5 things the Jaguars need to accomplish to beat the Saints
The Jacksonville Jaguars seem to be in a must-win situation this Sunday at home against the 4-1 New Orleans Saints. The Jaguars will either move up to a .500 record or drop to 2-4 on the season.
So, what do the Jaguars need to do in order to beat the hot Saints? Here are five things that the Jaguars need to in order to walk away with a victory this Sunday.
1) Stop Alvin Kamara
The Jaguars gave up over 200 yards to Christian McCaffery last Sunday - this Sunday they play another dynamic running back in Kamara. Kamara is a very similar back to McCaffery, very elusive and effective catching the ball out of the backfield.
Jacksonville's linebackers need to play a better game this week against Kamara, especially Quincy Williams. Williams is coming off of his worst game so far this season, so let’s see if he learns from his mistakes this week.
2) Keep Bringing the Pressure
Yannick Ngkaoue is coming off his best week thus far this season after he was responsible for a forced fumble and two sacks in week 5. The Jaguars defensive line needs to continue to get after the quarterback to pick up the win this week. Everyone on this front four needs to contribute to make Teddy Bridgewater make bad reads and bad decisions.
It isn’t just the defensive line that needs to get pressure, Todd Wash needs to bring heat from the backers and secondary as well. Applying pressure to Bridgewater will be one of the most important keys to this game.
3) Offensive Line needs to hold up
The Saints defensive line is the best D-line the Jaguars have faced so far - which could be bad news for the Jaguars front five. Protecting Gardner Minshew will and should be priority number one for this offense.
4) Minshew Needs to Take Care of the Ball
Minshew’s biggest rookie tendency has been fumbling the ball, as he has four on the season thus far. Some of it comes down to Minshew holding on to the ball, but it also comes down to the offensive line’s protection. If the Jaguars don’t turn the ball over they should be able to be in a good situation to win this game.
5) Offensive Stars Need to Continue to Shine
One of the brightest spots of the Jaguars has been its offense. Who would’ve expected that to happen? DJ Chark is the leading receiver in the AFC, Leonard Fournette is the leading rusher in the AFC, and Gardner Minshew is the hottest rookie QB in the league. This three-headed monster needs to continue to be a big part of the Jaguars success. If points get put on the board and the defense brings pressure on the Saints the Jaguars should be in great shape.
