Jags’ defense playing in a league of its own
Yates must have offense operating in its fastest gear
It was a perfect storm, a combination of an aggressive pass rush and lockdown pass coverage that overwhelmed an overmatched Texans offense .
The devastating manner in which the Jacksonville Jaguars rocked the Texans with a franchise-record 10 sacks to launch the season during a 29-7 victory only provided a preview of the talented wrecking crew the AFC South leaders have assembled on defense.
They’re on the verge of a historic defensive season, doing something unprecedented by even the 1985 Chicago Bears and 2000 Baltimore Ravens. The Jaguars are three games away from becoming the first team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to finish first in scoring defense (15.5 points per game), sacks (47) and takeaways (30).
They rank second in the NFL to the Denver Broncos with 291.6 yards of total offense allowed per game. As problematic as the Jaguars were for the Texans in the opener, they’ve become an even bigger problem heading into a road game Sunday.
“Historically, the defenses that we’ve faced, where I’ve been, they’re one of the best,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “They have a good scheme. They play very fast and they play very aggressive. It’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
Quite a sack attack
At no level of their defense do the Jaguars come up short on gifted athletes and depth.
Their defensive line is headlined by end Calais Campbell, who has recorded a franchise-record 12½ sacks and had four sacks in the first game against the Texans. They have several excellent pass rushers besides Campbell, including Yannick Ngakoue, who has 11 sacks, Malik Jackson (seven), Dante Fowler (6½) and Marcell Dareus.
The Jaguars boast the only defense in the NFL to have four players with at least six sacks.
At 6-8 and 300 pounds, Campbell provides a massive, mobile and intimidating presence at the line of scrimmage.
“I think anyone who’s been around in this league for a long period of time knows how good of a player Calais is and his production there,” Jacksonville coach Doug Marrone said. “I think he brought a lot to our team as far as that veteran-type player who leads by example, always taking care of his body, really studying film.
“I think we’re fortunate to have good players around him and at times be able to free him up where he’s been able to do some good things for us. We have a pretty good rotation in there with the defensive line.”
Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ linebacking corps of Paul Posluszny, Telvin Smith and Myles Jack is fast and hard-nosed.
And they boast arguably the top cornerback tandem in the NFL in former Texans standout A.J. Bouye, who signed a five-year, $67.5 million free agent deal with Jacksonville in March, and former first-round draft pick Jalen Ramsey.
As the Texans’ replacement at quarterback with Tom Savage dealing with a concussion, T.J. Yates knows he’ll need to deliver the football fast and be decisive.
“It’s definitely going to be a point of emphasis for us,” Yates said. “We know what type of defense we’re going up against and how talented they are up front and in the backend, so we have to be sharp.
“Definitely the ball has to come out quick.”
Bouye tops picks parade
The Jaguars are the only defense in the past six seasons to have 30 or more takeaways and allow less than 205 points (202) through 13 games.
The Jaguars rank second in the NFL with 19 interceptions — with Bouye picking off six — along with 10 fumble recoveries as a defense.
“Well, obviously, it’s a very important statistic where it goes to winning and losing games,” Marrone said. “We’ve been able to get to the quarterback at times because of our coverage with the linebackers and the secondary and then at times, the secondary’s been able to hold up coverage-wise and force bad decisions or strip sacks or things of that nature.”
Blocking well vital
During the first game, the Texans’ offensive line had several instances where its blocking was so poor it whiffed on Campbell and Co. It got ugly fast, including Fowler returning a Ngakoue strip sack 53 yards for a touchdown.
The Texans have made strides in pass protection since that game overall and have given up 41 sacks overall.
“They’re obviously a great front seven, just like any front seven in the NFL,” Texans center Nick Martin said. “You just want to play a little bit better each week. I think we’ve been doing that.”