Doug Marrone Impressed by Development of Yannick Ngakoue’s Game in 2019
Nine games into the 2019 season, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone likes what he has seen out of fourth-year defensive end Yannick Ngaoue. The numbers he has produced might not be as gaudy as they have in the past, but you have to look past that to truly appreciate his impact, Marrone remarks.
“He has been great in the locker room, he’s been great in practice, he’s doing everything he possibly can to help this team win and you couldn’t ask for more from a player,” Marrone said Monday.
This follows what basically every other coach and player inside of TIAA Bank Field say about Ngakoue: he just wants to help the team win. For Marrone, he has seen Ngakoue refine his game and become a more balanced player in an effort to do so.
“I think he has improved greatly in the run game; I think he’s done a really good job there, and I think he has improved as a pass rusher and has done an excellent job,” Marrone said.
“The numbers may not show that, but when you watch the film and you see how many people they are putting on him, I think at times that can be very discouraging, and he has done a great job in a lot of ways.”
In eight games this season, Ngakoue has recorded four sacks, 14 total pressures, and a forced fumble. And to Marrone’s point about his run defense, Ngakoue has been a major factor setting the edge this season, already record seven tackles for loss.
For context, Ngakoue recorded only 10 tackles for loss in his Pro Bowl season in 2017. From a pure disruptive standpoint, he has been a strong run defender this season, often using his top-tier quickness and flexibility to help him beat blocks or blow up plays before they even begin.
“To be elite, you have to be dangerous on first, second and third down,” Ngakoue told JaguarMaven in the locker room on Monday. “And that is my main goal, to be dangerous on first, second and third down.”
While Ngakoue may not yet have the production as a pass rusher he had in years past (29.5 sacks from 2016-2018), the effort, technique, and overall impact are still there, Marrone said Monday. More often are teams now focusing on Ngakoue multiple blockers, whether it be two offensive linemen or a tight end or running back chipping him. Despite the added attention, Ngakoue has still left a mark on his head coach.
“When you see the production by him you have to remember that teams are doing a lot to stop him, especially in the pass rush phase,” Marrone said. “He’s had a bunch of quality rushes, but he also has a bunch of double teams that he’s fighting through or chips.”
Ngakoue knows that the sacks will eventually come. He has been getting into the backfield enough, it has just been a few missed opportunities that have hampered him or, in other cases, he has created a chance for other defenders to make a play.
“It is just keeping consistency, working every day in practice and trying to do the little things the right way, and just trying to be a factor in the defense to try to make plays,” Ngakoue said.
Ngakoue knows how to make plays in the NFL. He has made a name for himself after being selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft because of his tenacity and ability to change a game with a turnover. As long as he keeps doing what he has been doing, the production should come.
But even if the numbers don’t show up over the next seven games, he has shown Marrone that he is not only still able to be a dominant force, but he is still growing as a player. And for someone like Ngakoue, who is in the final year of his rookie contract and is still seeking a long-term deal from Jacksonville, that growth can’t go unnoticed.
