The Jacksonville Jaguars head into Week 15 coming off a refreshing victory at Tennessee last Sunday. It’s only the team’s third win of what has otherwise been a tumultuous losing season.
This weekend provides a favorable opportunity to add another mark to the win column, although the team’s draft positioning may once again falter. The Jaguars host the New York Jets in 2024’s first matchup between teams mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the key matchups in Jacksonville’s next-to-last home game of the season.
Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Jets CB Sauce Gardner
It’s becoming clearer that the Jaguars rookie sensation is already one of the best players on the roster. He was a key reason for the team’s success in Nashville last weekend with eight catches on 12 targets for 86 yards, putting his season total at 54 grabs for 851 yards and six touchdown receptions.
This weekend, Thomas will go one-on-one against one of the best cornerbacks in football, Sauce Gardner.
The Jets have not had the season they were hoping for and are a mess of a franchise at the moment. However, the two-time All-Pro Gardner remains a bright spot, and winning against him in coverage is no easy feat.
That said, Gardner has had some struggles this season, especially on deeper crossing patterns, which could favor Thomas in space and offer run-after-catch opportunities against man coverage.
If Thomas has yet another productive day against Gardner and the Jets secondary, Jacksonville has a chance at winning two games in a row.
Jaguars LT Walker Little vs. Jets pass rushers
There’s a reason the Jaguars extended Walker Little to a three-year, $40.5 million contract. His play since becoming the team’s starting left tackle hasn’t been perfect but has been trending upward in recent weeks, especially in pass protection.
According to Next Gen Stats, Little’s quarterback pressure rate is the fourth-lowest among starting left tackles with at least 150 snaps.
Little faces a daunting task this weekend, however. His likely opponent on most snaps, Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV, has 10 sacks and 52 quarterback pressures on the season.
The Jets are like the Jaguars defensively as they have more trust in their four-down linemen to generate pressure by moving them around the line, rather than pulling out all the stops like some teams.
Little will need to be prepared for whoever New York will throw his way. Don’t forget about Haason Reddick, Michael Clemons and, occasionally, Quinnen Williams.
Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby vs. Jets run defense
Bigsby has established himself as Jacksonville’s running back of the future while putting the team in a tough position with his fellow running mate Travis Etienne Jr. While that is not the topic of this section, how Bigsby can beat New York’s run defense is.
The Jets rank No. 16 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (119.9) and run stuff percentage (17.1%), and have allowed the 11th-most expected points added (EPA) rushing.
This could be another week where Bigsby sees another 20-plus touch game. The key to turning usage into production is trusting the blocks of interior linemen, center Mitch Morse and guards Brandon Scherff and Ezra Cleveland.
Bigsby is one of the league’s better space-creators and the Jets have allowed the ninth-most yards after contact per attempt (3.14) in the NFL. Bigsby’s 4.9 yards per attempt on inside-designed runs are the seventh-most in the NFL this season, according to Next Gen Stats.
While running backs may not matter to some, Bigsby will play a key part in Jacksonville’s chances at victory this weekend. Bringing him down won’t be an easy feat for New York.
