3 Jaguars Defensive Keys to Stymie the Packers and Aaron Rodgers

After starting 1-7, the Jacksonville Jaguars schedule won’t get any easier. The embattled team will head north this weekend to face the Green Bay Packers (6-2) and future Hall of Fame Aaron Rodgers.

When facing one of the best of all time, the game plan understandably shifts to his strengths. As Jags safety Jarrod Wilson explains, the defensive mindset changes more to using Rodgers strengths against him.

“He’s seen everything. There’s not anything that’s going to be new out there for him to see. It’s really just executing and being on the details of our defense that will help us.”

So what does that look like? We break it down with these three defensive keys for Jaguars vs. Packers.

Collapse the Pocket

The first of Rodgers strength’s the Jags defense can use against him is his big throw ability. After Week 2 of the season, Pro Football Focus graded Rodgers as the first in the NFL in “Big Time Throws.” After 15 years in the league, he trusts his arm seemingly now more than ever. His 67.5% completion rate comes on 2,253 yards and 24 touchdowns to only two interceptions.

Some of that, as Defensive Coordinator Todd Wash explains, is because Rodgers is less apt to leave the pocket now. But his dependance on his arm, his belief he can always wait to the last millisecond to make a throw and therefore willingness to hang in the pocket can be where the Jaguars attack.

Explains Wash, “It’s going to be important that, obviously, we continue to keep him in the pocket and try to pressure him as much as we can and kind of give him different looks. I don’t think you’re ever going to surprise him or confuse him. You’ve just got to be able to slow down his reads at times, so we can get off the grass.”

“I think honestly in the quarterback like this, like I said, his arm is definitely his positive,” adds Wilson continuing, “so he tries to make every single throw and that can probably sometimes hurt a quarterback. He trusts his arm no matter who’s covering his receivers or whatever defense you’re in. Like I said, just being on our fundamentals and being in our spots is a way to kind of make a couple plays against him for sure.”

Wisconsin native, middle linebacker Joe Schobert, has spent years watching Rodgers. Now he can use what he’s learned on Sunday, going hand-in-hand with the same plan Wilson mentioned.

“Obviously he’s great at recognizing defensive looks and recognizing pressures and coverages, so you have to do your best to be able to disguise that from him and keep him guessing, just second guess, clutch the ball a little bit longer.

“Growing up watching him a long time, he will hold the ball in the pocket. He will try to scramble and extend plays because he can make all the throws and he wants to make all throws, so he’ll hold the ball in a little bit long sometimes and give people opportunities to get sacks. We just have to be able to take advantage of it.”

The Jaguars have 26 quarterback hurries this season and have began capitalizing more behind play from Dawuane Smoot who has eight in the last four games.

"Simply remarkable and that is what Aaron Rodgers is as a passer of the football."

No QB on earth makes this throw other than 12. #GoPackGo #GOAT pic.twitter.com/p00KNDspwR
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) November 11, 2020

Stop the Run

For as much as the Packers are exploding off the arm of Rodgers, Aaron Jones isn’t slowing up on the ground. His 447 yards and five touchdowns on 90 touches lead the Packers in each of the three categories. He’s also third on the team in receptions with 23 catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Jamaal Williams is nearing 300 yards himself (294).

“I think, especially last week, we’ve definitely taken some steps forward,” Schobert said of the Jaguars run defense. Jacksonville held the Houston Texans to 107 yards on the ground last week, their best performance since the Week 1 win against the Indianapolis Colts.

“I think when you have everybody on the field healthy and ready to go, we can be a great run defense. It always has to be you have a next man up mentality just the way the season’s gone, not only here but across the league with injuries, COVID lists, and all that. The team that’s able to handle that the best, able to plug guys in and have no drop off is going to do best. I think we’ve struggled with that a little bit, but we’ve gotten better as the season’s gone on and I think [we’re] taking steps in the right direction. Like you said, this week the Packers have a great running attack. They want to run the ball even though they have Aaron Rodgers in the backfield. Their running backs are talented, and they have a stable of them, so we really have to be locked in come Sunday.”

Don’t Be Starstruck

“Obviously he’s one of the best of all time. He’s still playing at an extremely high level,” says Wash of Rodgers.

Rodgers ability to play at such a high level and stay in the league is why those that long admired him are now preparing to play him.

Jarrod Wilson remembers vividly his first bout with Rodgers; a 2016 Green Bay-Jacksonville game.

“He’s as advertised. He’s just a really big arm. He can make every single throw on the football field, just [has] a big arm. I only played him that once. That was actually my first game in the league, so definitely remember him, just [has] a big arm. I’ve been watching film on him all week and he definitely throws it up there and gives his receivers opportunities to make plays, so just his arm.”

Joe Schobert—a Wisconsin native—grew up a massive Packers and Aaron Rodgers fan. But now preparing to face the former MVP for the third time in his career, he’s reminding himself and his teammates that they can’t be starstruck by the Super Bowl quarterback.

“As you get into the NFL and you understand how hard the game is and how fast and how good defenses are and defensive backs are, [it] makes you appreciate it a little bit more that he’s still doing it at such a high level when he was doing it for a long time since I was in third, fourth grade.

“But at the same time, you’re up here and you see things on film, you realize he’s a person. He’s made mistakes. He doesn’t make as many mistakes as some other people, but he’s still a person, can still be affected by pressure, throw some balls that are up for grabs. So, we just have to be ready to take advantage of it because he will give an opportunity. He’s a human just like the rest of us.”