The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos face off at Everbank Field this Sunday. The Jaguars are 2-9 coming off six straight losses. Denver came into the season hot with four wins in a row but have since cooled down, going 3-4 in their last seven games. Still Denver is the heavy favorite to beat Jacksonville on the road. It seems like every week the Jaguars find a new way to lose games. They have a slim chance to beat the Broncos and to do so, Jacksonville has to win the majority of the key player matchups in the game.
Key Jacksonville Jaguars vs Denver Broncos Player Matchups
Slow Down Von Miller
There are few if any players in the NFL that can stop Von Miller, so the Jaguars must scheme up ways to slow the pass rushing terror down. Jacksonville cannot leave their offensive tackles on an island and expect them to win more often than not against Miller. There ought to be at least two players on every passing down committed to blocking Von Miller.
The Jaguars should get the tight ends to crash down on Miller before they start their routes. When not using tight ends, Jacksonville running backs need to help the tackles out by chipping Von as he disengages from his blocker. Another way to slow down Miller would be to use slide protection towards him and have the running back cut block the other outside linebacker. The Jaguars could also implement more designed rollout plays away from Miller to buy Blake Bortles more time.
Malik Jackson vs Denver’s Interior OL
Malik Jackson has been great for the Jaguars this year even if the stats do not always reflect it. He has been a force rushing the passer and creating pressure from the interior of the offensive line. Denver chose not to resign Jackson in the off-season, so he will have added motivation this week to prove his former team made a mistake not bringing him back.
The Broncos are tied for fifth in the NFL with 31 allowed sacks, so their offensive line is one of the defending Super Bowl champions’ biggest weaknesses. Jackson has three sacks in the past two games, so the big defensive tackle seems to be hitting his stride in the second half of the season. Jackson should be familiar with the players and the offensive scheme he will be facing this week so look for him to be quick off the ball and dominant against his blockers.
Blake Bortles vs Himself
Blake Bortles’ third season in the NFL has been rough to say the least. He has made terrible decisions throwing the ball and has cost his team dearly in clutch situations. Bortles’ accuracy has been an issue all season long, and the Jaguars’ receivers’ production has taken a nosedive as a result. His throwing mechanics are bad, but his problems cannot be fixed in month long off-season practices with quarterback gurus.
Bortles’ shortcomings on the field are a result of the mental aspect of the quarterback position. His confidence is low. Bortles reads defenses too slowly, and he also still makes boneheaded decisions that rookie quarterbacks commit. Jacksonville needs their quarterback to mentally mature and play at the level he displayed at times last season. Bortles can play good football and make the wow throws that franchise quarterbacks are supposed to make. Everyone has seen him do so, but Bortles must take it upon himself to grow as a player and limit the continuous bad choices he has made over the past 11 games.
