The Jacksonville Jaguars came agonizingly close to an historic victory against the Green Bay Packers during the opening weekend. However, they fell fifteen yards and fourteen seconds shy of getting their first win in a season opener since a 2011 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. Yes, there may have been some bright spots during the game — you can write that — but with a game against the depleted San Diego Chargers coming this Sunday, there are a few things that Gus Bradley will need to address if he wants to be at .500 by the end of the weekend.
Jacksonville Jaguars Week Two Keys to Victory
Get Pressure on Philip Rivers
So much hype was made about the Jacksonville Jaguars defense during the off-season, yet studs Malik Jackson and Dante Fowler Jr. were invisible in their debuts. The Jaguars didn’t record a single sack, takeaway or even a quarterback hit. For a Packers line which recently lost guard Josh Sitton, Sunday was a successful-enough outing for the front five. Considering Jacksonville was one of the biggest spenders during free agency, there was much left to be desired on opening day.
Run the Football Better
Chris Ivory was missing from duty on Sunday, and whilst T.J Yeldon ran the ball well against the Packers, there were many third-down situations the Jaguars longed for a big, bruising running back to gain the few yards necessary for a first down – a certain failed bubble screen late in the fourth quarter comes to mind.
Yeldon, who mustered one touchdown and only 39 yards due to lack of running holes, can’t be heavily faulted. While tackle Kelvin Beachum had a very good opening performance, the rest of the offensive line looked as though it needed further investment during the off-season. With Ivory out of the hospital, there’s hope that the running game won’t be so reliant on the weakest unit of the Jaguars’ roster. Best-case scenario, the ground game rejuvenates itself in Week 2.
Protect Blake Bortles
Blake Bortles has been hit more than any quarterback during the first three years of his career, and if the offensive line continues its subpar play, Bortles is on pace to be sacked 39 times by season’s end. The unit has to be better.
If the Jaguars can’t depend on their defense early, then they need to allow Bortles some more time in the pocket in order to propel this team into winning positions. If he continues to face pressure like he did against Green Bay, there will be more rushed throws that lead to turnovers like the seventeen interceptions he threw last season. If he finally gets some blocking, then the Jaguars may see more of the thirty touchdowns he threw in 2015 and less of the ugly passing plays.
Address Third Down Difficulties
The Jaguars defense will get off the field. The question, however, is when? The Packers managed to convert on 50 percent of their fourteen third downs last weekend. Offensively, Jacksonville put forth a dismal four-for-fifteen conversion percentage for the contest, leaving them ranked in the bottom fifteen percent in overall third down efficiency.
This must change if the Jaguars want to finally boast a winning record under Gus Bradley because despite having more total yards of offense than Green Bay, the team gained little to no momentum during the afternoon as they just couldn’t move the chains. If the Jaguars want to control the game in San Diego this weekend, they will have to spend less time punting the ball and more time controlling the clock. Simultaneously, the defense needs to get off the field to avoid getting torched by Philip Rivers and other talented skill players.
If these problems from last week’s defeat are suitably addressed, then there’s no reason as to why the Jacksonville Jaguars can’t win their first game of 2016 in San Diego.
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