Jaguars' Walker Little Takes a Monumental Step During Win Over Chargers
Each week in the NFL, every offensive line faces at least one game-changing defensive lineman.
In the case of the Jacksonville Jaguars, they spent last Saturday's Wild Card game preparing for two: Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
To stop the highly-paid and highly-rated duo of blue-chippers, the Jaguars needed to see second-year Walker Little step up. It was what Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson referred to as a "benchmark game" for the young tackle.
Benchmark met.
"I thought he played really well, and he seems to improve each week. Really kind of solidified him. It’s not perfect, it’s not one hundred percent, but I think overall he’s getting more comfortable,' Pederson said about Little on Monday, two days after Little allowed 0 pressures in 55 dropbacks.
Mack and Bosa combined for just one sack and two quarterback hits, but neither came against Little. The No. 45 pick last year, Little spent most of his first two seasons waiting for his chance. On Saturday he got that chance, and he ran with it.
"The more he plays, the better he gets. Those are two, really three, if you throw Van Noy in that mix, two to three really good edge rushers that they have. He did a nice job," Pederson said.
Little has played well over the last six weeks since starting left tackle Cam Robinson was lost for the season with a knee injury, but Saturday vs. Bosa and Mack was the tipping point.
He has had a whirlwind journey to the starting left tackle spot, spending the majority of the last two years as Robinson's backup. Now, he has proven he belongs, playing what quarterback Trevor Lawrence called a "lights out," game vs. the toughest competition.
“He’s done a nice job for us. He’s the type of player that we thought he is, he’s done a good job," Pederson said in the week leading up to the game.
"This will be a really good test whether it’s Bosa or Mack, these guys like to trade sides a little bit. It’s going to be good for him; it’s going to be a benchmark game for him and his progression. I’ve got a lot of confidence in Walker and what he’s done here in the last month has been pretty special for us; he’s helped us win these last few games.”
In a game in which the Jaguars fell behind 27-0 and had to pass their way back into, Little did more than earn confidence from the Jaguars. He blanked both Bosa and Mack despite the Chargers having the perfect opportunity to tee-off and pin their ears back vs. the young and mostly inexperienced tackle.
"I don’t know if Bosa was necessarily one hundred percent because he was in and out a little bit from time-to-time, so they kept rotating their guys in there. Mack was bouncing back and forth, but listen, he did a nice job whoever was over there," Pederson said on Monday.
"We knew in the second half we got in a situation where we were going to have to throw the ball a little bit more, and he did a nice job keeping and helping keep Trevor clean.”
No matter what the Jaguars do next year, it is clear Little should be on the field. He proved that much by acing his test against the Chargers.
