Jay Gruden's Next Task: Help Jaguars' Offense Find Success on 3rd-Down
Over the first two weeks of the season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the best teams in the league on the most important plays in football: third-down plays. But in the last two weeks, the Jaguars have seen the script completely flip.
The Jaguars converted 15-of-24 third-downs through the first two weeks of the season, giving the team a conversion rate of 62.5%. But in the last two weeks, which are also the two weeks in which the Jaguars have scored their fewest number of points, the Jaguars have converted just 5-of-20 (25%) of their third-downs.
“We just have to give them good options, good solid options. Whether it’s a good solid running play or maybe it’s a drop back pass," offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said on Wednesday when asked about the recent struggles on the money down.
"Like I mentioned before, we have to have a man answer, have to have some zone answers, we have to win on the outside, we have to have a good pocket, and we have to deliver the ball accurately and on time. Unfortunately, the last two weeks it hasn’t been that case, so it’s been something different that rears its ugly head."
What has maybe been most frustrating for the Jaguars' offense is the fact that there has never been just one thing that causes the unit to stall, specifically when it comes to third downs.
Whether it be misreads or bad scrambles by Gardner Minshew II, poor blocks, penalties or anything else, the Jaguars continue to run into problems on third-down. This included the Jaguars going 2-for-10 on third-down in a tight 33-25 loss to the Bengals on Sunday.
"Offense has to be pretty much perfect: the offensive line, the routes, the quarterback, the backs in protection running routes. Unfortunately, it’s been somebody different or something different every time," Gruden said.
"We just have to make sure we take that part of the game very seriously because third downs, in my opinion, and turnovers are the most important parts of the game.”
When it comes to third-down failures, a few specific examples come from Sunday's loss to the Bengals. This includes the interception Minshew threw on the first drive, as well as the first two third downs of the second half, each incompletion from Minshew.
The Bengals scored following each change of possession in the second half, while the first quarter interception prevented the Jaguars from getting off to a fast start. Ultimately, those are the areas Gruden knows he will have to push Minshew and the Jaguars' offense forward in. Minshew knows it, too.
“I have to do a better job of just working through progressions right there. One, [I] just didn’t get backside on progressions, the front side was covered so [I] just have to get back," Minshew said about his second half incompletions on third down.
"Second time, [I] picked the wrong side to work. [I] just have to do a better job seeing the defense pre-snap. So, we can’t afford to make those mistakes. I can’t afford to make those mistakes and put our team in jeopardy.”
Gruden has already proven he can dial up big plays and a running game for the Jaguars' offense. Now, he has to prove he can help the Jaguars win on the game's most important downs.
A big part of this will be helping the Jaguars move on from negative plays. The first three-and-out in the third quarter in Week 4 was following a holding call that wiped out a 40-yard run, while other drives this season have gone off the rails after early mistakes.
Against a winless Texans team that is allowing 43.86% of third downs to be converted (20th in NFL this season), there is no better time than now for Gruden to help his offense take its next step, and maybe its most important one yet.
"It’s just something we have to do a better job of as coaches making sure we get the right play in there. We don’t have to get it all back out in one play, we have to understand that mentality," Gruden said.
"We still have two or three downs to get it. We just have to make sure we do a better job of getting that negative taste out of our mouth and continue to move the chains.”
