With the season unraveling, the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Detroit Lions week 11 matchup presents an enormous problem for a banged-up Jaguars group to play spoiler. The Lions have been among the best groups within the NFL, and the Jaguars are reeling after one other brutal loss that was properly inside attain. Heading into week 11, the Jaguars are coping with many accidents and are as soon as once more in prime place to play spoiler towards one of many high groups within the NFL.
How the Jaguars Can Beat the Finest Crew: Jaguars vs Lions Week 11
Jacksonville and Detroit are heading in reverse instructions, with the Lions ascending into stardom and the Jaguars dropping by the wayside. Each groups had high two picks in 2022, and the Jaguars chosen Travon Walker whereas the Lions chosen Aidan Hutchinson. Since that choice, these two groups have been tied collectively, with comparisons being thrown at each groups and their decision-making each on and off the sphere. Regardless of the same situations just some years in the past, the groups couldn’t be a lot additional aside now.
The Lions are the perfect group within the NFL, and the Jaguars are tied for the worst group within the NFL. Within the Jaguars vs Vikings week ten matchup, the Jaguars tried to play spoiler however got here up brief. As soon as once more, the Jaguars face an NFC North group that has been among the many finest within the NFL, besides this time the Jaguars are a poor matchup. If the Jaguars need to have any likelihood to beat the Lions and play spoiler, three keys to victory should be met.
First Key To Victory: Have an Environment friendly Passing Recreation
Beginning with probably the most unlikely key to victory, the Jaguars passing offense must be at its finest towards the Lions. One of many important components behind the Lions’ success is their capacity to cease the run, forcing groups to throw the ball. This dynamic additionally involves fruition because of the Lions going up huge early and infrequently in video games, inflicting the opposite group to play catch-up by throwing the ball. Jacksonville is in a troublesome scenario, nevertheless, with their franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence out with an damage to his non-throwing shoulder. Mac Jones will get one other begin, and he must be higher than he was towards the Minnesota Vikings.
The offense underneath Jones was utterly inept towards the Vikings, with only a few positives coming by means of the air all day lengthy. A number of turnovers, in key spots with an opportunity to drive down the sphere for a late go-ahead rating, stifled any likelihood the Jaguars had at successful. Now, towards the Lions’ protection which is susceptible to giving up passing yards, sixth most within the NFL by means of 10 weeks, the offense wants to seek out its footing and transfer the ball by means of the air. Jones is the important thing, and if he can faucet into a few of his rookie-year performances, the Jaguars have an opportunity to make issues fascinating on Sunday.
To have a profitable passing sport, Jones’ receivers additionally should be utilized accurately. Towards the Vikings, the offense didn’t use their large receivers practically sufficient. Brian Thomas Jr. must be concerned early and infrequently, together with vertical pictures down the sphere. Gabriel Davis additionally must play higher and faucet into a few of his Buffalo Payments days. However most significantly, the Jaguars want to make use of Evan Engram and Travis Etienne Jr. within the passing sport. Each are nice choices, a number of the higher receivers for his or her positions, however the offense has lately been utilizing different gamers an excessive amount of.
Towards a powerful run protection, Tank Bigsby gained’t have practically the identical utilization as he did within the Jaguars vs Patriots week seven sport in London. Between the robust matchup and the damage to Bigsby, Etienne ought to be a focus of the offensive assault within the passing sport. Doug Pederson and Press Taylor additionally must restrict the utilization of Brenton Strange and Luke Farrell within the passing sport, as they don’t present practically sufficient of a spark as the remainder of the receivers.
One other participant to regulate is Parker Washington. He wasn’t utilized a lot regardless of the season-ending damage to Christian Kirk, and the offense may benefit from such a dynamic participant getting the ball extra. Even two touches a sport may result in chunk performs that lead to landing drives as an alternative of punts or discipline objectives.
