Offensive Keys As the Jaguars Battle Familiar Faces and the Ravens
As the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12) head north this weekend for their Week 15 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (9-4), they’ll be returning some old faces just in time to face some old friends.
At this point in the season and with the current record, the Jags won’t be making the playoffs. The goal now is to work on what can be carried into the future, and maybe even find a win along the way.
To achieve one of or both of those goals against the Ravens defense will take these three offensive keys.
Watch the Secondary
Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters form one of the best corner duo tandems in the league The two together have allowed an average of a. 91.05 passer rating, four interceptions (three alone for Peters), 16 pass breakups (eight each) and Humphrey is tied for sixth in the league in receptions allowed, all stats according to Pro Football Focus. They have been locking down nearly the entire field on the backend while not afraid to play up on the line either. Much of the Jags' plan hopes to stretch the field and reinsert D.J. Chark into the game. That requires going deep and down the sideline though, which means keeping an eye on Humphrey and Peters.
“They’re very good,” began quarterback Gardner Minshew II.
“I think they’re two very different players. I think [Marcus] Peters, he’s kind of a ball hawk. He’s a gambler. He’s going to take risks and most of the time he’s right when he does it. He’s very good. He’s always around the ball. Then Marlon Humphrey, he’s just so gifted athletically. He’s so big, so long, and physical. I think he produces mismatches and kind of makes your guys a little uncomfortable when he’s out there.”
Humphrey in particular can make guys uncomfortable with his punch. He leads the league in forced fumbles (9). And while the Jaguars practice ball security drills every Thursday, they’re fully aware the challenge Humphrey presents on Sunday.
Said Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden, “Our guys have done a great job of protecting the ball. I think we’ve had a couple fumbles. Mike [Glennon] fumbled one time and Gardner [Minshew II] had a couple fumbles early. But for the most part, our running backs and receivers have done an excellent job of hanging on [to] the ball in traffic.
“We just have to continue to preach that: two hands on the ball. [Ravens CB] Marlon [Humphrey], he does a great job. He’s forced nine fumbles already this year. [He’s] very productive, very similar to [Bills CB] Josh Norman. I had him [in Washington]. He did a great job of the ball punch. It’s just something we have to be aware of in practice. Make sure we get two hands on the ball and hold it tight.”
Create Lanes For James
To avoid Humphrey and Peters will require creating lanes up front for James Robinson. The 1,000 yard rookie rusher can carry a game plan. Robinson is third in the league in carries and yards, and averages 4.6 yards per carry. Finding running lanes for him is key to downfield success on Sunday.
“It’s huge,” said Minshew.
“I think it takes a lot of pressure off when you’re not having to throw it against two high safeties every time and you’re able to have success running the ball. He may get some one-high [safety] looks and is still having success there. It’s huge. Personally, I really enjoyed it on my fantasy team. He’s carried me into the [fantasy football] playoffs deep right now, so need to keep feeding him.”
But all of this will have to happen against a formidable front.
Continued Minshew, “they do a really good job mixing up their looks. They send pressure a lot of different ways and they have a lot of guys that rotate in that can do some good things. They have a lot of different personnel packages. It’s a very talented defense and something we’re looking forward to playing against.”
And that front is partly composed of former Jaguars: Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. To face a familiar foe, you need a familiar weapon, which leads too…
Know Your Enemy
The Jaguars offensive line knows Campbell and Ngakoue after multiple years together in Jacksonville. That’s a given. That also means they know the mountain of a challenge before them.
“They’ve seen them so that’s good,” laughed Gruden.
"Still, Calais [Campbell] is a huge man and very productive, very active still. Obviously, Yan[nick Ngakoue] does a good job with his outside pass rush, so it’ll be challenging. They have a good front. They give you a lot of different looks, again, odd fronts, even fronts, different guys blitzing in A gaps and B gaps and C gaps, safeties coming, nickels coming. It’s quite the pain in the neck.”
The Jaguars and Ravens kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern ET on CBS.
