In week 15, there are two positional battles to watch in the Jacksonville Jaguars Jaguars vs New York Jets matchup: the Jaguars’ running backs and the outside cornerbacks. The Jaguars got a good look at three future stars in the Jaguars vs Titans matchup in week 14, and this week presents another opportunity to look at players who can make an impact in 2025 and beyond. For this week specifically, there are two positions and five players who take center stage.
Jaguars vs. Jets: What Are The Two Positional Battles To Watch For?
With the Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. playing an integral role every week, his importance to the Jaguars’ future success is set in stone. On the defensive side of the ball, Jarrian Jones was one of the key players to continue building around, thanks to his ball-hawking abilities and ability to make impact plays in every phase, which he showed against the Tennessee Titans in week 14. But defensively, Jones is only the slot cornerback. There are still two cornerback spots to fill, and the Jaguars will have their chance to get a good look at three defensive backs against a strong Jets wide receiver room.
The Jaguars Outside Corners vs Jets Wide Receivers
Coming into week 15, the Jets have been severely underwhelming. But, the one area where the offense continues to thrive is the wide receiver room. Davante Adams is still an incredible receiver as he nears the end of his career, while Garrett Wilson is a diamond in the rough Jets offense, while Allen Lazard also plays a supplementary role. With Aaron Rodgers at the helm, amid speculation the four-time MVP could be benched or released, the Jets passing attack isn’t nearly as scary as it looks on paper. However, the Jets receivers are still great and should not be underrated by the Jaguars corners, especially when they are playing for their future as starters on defense.
Jones will have whoever lines up in the slot, which will be a combination of all three receivers. Outside, Tyson Campbell, Ronald Darby, and Montaric Brown will try to contain the Jets receivers. Campbell is the most known commodity of this group, as he’s been very solid for the Jaguars when he’s healthy. But, his issue in 2024 has been staying on the field, and even when he’s on, he is still susceptible to allowing big games. Overall, with his massive contract extension in the offseason, Campbell will still be around in 2025. The other two corners are the most intriguing to pay attention to.
Over the past two seasons, Brown has filled in when one of the starters went down with an injury, and he’s done admirably. In 2024, Brown is the fourth highest-graded Jaguars defender according to Pro Football Focus and has the highest grade in coverage amongst all defensive backs. However, he has let up 450 yards and two touchdowns on the year. But, compared to the other option, he’s been a lot better.
Darby is the Jaguars’ other outside cornerback option, and his season has been much more disappointing than expected when he signed a deal in the offseason. He’s allowed 605 yards and five touchdowns on roughly the same targets as Brown. His 605 yards allowed is tied for fourth most in the NFL, while Brown is ranked 26th, just behind Jalen Ramsey. Darby will see less work, as the Jaguars have been starting Brown over him in recent weeks, which has coincided with the defense improving.
Overall, the Jaguars outside corners will be in the spotlight against the Jets. Campbell will have his outside corner role secured, while Brown will be fighting not just for the starting job this year but in 2025 as well. If Brown continues to play well down the stretch of the season, the Jaguars could decide to look elsewhere for their first-round draft selection, as cornerback has been one of the most popular selections for the Jaguars in mock drafts. Browns’ play can dictate a lot, from the NFL draft to the Jaguars’ offseason spending, if he finishes the year strong, he could be the Jaguars’ other starting outside corner in 2025.
Who Will Be the Jaguars Running Back of the Future?
Ever since he was drafted, Travis Etienne Jr. has been promised the starting role in Jacksonville. While his rookie year was cut down due to injury, he has been a great player for the Jaguars in the seasons since. Coming off a breakout in 2023, the Jaguars running back was poised to be a huge factor in the Jaguars season. But, between injuries and inconsistencies at quarterback and along the offensive line, the Jaguars run game has been severely lacking in 2024.
Etienne isn’t entirely to blame, but his play took a dip in 2024, and he is not quite the player he was in 2023. Outside of the aspects mentioned already, there is one major change to the Jaguars backfield in 2024: the emergence of Tank Bigbsy. In his rookie season, Bigsby had multiple blunders and moments that lost, or nearly lost, the Jaguars multiple games. He was plagued by rookie mistakes, and many had begun writing him off after such a rough start to his career.
However, in 2024, he got off to a strong start, rushing for 73 yards against the Miami Dolphins and then 90 yards against the Houston Texans in week four. He’s also had two games where he went over 100 yards, including 101 yards against the Indianapolis Colts and 118 yards against the New England Patriots. Both of those games were wins for the Jaguars, and there is a pattern throughout the year with his involvement and the Jaguars’ on-field success.
In games where Bigsby gets double-digit rushing attempts, the Jaguars either win or come agonizingly close to a win. The only losses were the week one crushing loss to Miami and the shootout loss to the Green Bay Packers. Another trend with Bigsby is a lot more clear: whenever Bigsby scores, the Jaguars win. In every win the Jaguars have had in 2024, Bigsby had at least one rushing touchdown.
Against the Jets, who have been struggling defensively since firing Robert Saleh, Bigsby should get the ball a lot. It should be a point of emphasis for the Jaguars: get the ball into Bigsby’s hands ten times at a minimum. According to PFF, Bigsby has the highest yards after contact among all running backs, with at least 20 percent of their team’s snaps, at 4.1 yards after contact. He’s living up to his namesake, acting like a tank when he faces contact.
To beat the Jets, the running backs will need to be heavily involved. Whether it’s Bigsby or Etienne, the Jaguars should use their running backs a lot on Sunday. But like the corners, the running back production will be meaningful for not just this week but for 2025 as well.
If Bigsby can continue his trend of being a great runner, he could completely supplant Etienne as the lead back for the rest of the season and into the 2025 season. They complement each other well, but with a stacked running back class in the draft and the Jaguars looking to make some changes, no one’s job is secure. It’ll be a fight for not just the end of the 2024 season but for their future as Jaguars. The running back room is the most intriguing positional battle to follow as the Jaguars’ 2o24 season comes to a close.
Positional Battles and Beating the Jets
The two go hand in hand. If the Jaguars running backs and the defensive backs can play at a high level Sunday, the Jaguars’ chances of winning skyrocket. The Jets haven’t shown the ability to close out games, which has been the Jaguars’ issue as well. However, the Jaguars season is just normally disappointing. The Jets are dealing with a slow car crash, watching as the team that was promised crashes with Rodgers leading the destruction.
To capitalize on that collapse, the Jaguars will need their corners to lock down the Jets wide receiver room, while the running backs will need to make way on the ground. A strong run game with Bigsby or Etienne leading the charge can be enough to beat the Jets. With the recent running back surge in the NFL, Bigsby or Etienne can have a much more profound role in the Jaguars’ future outlook.
Jaguars vs. Jets in week 15 might not be consequential for playoff seeding, but it has massive ramifications on the NFL draft and for the Jaguars’ future roster decisions. A strong day from the corners and running backs can affect a lot of the decision-making that the Jaguars will do in the offseason. The positional battle between the Jaguars’ cornerbacks and running backs will dictate not only the winner of the Jaguars vs. Jets matchup but also have massive ramifications for the future of those players and positions on the Jaguars team in 2025.
Main Image: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
