Jacksonville hopes to avoid a 0-3 start in head coach Doug Pederson’s third season with the club by pulling off a Monday Night Football victory over Buffalo.
Sitting at 18-18 through 36 games with the Jaguars and 1-7 in the team’s last eight games, Pederson’s seat is arguably beginning to warm up, especially as Jacksonville looks lost offensively to start the year.
The Jaguars want to avoid a shootout with the Bills if the first two weeks of the season are any indication, as they have scored a combined 30 points in two games. Meanwhile, Buffalo posted over 30 points in both of its wins, beating Arizona 34-28 and Miami 31-10.
Jacksonville’s offense will be the Jaguars’ X-Factor come Monday, as the unit needs an explosive performance to overcome the 2-0 Buffalo.
Although not as dangerous as in past years, the Bills’ offense poses a significant threat to the Jaguars, especially if Jacksonville’s inability to sustain drives and score persists, leaving the team unable to keep up.
Jacksonville offensive coordinator Press Taylor believes converting third downs can help the Jaguars rediscover offensive success against Buffalo.
“I think a big thing for us is just third-down conversions. We haven’t had enough snaps because we’re not converting enough on third down to begin with,” Taylor said Friday.
“We’ve had some manageable third-down situations that we haven’t executed well, but I think we’ve had about 55 and 54 plays in two games. That’s not enough.”
Jacksonville converted five third downs over 19 attempts in its first two games, several of which contributed to red zone snags, where the Jaguars settled for field goals instead of securing touchdowns.
As he works to reignite the Jaguars’ stagnant offense, Taylor looked back at a Jacksonville 25-20 win over Buffalo in 2023 as a place to start.
“Even watching last year, we played Buffalo, we were up in the high-80s [number of plays], I believe it was, in just that game alone,” Taylor said. “So, we need to be in there, and then that gives you more opportunities to spread the ball around, more touches, get a little bit more rhythm across the board.”
In that five-point win, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence posted 315 passing yards, completing 25 of his 37 attempts. The running game clicked too, as Jaguars’ running back Travis Etienne Jr. rushed for 136 yards on 26 attempts, scoring on the ground twice.
“Everybody as players gets a little bit more rhythm when you get more calls in and things like that,” Taylor explained. “So, third down conversions are a big part of trying to be able to continue to develop that consistency and that consistent momentum.”
Yet, it all starts up front for Jacksonville. If the pocket collapses and the run game can not get going, it could be a long night for the Jaguars in Orchard Park, New York.
Lawrence has often been under duress behind an offensive line that has given up six of the seven combined sacks he took against the Dolphins and Browns, per Pro Football Focus.
Trouble could ensue Monday, taking on Bills linebackers Von Miller and Greg Rousseau, who have combined for five sacks through Buffalo’s first two games, with Miller recording one each week.
“If you’re going to start listing off the best pass rushers in the league, it’s not going to take you long to get to Von Miller still,” Taylor said.
“He has that respect from us, and really across the league, as you talk to a lot of people that have played him and what they know he’s still capable of providing out there.”
Jacksonville needs a clean offensive performance to secure its first win of the season and avoid falling to 0-3 with the Houston Texans waiting. Executing on third down will be critical for the Jaguars to accomplish those objectives.
