Jaguars vs Seahawks Week 6 Preview
The Jaguars will face the Seahawks at home in week 6 of the NFL season. Both teams are coming off emotional rollercoaster games, but for much different reasons. Jacksonville defeated the Chiefs in a wild up-and-down game that was won off of a broken play, while Seattle is coming off a back-and-forth shootout loss that ended on a clutch-time interception that led to the game-winning field goal. The Seahawks currently sit at 3-2 and will look to avenge their previous loss while climbing the standings, while the Jaguars will try to put the league on notice against another excellent team that would put them atop the AFC.
Key stats
5 players are currently listed as doubtful for Seattle; 4 of them on the defensive side of the ball, with 3 of them being in the secondary. As consistently great as the run defense is, the pass defense has been up and down through 5 weeks, ranking 24th in yards, 3rd in interceptions, and are coming off their worst game, allowing 370 pass yards and 38 points. On a per-drive basis, the Seahawks rank 9th in yards allowed and 8th in points allowed, rank 5th in red zone percentage, and 24th in third-down percentage.
Sam Darnold has taken the offense to a new level. On a per-drive average, they rank 7th in yards, 8th in points, and 5th in total passing yards despite having the 2nd fewest attempts. While the running game has not been great, Darnold has been able to cancel that out, leading the league in yards per attempt with a career high in completion percentage and touchdown percentage.
The offense thrives in key situations, ranking 8th in third down percentage and 5th in red zone percentage. The biggest problem with the offense, however, plays right into Jacksonville's strength: turnovers. The Seahawks rank 25th with 8 turnovers, 5 of which are lost fumbles. Ball security will be a huge factor in how the game plays out.
With the recent addition of Greg Newsome, the Jaguars secondary will hopefully see an improvement. The pass defense has been extremely up and down as well, ranking 27th in yards allowed but 1st in interceptions and 6th in forced fumbles. The run defense has been inconsistent, ranking 11th in yards and 22nd in yards per attempt allowed but is the least rushed on team in the NFL.
On third downs, Jacksonville ranks 30th in percentage but is 9th in red zone percentage. With such swings in strength and weakness on this side of the ball, they will have their hands full against Seattle's potent offense.
Offensively things have been inconsistent but steadily improving. Jacksonville's biggest strength is the running game, but that was shut down against the Chiefs. The Seahawks run defense will pose another tough challenge, ranking top 3 in yards and yards per attempt allowed. If Travis Etienne is unable to have a big game, this will force the game into Trevor Lawrence's hands, and that might be the team's best option.
Jacksonville is coming off arguably their best game, scoring 24 points and making huge plays when it mattered most. The offense has been inconsistent up to this point, hurting themselves with penalties and turnovers, but saw major improvement against the Chiefs. With Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter, and Trevor Lawrence all appearing to have to caught their stride, playing against a banged-up Seahawks secondary while at home could yield good results.
How star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is guarded will be the biggest determining factor in this game. Smith-Njigba currently ranks 2nd in yards, 5th in receptions and will be a huge test for the Jaguars secondary. With the zone-heavy scheme Anthony Campanile runs, this will likely result in lots of underneath passes, similar to what the Chiefs executed. Outside of Smith-Njigba, there is not another standout wide receiver on the team, but he can beat you in all areas of the field to make up for it.
According to FantasyPros.com, JSN ranks 2nd in plays of 10 yards or more and 1st in plays of 20, 30, and 40 or more yards. The only other superstar receiver this defense has faced was Ja'Marr Chase, and he put up a monster 165 yards on 14 catches. Travis Hunter will likely split reps against Smith-Njigba with newly acquired cornerback Greg Newsome.
Hunter has been excellent in coverage on the outside and has played heavy snaps against teams with star receivers. This will be a big test for the Jaguars secondary and gives them a chance to prove they are a legitimate defense, with or without forcing turnovers.
Conclusion
With both teams coming off such emotional games, this game will serve as a big stepping stone. For the Jaguars, they have a chance to be 5-1 for the first time since 1999 and put the entire league on notice. For the Seahawks, this is an opportunity to get back on track, and with every game being important in the NFC West, there is a sense of early desperation. Will the Jaguars make yet another statement, proving they are the real deal? Or will the Seahawks derail the hype, proving they are a force in the NFC?