3 encouraging stats from the Jaguars dominant Week 17 win vs. the Panthers

1. The Jaguars missed just 6 tackles one week after failing 15

Tackling has been an issue for the Jaguars in recent weeks. In the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they missed a concerning 15. The previous three games, all losses, they also missed at least 12. Even worse, defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell told the media that he wasn't sure what the issue was.

How can you fix something if you don't know what's wrong? It looks like Jacksonville found the root of the problem, as they only missed six tackles against Carolina. While head coach Doug Pederson says the team still needs to clean up a few things, he was pleased for the most part with the defensive showing.

"I thought today they responded well, had the shutout, and really played a solid football game. I'm sure there's there's gonna be some things to clean up you know, as we look at this film, but the defense responded and played a really good game today," Pederson told the media after the win.

You could make the case that the shutout stood more, or the team relentlessly bringing the heat to Bryce Young. The defense's 21 total pressures, along with six sacks, most definitely deserve lots of attention but that is a bit byproduct of going against a bad offensive line. Tackling on the other hand is a matter of execution and coaching, that's why it's worth recognizing the defense's clean performance.

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