Jaguars Vs Jets Preview
The Jaguars will host the Jets in Week 15 in a game with massive future playoff implications. The Jets have struggled all season, while the Jaguars have won 4 in a row and 5 of their last 6. After a dominant win over the Indianapolis Colts, they will look to continue playing their best ball while making a playoff push.
Key stats
The Jets passing struggles have been well documented all season, coming in last in yards and 29th in touchdown passes. This has stemmed largely from quarterback play, with Justin Fields playing 9 games before being moved to the bench for Tyrod Taylor, who then got hurt in week 14 and was replaced by Brady Cook. For the season, they rank dead last in passing yards and 30th in passing touchdowns.
The run game has been their biggest strength, ranking 7th in yards and 8th in yards per attempt. However, this has been aided by Justin Fields's running ability, being the 2nd leading rusher on the team, but he will not be playing on Sunday.
In key situations, they are one of the worst teams in the league, coming in at 27th on third down, 22nd on fourth down, and 28th in the red zone. A big reason for this is playing behind the sticks due to sacks. The Jets are tied for the third most sacks allowed in the NFL with 47.
On defense, their strengths are flipped, defending the pass relatively well but struggling to stop the run. The Jets come in allowing the 8th fewest passing yards and are 15th in touchdowns allowed, but have not forced an interception all season and have forced just two turnovers all season.
Against the run, they have been abysmal, allowing the third most yards and are 19th in yards per attempt allowed. Key downs have been a mixed bag, ranking 5th on third downs, but are dead last on fourth downs and are 25th in the red zone.
The Jaguars have been a mixed bag offensively and defensively. On offense, the passing game is steadily improving each week but has been rocky all season, largely due to turnovers from Trevor Lawrence. For the season, they rank 19th in passing yards, 20th in touchdowns, and 22nd in interceptions.
In the run game, it has been inconsistent all season, ranking 15th in yards, 20th in yards per attempt, and 4th in touchdowns. Travis Etienne has not rushed for 100 yards since week 4 and has only had two games with 20 or more carries for the season. While the Jaguars are 5th in rushing attempts, it is used more as complimentary rather than the main weapon of the offense.
In key situations, the offense has been above average on fourth downs and in the red zone, ranking 12th in both, but are 23rd on third downs. While the Jets play behind the sticks because of sacks, the Jaguars play catch-up due to penalties, leading the league with 112. This has been a huge factor in slowing down drives all season.
Defensively, they are an elite unit at stopping the run, allowing the fewest yards and 6th fewest yards per attempt. Against the pass, things have been shaky, allowing the 22nd most yards and 24th most touchdowns, but they have made up for it with the 2nd most interceptions and total turnovers. On key downs, it is once again a mixed bag. On third downs, they struggle to get off the field, ranking 22nd, but are one of the best units on fourth down, allowing the 4th lowest conversion rate. In the red zone, they are below average at 19th.
Keys to victory
The Jets have struggled in nearly every facet all season, and with their third-string quarterback, this should only help the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence has played his best ball over the last two weeks, throwing 4 touchdowns to no interceptions. The Jets have not forced an interception all season, meaning Trevor Lawrence does not need to take many risks against a struggling offensive team.
With the Jets struggles against the run, this should be a ball control game, with Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten getting 30 total carries. The Jets also struggle to protect the quarterback, and with a third-string quarterback, blitzing consistently could pay major dividends for the Jaguars ball-hawk defense.
Keys to victory
The Jaguars have an opportunity to win 10 games for the first time since 2017 and get one game closer to a playoff berth. With the Texans inching closer in the division standings, this is a must-win game. Against a 3-10 Jets team, the Jaguars have all the pieces needed to handle business.