"That's why we love him": Yannick Ngakoue's team-first mentality valued in Jacksonville
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue quieted some of his critics, for a week at least, after a two sack performance against the Carolina Panthers in week 5.
For Ngakoue, it was the most productive game he has had all season and the first two sacks he has recorded in 2019. The big performance, which also included a tackle for loss and a forced fumble, was one Ngakoue had yet been able to have in the previous weeks due to a nagging hamstring injury.
“As soon as the game was over, I texted him right away. Because he comes to work every day. He’s passionate about what he does. He’s very good at what he does, so it’s good to see him have some individual success last Sunday with two sacks," Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash said on Thursday.
But Ngakoue's individual success did not matter much to the fourth-year pass rusher. While he excelled, the team as a whole failed to pull out the victory largely because of an overall porous defensive showing, resulting in a 34-27 Panthers victory.
"But knowing Yannick [Ngakoue], the first thing he texts back is, ‘I feel like hell because we lost.’ And that’s the type of person that Yannick is. He’s more team than individual, and that’s why we love him," Wash said.
Ngakoue is a player who has really done every thing the right way since being drafted in the third-round of the 2016 NFL Draft. His development as not only a pass rusher but as a valuable leader on the team is one of the most positive developments for the Jaguars in the last several years.
And while Ngakoue is seeking out a new contract, and sat out periods of the offseason in his pursuit of a new deal, he has not let his desire to be paid interfere with what he does inside the walls of TIAA Bank Field.
Despite battling a hamstring injury almost the entire season, he has missed only one game and has played 65% of the team's defensive snaps.
"I think you said it the right way, he was battling through some things, which is obviously appreciated," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said this week when asked about Ngakoue's play despite the injury.
"We have a lot of players right now battling through little things; you see them on the injury report when they’re limited. But yeah, I’m fine, I mean he’s doing a good job and he’s working his butt off."
Ngakoue's work ethic has never been questioned during his tenure as a Jaguar, but what he has done over the last several weeks has only reinforced what his coaches see in him.
"He’s giving us everything he has, and that’s the one thing. It’s easy to say, ‘Hey listen, we need to do this or do that, replace, whatever,’ but when guys are giving you everything they have, then we have to do a better job as coaches," Marrone said.
