafting a balanced game plan. Get Travis Etienne involved early in the game and get the running game going. As good as the Jags’ offense was against the Titans, they couldn’t get their running game going. Some of it was due to the matchup they had but Taylor told the local media Thursday that establishing the run will be a point of emphasis against the Cowboys.
Working in the Jags’ favor is that right guard Brandon Scherff will suit up even though didn’t practice for most of the week and was limited on Friday. Not having the five-time Pro Bowler would be a huge blow to the Jags but head coach Doug Pederson told the media he’ll be ready to go and isn’t too worried he didn’t attend practice.
1. Trevor Lawrence needs help from his supporting cast in Week 15
Trevor Lawrence had a career game against Tennesee, posting a 71.43 percent completion rate for 368 yards with three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and no interceptions. But this is far from the only outstanding outing he’s had since Week 9.
Over the last five games, Lawrence completed 71.82 percent of his passes for 1,362 yards with ten touchdowns and no interceptions. He didn’t put up great numbers against the Detroit Lions in Week 14, going 17-of-31 for 179 yards with one touchdown but it’s important to point out that he didn’t get much help from his supporting cast in that game. His receivers dropped four passes and couldn’t reel in a few others that could’ve helped the Jags move the chains.
For comparison, Jacksonville was credited with just two drops against Tennessee and they were by wide receiver Zay Jones, who caught eight passes on 11 targets. Similarly, tight end Evan Engram, who had a drop against Detroit, bounced back against the Titans, hauling in 11 receptions for 162 yards with two touchdowns.
Based on Lawrence’s learning curve in recent weeks, he should be able to move the ball against cornerback Trevon Diggs and the rest of the Dallas secondary. However, he can’t do it all alone, and all the Jaguars’ skill-position players must come through to keep their playoff hopes alive for one more week.