Dominant defense unlocks Jacksonville’s revival
Mix of young talent, newcomers elevates dud to contender
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man of many talents, including leveling quarterbacks and flinging creative insults at opponents, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson also fashions himself an amateur neologist.
Recognizing that linemen notch so-called coverage sacks when excellent defense downfield forces the quarterback to hold on to the ball longer, Jackson wants to introduce a term that accounts for, in effect, the inverse — when pressure coaxes poor throws that are intercepted.
“We couldn’t do it without those guys, and they couldn’t do it without us,” Jackson said. “We get coverage sacks and they get — what do they get? How about D-line interceptions? That’s what I want it to be known as.” So it has been decreed. Whatever the nomenclature, the Jaguars amass a lot of sacks and record a lot of interceptions. They also — just ask them — do a lot of other things exceedingly well on defense. And when they do them, they enjoy reminding their opponents.
“We’re not the old Jags,” Jackson said after a recent practice. “We’re going to smack you in the mouth and see what you want to do about it. Then once we do that, we let you know that we smacked you in the mouth.”
This confluence of personnel and personality has produced the type of snarling, opportunistic defense that Jacksonville, despite fruitful drafts and free-agency binges, has long coveted but never attained.
The Jaguars nearly became the first team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to lead the league in takeaways, sacks and scoring defense, finishing a close second in each category. That stinginess, coupled with a clock-consuming offense headlined by the NFL’s best rushing attack, powered Jacksonville (10-6) to its first playoff berth since 2007 and its first division title since 1999.
The Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon in a matchup of longtime playoff outsiders.
“We’re built to match up with any team,” safety Barry Church said. “From Tom Brady, where they like to do quick stuff and crossing routes, to a guy like Ben Roethlisberger, who likes to develop things and let the play extend, like Russell Wilson as well. We’re going to get tested in the playoffs, but we’re excited for that.” Several seasons in the making
As Church hinted, the Jaguars were constructed in a specific way: to counter the increasing diversity of pass-oriented offenses. Their unit is loaded at every level — elite cornerbacks, speedy linebackers and ferocious rushers.
The assembly spanned seasons. It was initiated by general manager David Caldwell and accelerated by the first-year head of football operations Tom Coughlin, who was hired a year ago to restore the franchise he shepherded from expansion to contender back to prominence.
No matter how much young talent Jacksonville had procured, its annual spending splurges tended to promote the same reactions, and results, every year: optimism in the spring and summer but despair in the fall and winter. Investing nearly $184 million in guaranteed money from 2014 to 2016, the most in the NFL, according to ESPN, yielded all of 11 victories.
An exceptional draft in 2016, in which the Jaguars with their first three picks landed budding stars — shutdown cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Myles Jack and pass-rushing dynamo Yannick Ngakoue — helped clarify their needs last offseason. Todd Wash, the defensive coordinator, said they prioritized three areas: another cornerback to play opposite Ramsey; a big defensive end capable of rushing the quarterback and setting the edge against the run; and a versatile safety to upgrade their coverage.
The missing components identified, Jacksonville went and lured them all — on the first day of free agency. Beyond the money, the cluster of young talent incentivized cornerback A.J. Bouye, defensive end Calais Campbell and Church to sign.
Together they have supplemented production — Campbell’s 14½ sacks tied for second in the league, while Bouye (six interceptions) and Church have helped anchor the secondary — with accountability and professionalism.
Coach Doug Marrone called the newcomers essential leaders and conduits in the locker room. Compared to Seahawks
The mileposts have come at regular intervals: a season-opening 10-sack bonanza at the Texans; a five-interception windfall against Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh in Week 5; a shutout at Indianapolis; a smothering showing against Wilson and the Seahawks, who a week earlier had stomped NFCleading Philadelphia.
Wash coaches his group to play “on the edge” and “to the echo of the whistle,” much as he did in Seattle, where he tutored the Seahawks’ defensive line in 2011 and 2012 before following Gus Bradley, Marrone’s predecessor, to Jacksonville. These Jaguars, from their Cover 3 scheme to their brash comportment, evoke a less proven version of the Seahawks’ defense that over the past few seasons has set a standard for excellence.
Jacksonville has yielded 4.82 net passing yards per pass play (passing yards minus sack yardage divided by total pass plays), the fourth fewest since 2002, according to sports data service Sportradar.
The three teams ahead of them: the 2002 Buccaneers (won the Super Bowl), the 2008 Steelers (won the Super Bowl) and the 2009 Jets (lost in the AFC championship game).
“It’s hard to say that we don’t potentially have the tools to be as dominant for the next couple of years as those guys,” said safety Tashaun Gipson, referring to Seattle. “When you play the Seahawks, you think defense. It’s the staple of what a great defense should look like. Hopefully the comparisons will be null and void, and the Jacksonville Jaguars will be the premier defense for years to come.”