Analyst Thinks Jaguars Have a Problem in the Trenches

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a very good football team.

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That doesn't mean they are without weaknesses.

Some of those weaknesses may have been exposed in the team's deflating road loss against the Denver Broncos in Week 2.

Against Denver, it can easily be said the game was won (and lost) in the trenches. Denver was able to put pressure on Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence all game, while the Jaguars weren't able to do the same against Broncos QB Bo Nix.

Denver was able to pressure Lawrence on 45.2% of his dropbacks on Sunday. The pressure had an extreme effect on his performance. When Lawrence had time, he was able to pick apart the Broncos' secondary.

Unfortunately for Jacksonville, Lawrence wasn't given time nearly enough, which was a big factor in the team's nine-game winning streak coming to an end.

Defensively, the Jaguars' defensive line struggled against a terrific Denver offensive line. Jacksonville was only able to generate a 19.4% pressure rate against Nix.

Ben Solak of ESPN thinks the Jaguars have a real problem in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and that it may be their downfall once the playoffs arrive.

Offensive Line Issues

Solak points out that Jacksonville's offensive line has undergone significant changes, with rookie Emmanuel Pregnon starting at left guard and Ezra Cleveland, Cole Van Lanen, and Anton Harrison switching to different positions this season.

Not only did the Jaguars allow pressure often, but they also allowed pressure quickly, as Solak points out.

"Maybe all of this shuffling will prove the ideal alignment. And I certainly don't want to grade Pregnon on his second career start. But the Jaguars' line struggled against Denver. Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto had four pressures apiece. Allen (and his fellow interior rushers) found fast wins, which forced Lawrence to get rid of the ball before he could pick his matchup to exploit. Lawrence was pressured on 45.2% of his dropbacks and to great effect: He completed 33.3% of his pressured throws and 76.5% when unpressured. He had Denver's secondary beat when he had time."

Denver's ability to pressure Lawrence was one of the game's biggest deciding factors. If the line plays the way it played against Denver come playoff time, it could lead to another early exit for the Jaguars.

Defensive Line Issues

Solak then turned his attention to the deficiencies of the defensive line. Against Denver's offensive line, the Jaguars couldn't get to Nix, even in the second half when they had a lead.

Before that could just be credited to a great offensive line; remember that in Week 1, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to get pressure on Nix twice as often as Jacksonville was able to, as Solak notes.

What was more interesting in Solak's analysis was his comments about Travon Walker. He calls Josh Hines-Allen a great pass rusher and says JHA is the only one Jacksonville can rely on to get to the quarterback, including Walker.

"Compare and contrast this with the other side of the ball. The Jaguars' pass rush needs Josh Hines-Allen to excel; it doesn't have a duo, let alone a deep group. Former 2022 No. 1 pick Travon Walker is a wonderful pocket pusher who can clean up sacks with his huge tackle radius, but he isn't a high-pressure player; his pressure rate since the start of last season is 10.3%, well below the league average for edge rushers (12.6%). Defensive tackle Arik Armstead (8.5% pressure rate) is just above league average for interior players (7.6%). The Jaguars have some cool rotational players (Dennis Gardeck and Danny Striggow), but their base four-down rush isn't playoff-caliber.

"This game against the Broncos served as a great example. Jacksonville had only a 19.4% pressure rate, less than half the 45.6% the Chiefs had in Week 1. And despite what you might expect, it was the Jaguars who blitzed more, at a 45% clip. Of their five second-half pressures, a half in which the Jaguars mostly led, four came on blitzes. Only one was in a four-down rush."

Final Thoughts

Though it was only one game, the issues Jacksonville had in the trenches were evident and played a huge role in a loss that could haunt the Jaguars come playoff time.

Will the offensive and defensive lines cost Jacksonville in the postseason (assuming it gets there), as Solak predicts?

I believe Solak's concerns are overblown.

As far as the offensive line, Solak is right; there have been a lot of changes, and the kinks still need to be worked out. The longer the line plays together, and the more each player gets used to his new spot, the better this unit will be. The Jaguars' offensive line should be much better at the end of the season than it is now.

Defensively, the criticism of Walker is strange. Walker had double-digit sacks in both 2023 and 2024 before injuries limited him to only 3.5 last year. In Week 1, Walker had 1.5 sacks. I don't think another 10-sack season is off the table.

Behind JHA and Walker, the line has young pass rushers who, like the offensive line, should get better as the season progresses.

The lines didn't play well against Denver, but they shouldn't be the reason the Jaguars fall in the playoffs.

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