Behind Enemy Lines: Insider Analysis on the Jacksonville Jaguars

The New York Giants hit the road for the first of two games this weekend before their Week 9 bye. Up first is a trip down south to Jacksonville, where they'll see old friends Doug Pederson, now the Jaguars head coach, and tight end Evan Engram, their 2017 first-round draft pick.

The Jaguars (2-3) have had a weird season so far. They have lost three in a row, including a 13-6 loss to the Texans two weeks ago and a disappointing 34-27 loss to the Colts last week.

Let's check in with Jaguar Digest publisher John Shipley to learn more about the Giants' next opponent.

How surprising has the Jaguars’ start been to you?

Not too surprising; I honestly think the Jaguars are right where they have always been expected to be. I had them at 2-4 through six games in my preseason predictions, with the only difference being they picked up one upset win vs. the Chargers in Week 3 and dropped one game they should have won to the Houston Texans in Week 5.

I always thought the Jaguars would be a scrappy and competitive but incomplete team in Doug Pederson's first season at the helm, and that is exactly what they have been. None of their losses have been by more than eight points, with their losses averaging only seven points a game.

Pederson stressed before the season that the Jaguars' rebuild wouldn't happen overnight, which made me think he was tempering expectations before the season.

This year has always been about developing Trevor Lawrence and waiting for the wins to come down the road, and that is more or less what has happened. Now, that doesn't help frustrated fans who see a wide-open AFC South and want to win now, especially after a 2-1 start, but the Jaguars are right where I thought they would be, and they are where I think they thought they would be, too.

Who are the players on offense and defense that have been flying under the radar the most?

This will tickle Giants fans, but tight end Evan Engram has been a welcomed addition to the offense. He doesn't have eye-popping numbers because there hasn't been a single game where the Jaguars made him a focus of the offense, but he is one of the most respected players in the locker room, thanks to how he prepares and works throughout the week.

He hasn't had any moment during the 2022 season that has made him look like the mistake-plagued player Giants remember. He has come up big on quite a few third-downs for Trevor Lawrence, too.

As for defense, I will go with defensive lineman DaVon Hamilton. Hamilton can play either defensive end or nose tackle in the Jaguars' 3-4 scheme and has proven he can be more than just a dominant run defender.

He has had several highlight-worthy pressures this season and even almost saved the Jaguars' defense last week with a near-sack on Matt Ryan on the final Colts' touchdown, a play where he beat the right guard clean off the snap and got immediate pressure. Hamilton is a really solid player who is hard to move in the running or passing game.

The pass defense had some issues last week. Was that a one-time thing, or is that an ongoing problem? If it’s the latter, what do you see as the solution to address it?

It wasn't exactly a one-time thing. The secondary has only had two bad games this year -- Week 1 and Week 6, and the main culprits have been the same two players each time: Shaquill Griffin and Darious Williams.

Tyson Campbell is a legit lockdown corner on one side of the field, and safeties Rayshawn Jenkins and Andre Cisco are playing at a high level, but Williams has struggled in the slot, and Grifin's play has regressed in big moments.

Griffin has a back injury and hasn't practiced this week, so the Jaguars' hand might actually be forced when it comes to making a change. Jacksonville's backup cornerback is veteran Tre Herndon, who was once a starter for the Jaguars and has played inside/out in multiple schemes.

There is a reason every Jaguars staff over the last five years has loved him, with the former UDFA never landing on the practice squad and continually getting re-signed. Herndon is the next man up if Griffin can't play, and he did very well in his only other start this year in Week 3.

How has the Giants’ old friend Evan Engram been doing down there? How has he been deployed, and is he still having some issues with concentration drops?

Honestly? Engram has been a breath of fresh air. He is always one of the first players on the field, warming up with the quarterbacks before spending extensive time as their target during individual drills. He is also always one of the last players to leave the field, either working on the jugs machine or with Trevor Lawrence on downfield routes.

Everyone in the building loves him and his work-first attitude, and you can tell he has a chip on his shoulder to prove himself while still putting the past behind him. On 32 targets this year, he has dropped just one pass, and it was a meaningless four-yard checkdown that didn't impact a drive. He has been exactly what the Jaguars wanted, even if they likely try to use him too much as a run-blocker.

If you’re scheming to slow down those two young pass rushers, Travon Walker and Josh Allen, what’s your approach?

Get the ball out quickly. The Jaguars' pass rush was frustrated endlessly by the Colts last week because Matt Ryan was throwing quick passes almost immediately after getting the snap, which negated the Jaguars' ability to pin their ears back and get after him.

The Jaguars are low in sacks but high in pressures, so it is a good idea to try to use a quick passing game to get them out of a rhythm and prevent either Walker or Allen from generating any momentum.

Join the Giants Country Community

Sign up for our FREE digest newsletter
Follow and like us on Facebook
Submit your questions for our mailbag
Check out the new Giants Country YouTube Channel.
Listen and subscribe to the daily LockedOn Giants podcast.
Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
Sign up for our FREE message board forums
Get your Giants tickets today from SI Tickets!

Add us as a preferred source on Google