When the Miami Dolphins marched into TIAA Bank on Thursday night and beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-13, it sent a message to the remaining teams on the home team’s roster.
This is a roster that did not handle playing from behind well and team’s defense is a major issue so far this season. It may not have been this season by itself as the Jaguars have searched for its missing prescription of how to stop opponents from scoring at will the previous two years.
A lot of the losing and the misguided direction of this unit has to do with the stubbornness of Todd Wash, who has stated as long as he is the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville, he will run a base with a single-high safety look that does not use the blitz as other defenses do.
That approach is a reason the Jaguars (1-2) have been exposed in giving up 84 points in their first three games of the season. There are issues on offense that must be addressed, but surrendering 28 points a contest will ultimately become the death of this franchise and those who are already calling for Wash’s demise will become louder as the losing continues.
With the Cincinnati Bengals next on the Jaguars schedule, the last thing this team needs is for rookie quarterback Joe Burrow look like the second coming of Ken Anderson.
“We’ve got to find a way to disrupt the quarterback,” Marrone said via Jaguars.com when he met with the local media on his virtual conference call.
Jacksonville made Mami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick look like Bob Griese as he carved up the Jaguars secondary with his accuracy and mobility.
“There’s some technique stuff [in pass rush] popping up a little bit where we could have had a couple sacks and we didn’t,” Marrone said. “We’ve got to be able to disrupt in the back end and get the quarterback not to feel comfortable with non-contested routes and throws, which I know we can do a better job of that.”
The next three weeks are pivotal as the Jaguars face the Bengals, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions before their bye week. Three winnable games if the defense can come together and tighten up while the offense welcomes DJ Chark back and another wide receiver steps up to become the second option in the passing game.
Running back James Robinson must continue to shoulder the load in the ground game and Gardner Minshew must find a way to avoid the sack while standing tall in the pocket.
Marrone said the team will continue to look at ways to get to the quarterback and improve its pass rush that has been virtually nonexistent so far in 2020.
“We’ll continue to mix it up,” he added. “There are a lot of things you look at – who’s rushing, from what positions. Are we putting enough pressure on the protections where they don’t know who’s coming? We’ll look at certain things like that.”
Wash needs more effort on the outside from Josh Allen and should look to bring rookie K’Lavon Chaisson in on obvious passing downs. The speed on the outside is not being used as effectively as it could be. A slight change in how Wash uses his pass rushers could make a huge difference in time on the field and how the Jaguars turn their season around in the next three weeks.