General, the Jaguars cross sport must be at its finest if there’s any hope of beating a troublesome Lions group. The potential is there regardless of Lawrence and Kirk lacking this matchup, but when the suitable gamers aren’t utilized it can all be moot. Engram, Thomas, Etienne, and Davis ought to get at minimal 85 % of the targets. They’re the perfect choices on offense, and utilizing the opposite gamers gained’t quantity to a lot success in a matchup that would devolve right into a blowout at any second.
Second Key To Victory: Cease The Run
It’s a easy a part of the sport plan for the Jaguars, nevertheless it could be an important half. If the Lions can run the ball on Jacksonville, the sport gained’t be inside attain. Wanting throughout the NFL, there is no such thing as a higher operating again tandem than the duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. The duo, self-proclaimed ‘Sonic and Knuckles’ has been the distinction in so many video games for the Lions. Gibbs has been among the best runners within the NFL, breaking off lengthy runs left and proper, and can also be concerned within the passing sport. Montgomery has been the ability again, operating over and thru defenders en path to loads of goal-line touchdowns.
Between the 2 operating backs, the operating sport is likely one of the finest within the NFL. If the Jaguars are to beat the Lions, stopping the duo, or at the least limiting them, is the most important key to victory on protection for Jacksonville. Top-of-the-line methods to restrict the run sport is to win alongside the road of scrimmage. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, together with Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, and Jeremiah Ledbetter, would be the key items alongside the defensive position to interrupt up the operating sport.
The Lions’ run blocking has been unimaginable, grading out by PFF because the fourth highest within the NFL. The Jaguars defensive position may have their work reduce out for them towards a stout entrance. However, the Houston Texans managed to restrict the harm in a troublesome matchup towards the Lions in week ten, and the Jaguars may capitalize on that momentum to restrict the Lions’ run sport.
One other huge a part of the Jaguars run protection would be the linebacker play. Fortuitously for Jacksonville, their linebackers are among the many finest within the NFL, and have a historical past of limiting the run. Sadly, that hasn’t been the case this season, however ought to be one thing that Jacksonville sees from the group in week 11 with everybody wholesome and used to the brand new defensive scheme. Foyesade Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, Ventrell Miller, and Chad Muma make up the Jaguars linebacker corps, and a bunch that ought to be able to limiting a powerful Lions run sport.
On the finish of the day, the Jaguars’ protection has been slowly and steadily enhancing all through the season, and the Jaguars ought to be able to stopping the run sport from Montgomery and Gibbs. If they will restrict the run sport, the Jaguars can be greater than able to staying within the sport, so long as the offense can preserve tempo with the Lions’ unimaginable passing sport.
Third Key To Victory: Limiting Goff and the Passing Recreation
What may very well be the hardest job for the Jaguars on Sunday, stopping the Lions passing sport, is seemingly inside attain because of what the Jaguars confirmed of their week ten loss to the Vikings. Regardless of the loss, the cross protection was a lot better, getting a powerful efficiency from free agent acquisition Ronald Darby and the return of Tyson Campbell to elite ranges. Jarrian Jones has steadily improved all through the season, and the protection has been a way more cohesive unit up to now few weeks.
Jared Goff and the Lions will most likely be the hardest matchup this iteration of the Jaguars protection has confronted, with the effectivity for the Lions being amongst the perfect within the NFL. Nevertheless, there’s some hope for Jacksonville because of their division rival Texans. In week ten, Goff threw 5 interceptions, but nonetheless gained. Whereas unlikely that the Jaguars match the defensive output from the Texans, the Jaguars are coming off a sport with a number of key red-zone interceptions. It’s properly inside the risk that the Jaguars’ protection can pressure a number of turnovers from Goff.
A part of limiting the passing sport will probably be to get stress, and with Hines-Allen and Walker taking part in properly, there’s some hope that the protection can generate stress, particularly with the blueprint the Texans offered the NFL with throughout their Sunday night time soccer efficiency from week ten. However, whereas the Texans’ defensive position has carried out higher this season, the Jaguars aren’t far off. Just like the Jaguars defensive backs forcing turnovers, the cross rush has an opportunity to get residence.
