Following another Jacksonville Jaguars loss, their playoff hopes are gone. The question for the Jaguars is what can be gained from the final games in 2024. Coming off the bye, and the first game following the Jaguars vs Detroit Lions embarrassment, the Jaguars couldn’t complete the comeback against the Houston Texans.
Another Jacksonville Jaguars Loss: What’s Left to Play For in 2024?
In what was a crushing loss, the Jaguars fell to the Texans 23 to 20. There were two keys to victory for how the Jaguars could beat the Texans, they were protecting Trevor Lawrence and getting pressure on C.J. Stroud. Lawrence was protected in his limited playtime and the offensive line held up for Mac Jones. But the pass rush wasn’t nearly as good as it should’ve been. With the pass rush being a massive part of the defense for Jacksonville, the team needs production from their stars if they want to succeed in the future.
There are two main components on defense that the Jaguars need to see improve down the stretch; the pass rush and the run defense. On the offensive side of the ball, the Jaguars pass protection and the receiver room are the two most important areas to focus on down the stretch.
With the Jaguars season essentially over, there are a lot of questions about Doug Pederson, who is on the hot seat, and Trent Baalke who is also potentially at risk of being fired. But, those questions can only be answered in the offseason. For the remainder of the 2024 season, there are three key areas to focus on for the Jaguars as their 2024 season comes to a close.
Identifying Young Offensive Talent
For the Jaguars offense, starters Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis are both done for the season, leaving two wide receiver spots open. With Kirk nearing the end of his deal, the Jaguars should be looking over their wide receivers to find anyone who could fill in that role. Fortunately, despite the mid-game injury to Lawrence, the Jaguars got a great look at a potential rising star in wide receiver Parker Washington.
The sophomore receiver has been playing in limited fashion all season but has managed to make an impact on special teams. Kirk’s injury has allowed Washington to get reps at receiver, and he’s been making the most of it. On 12 targets, Washington had 103 yards, a touchdown, and six receptions. He led the Jaguars in both targets and yards and is slowly becoming an integral piece of the Jaguars offense. He had a two-point conversion as well and has looked the part of a starting wide receiver. Washington should continue his involvement in the offense down the stretch, and his role could be something to monitor in 2025.
Another great young talent on offense is Tank Bigsby. While he didn’t have a huge day on the ground or through the air, his performances all season long instilled confidence in his ability to be a featured part of the offense. Bigsby’s emergence could lead to Travis Etienne Jr. no longer being necessary for the Jaguars, especially if the goal is to get younger and cheaper. Washington and Bigsby are the two offensive playmakers the Jaguars should continue getting a longer look at as the 2024 season comes to a close.
Protecting Trevor Lawrence
It’s the most important thing for the Jaguars, protecting Trevor Lawrence. His importance to the team is something under-appreciated. Jones has struggled as a backup, and Lawrence elevates the talent around him. Offensive success for the Jaguars relies on Lawrence playing at a high level, and his protection is the most important part of the game.
Throughout the game, the Jaguars offense only allowed five total pressures and no sacks. Along the offensive line, no lineman had more than one, and Anton Harrison only allowed one quarterback hit. The play of the offensive line is a massive part of the Jaguars’ offensive success against the Texans. For the future of the Jaguars, the entire offensive line’s production is a bright spot against a tough Texans defensive front.
This is especially important with how much Lawrence gets banged up. Following a dirty hit on Lawrence from Azeez Al-Shaair, the Jaguars quarterback was knocked out of the game. The Jaguars players came to his defense, and a massive brawl broke out. He came into the game banged up, and the goal of the offensive line was to protect their quarterback. They did their job, but Lawrence was still hurt on a dirty play. While not indicative of anything long-term, the Jaguars offensive line will need to be able to protect Lawrence who seemingly gets banged up in some capacity every year.
Brandon Scherff, Mitch Morse, and Ezra Cleveland have rounded out the middle of the offensive line. Their play has been up and down all year, but if they continue to play at a high level the Jaguars’ offensive line can be very solid in 2024. One of the biggest pieces of that offensive line is the new long-term starter at left tackle, Walker Little. Little signed a three-year extension worth $45 million and officially solidified the offensive line for the future. Little and Harrison at the tackle spots are a good duo, and if they play to their potential, could be a key piece toward the offense’s success in 2025.
Cleaning Up On Defense
Defensively, the Jaguars have massively underperformed under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. The Jaguars’ defense has given up the second-most passing yards in the NFL and has given up the second-most passing touchdowns in the NFL. Despite the high yardage total, the Jaguars’ defense has been slowly getting better with Tyson Campbell returning from injury, and Ronald Darby beginning to play better. But, there is still room for improvement across the entire defense in the passing game. One of those areas that can help the pass defense is for the pass rushers to generate more pressure.
The Jaguars defense has only 25 sacks, fifth least in the NFL, in their 13 games. It’s a low number, and for the talent along the line, is incredibly disappointing. Hines-Allen and Walker were supposed to be difference-makers at the edge, and while they do have the ability to get sacks, it’s nowhere near as consistent as Jaguars fans would want. Part of the issue revolves around the other defensive linemen.
