Sacksonville needs refortification
JACKSONVILLE — One of the least concerns defensive coordinator Todd Wash had going into this season was his defensive front’s ability to pressure the quarterback.
He expected they would resume where they left off last season when the unit helped the Jaguars finish second behind Pittsburgh with 55 sacks.
Yet despite having Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, Marcell Dareus and Abry Jones all back this season, they have not been able to perform at the same level as they did in 2017.
Going into Sunday’s game against the Steelers (6-2-1) at TIAA Bank Field, the Jaguars (3-6) have only 19 sacks after nine games and rank near the bottom of the league at 27th.
“We need some guys to win more one-on-one battles when we get them,” Wash said. “If we’re not doing that, obviously I’ve got to be able to bring some pressure in a variety of different ways.”
The Jaguars don’t have a player ranked among the top 28 in sacks in the league.
After the first nine games last season, the Jaguars had registered 35 sacks, including two franchise-record 10-sack performances against Houston in Week 1 and Indianapolis in Week 7.
After nine games this season, Campbell, an All-Pro selection in 2017, has recorded only five sacks but shares the team lead with Ngakoue, who didn’t get his first sack of the season until Week 4 against the New York Jets.
Last season, Campbell had already registered 11 of his franchise-record 14.5 sacks after first nine games last season.
“We got to get more sacks and that’s something I put upon myself to go out there and do more,” Campbell said. “At the same time, it’s hard. Teams know we rush the passer well, so they chip and do everything else. But at the same time, we get paid to fight through all the mess and get it done regardless. For us to get on this run and win this next game, we’ve got to get pressure on the quarterback.”
Last season, Ngakoue had registered 6.5 of a career-high 12 sacks after the first nine games, which included four games with multiple sacks.
All-Pro defensive tackle Jackson has only one sack so far, but he achieved four of his eight sacks before Week 10 last season.
“Of course, it’s a personal thing because I consider myself a pass rusher,” Jackson said. “And to not be able to do that makes me upset, but it motivates me. We have to make sure we take ownership of it.”
Despite Wash spending more time working with the defensive line, they failed to get a sack last week against Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
But in two games against the Colts last season, they totaled 14 sacks.
“Stats and numbers don’t mean a lot right now,” Ngakoue said. “The only stat I care about is winning.”
The Jaguars thought their depth was strong enough to offset their decision to trade backup defensive end Dante Fowler to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2019 third-round pick and fourth-round pick in 2020. Fowler was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason after the Jaguars declined to exercise his fifth-year option.