The opposite most necessary facet of the Lions’ passing sport is the receiving choices. Amon Ra St Brown is among the many finest large receivers within the NFL, and Jameson Williams is an explosive weapon that may be difficult to include. Sam LaPorta is more likely to miss the sport, so the Jaguars protection will probably be spared from accounting for a troublesome tight finish. However, Gibbs greater than makes up for his absence within the passing sport. General, the Jaguars should account for fewer passing choices than the Philadelphia Eagles had, however the job gained’t be any much less difficult. The sturdy run sport will make defending the cross troublesome, to not point out how nice Goff has been in 2024.
With a well-balanced offense, the Lions ought to be able to shifting the ball on any group. The Jaguars’ protection may have their fingers full, no matter what personnel the Lions throw on the market. Gibbs and Montgomery will probably be onerous to suppress within the run sport, and St Brown and Williams are removed from straightforward protection assignments. The success of the protection comes all the way down to the gamers, and which Jaguars’ protection will probably be current. Will it’s the Jaguars protection we noticed in week ten, the place they obtained stress and restricted the Vikings’ passing sport, to go together with a number of key turnovers? Or, will it’s the protection that the Jaguars have had a lot of the yr, the place they get beat by practically each quarterback, no matter receiving expertise? It’s as much as the gamers on protection, and with how nice they’ve been taking part in lately, there’s actual motive for optimism for a Jaguars protection that’s lastly discovering its footing.
Last Jaguars vs Lions Preview
As orchestrated within the three keys to victory, the Jaguars will probably be counting on particular person efforts extra so than teaching in the event that they need to beat the NFL’s finest group. Campbell and Darby can present up and lock down the Lions’ receivers, or they may very well be burned all day lengthy. Both final result is properly inside the prospects for the Jaguars. The identical goes for the success of the run sport, and whether or not the Jaguars can cease the dynamic duo of Montgomery and Gibbs.
On the finish of the day, the Jaguars’ protection will probably be examined towards the potent Lions offense. Was the efficiency towards the Vikings actual, or fools gold? There’s not a much bigger query heading into the Jaguars vs Lions week 11 matchup than that. Whereas the Jaguars passing offense will should be environment friendly and efficient, the defensive efficiency is far more necessary in figuring out the result of this sport.
Whereas it’s going to be a large uphill battle for Jacksonville, the percentages aren’t utterly towards them. Between the Jaguars’ current resurgence on protection, and Goff turning the ball over 5 instances in his most up-to-date matchup, the Jaguars have extra of an opportunity than most would assume. Even of their week nine loss to the Eagles, the place Jacksonville was outmatched for your entire first half, on the finish of the sport they’d an opportunity to beat a high group within the NFL. This Jaguars group is able to successful towards robust groups, and this week could be the hardest one but.
This sport may very well be big for the remainder of the season for Jacksonville as properly. Regardless of being so removed from a playoff spot, the Jaguars, with a win, may see a motive to deliver Lawrence again after the bye regardless of his damage. A loss would all however assure he sits down the stretch, however a win may deliver the Jaguars beginning quarterback again into the fold. And with Pederson, one of many coaches on the hot seat across the NFL, a loss, particularly a blowout, may spell the top of an period in Jacksonville.
Whatever the return of Lawrence, a loss to the Lions can be the ultimate nail within the coffin to the Jaguars season. Attempting to return again from a two and 9 file can be close to unattainable, and sign that the season is formally a dropping one. The Jaguars can keep away from such an final result if all of the keys to victory occur, however towards a high group just like the Lions, the percentages are usually not within the Jaguars’ favor. It’s the Jaguars’ final likelihood for the 2024 season, will they have the ability to pull off the most important upset of the yr?