Of the 25 total sacks, seven are credited to Hines-Allen and eight for Walker. Only Roy Robertson-Harris has more than one, with two sacks total. There isn’t any pass rush production from defensive backs or linebackers on blitzes or any other pass rusher. The lack of pressure from the entire line leaves opposing teams the opportunity to get clean pockets as long as Walker and Hines-Allen don’t get there. Whether it’s dominant tackles, or a chip from a tight end or running back, the Jaguars ‘ rushing duo can be easily stopped with the lack of pressure from the rest of the line.
It’s the Jaguars’ biggest issue on defense, and improvement there can let the defensive backfield get burned less. While a huge issue, it’s something that can be addressed easily by getting either better defensive backs or pass rushers. There is a much larger issue for the Jaguars defense that isn’t as easily addressed: the run defense.
Looking at the overall numbers, they aren’t terrible for the Jaguars defense. They allow 4.3 yards per carry and have yet to allow a 40-plus yard run all year. The issue is this defense allows teams to methodically move the ball down the field, especially in key situations. From the Texans game, Joe Mixon had an easy first down run that allowed the Texans to ice the game. It’s an undersold point of emphasis for the rest of the season and the offseason, but the run defense needs to improve if the Jaguars want to find any success defensively in the future.
One of the main reasons why the run game issues aren’t exploited is due to how bad the pass defense has been. The Jaguars pass defense is masking the run defense. Nielsen might be on the hot seat with how the defense has underperformed, and one of the main areas where the underperformance has reared its head has been the poor run game defense at the end of games.
It’s been a complete mess on defense, and the path to success is muddy. For the remained of the season, the Jaguars’ defense has to show some life for any encouraging signs. From the pass rush becoming more production, to the run defense getting some stops, the Jaguars defense, especially the front seven, needs to come to life.
The Path To Success Now and In the Future
For every team in the NFL, the path to success revolves around the quarterback. Fortunately for the Jaguars, they have a good one in Trevor Lawrence. Protecting him with an offensive line that can go toe-to-toe against some of the best defensive fronts, and having a young and dynamic weapon arsenal around him are imperative for his success. Brian Thomas Jr. has emerged as a star, and Evan Engram is a reliable veteran option for Lawrence. Parker Washington has begun coming into his own lately, and Bigsby is also getting more work.
All signs point towards the Jaguars offense being a good one, as long as the play-caller and scheme change in the offseason. But, before that happens, the Jaguars have a chance to get a look at their weapons without any reservations, as the season is near-meaningless. Jacksonville can still get plenty of important information for the offseason in the final five weeks, and if the young offensive talent can come to life, and the pass protection can remain solid, the Jaguars could be an ideal landing spot for a top head coach.
On the other side of the ball, things are a lot more muddy. The defensive line has a lot of question marks, even with Hines-Allen and Walker having individually decent years. Assigning blame along the defensive line can be pointed towards the lack of any interior pressure, something that Arik Armstead was expected to accomplish. Between his lackluster play, and the backups not being productive, the Jaguars defensive front has massively underperformed.
The linebacker play has been the Jaguars’ most consistent on defense, but there are still question marks for the future of the position. Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd are great starters, but since the rest of the defense has struggled, their play goes unnoticed. Backups like Chad Muma and Ventrell Miller have had their ups and downs, but both are a step or two behind Lloyd and Oluokun. Seeing more production from Miller and Muma down the stretch could be a huge factor in the Jaguars’ offseason plans. With Lloyd breaking out as a great linebacker, and Oluokun heading into his age-30 season, the Jaguars could look to replace Oluokun in the near future with one of their young linebackers.
Lastly, the defensive backfield is a complete mess. Campbell is a great corner but has been struggling to stay healthy. Montaric Brown has had his moments and could be a full-time starter in 2025, but he still has some developing to do before he’s considered a quality starting corner. Darby is a veteran who has his ups and downs but overall isn’t nearly the player he was for so many years. Jarrian Jones and Antonio Johnson have hit some bumps in their young careers, but are more than capable of making an impact in the future for this defensive backfield.
The main issue has been the play of their two veteran safeties, Andre Cisco and Darnell Savage. According to Pro Football Focus, both Savage and Cisco have allowed three touchdowns, and have massively underperformed expectations. Savage has been the better player of the two, but he is still nowhere near his best play from his time in Green Bay. Cisco is having the worst season of his career, and with five games to go has allowed more yards than he has ever had in his career according to Pro Football Focus.
Overall, some issues need to be addressed on both sides of the ball. But, there is hope. Some of the hardest pieces to find are already in-house, and some of the young players haven’t had a chance to emerge yet. For the remainder of the 2024 season, the Jaguars will get a good look at all of the talent they have on their roster. From the receiver depth to the young defensive lineman that haven’t had a lot of work; the home stretch of the Jaguars 2024 season will be dedicated to scouting their players.
It’s draft season in Jacksonville, and there will be plenty of intrigue with some of the top players in the 2025 draft class. To determine which positions are most important, the Jaguars should get an extensive look at what they have in-house. The youth is there, but the question is whether those pieces will be usable in 2025. While the 2024 season has been frustrating, with a new coach and front office, the outlook of the Jaguars is a bright one. It all starts with self-scouting the current roster, and figuring out who stays and who goes for 2025. The Jaguars are no longer playing for 2024, but rather for 2025 and beyond.
Main Image: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
