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Michael DiRocco
HOUSTON — One of the big topics in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ facility this week is going to be the pass rush.
Specifically, finding a way put more pressure on quarterbacks — and get them on the ground — without having to resort to blitzing. It has been an issue all season, but it really showed up in the Jaguars’ 36-29 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.
«That’s something we definitely need to talk about as a staff and as a group,» coach Liam Coen said after watching his team blow a 19-point fourth-quarter lead to Houston and backup quarterback Davis Mills. «That hasn’t been good enough all season and wasn’t good enough [Sunday].
«It’s never one group’s fault when you lose a game. That’s not what we’re going to do here, but it definitely is a challenge for us.»
The Jaguars did sack Mills twice Sunday, but one of those was safety Antonio Johnson running him out of bounds. In the fourth quarter, however, they didn’t record a sack or pressure. That is a big reason the Texans were able to score 26 points and hand the Jaguars their first loss in 65 games in which they had a lead of 18 or more points.
«I mean I was on the headset hearing [defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile] call [plays],» Coen said. «You’re a little susceptible in the back end when you blitz, and then when we four-man rush we’re not getting home. That’s the reality, and that’s a hard place as any coach to be in, and players as well at times.
«So we’ve got to go watch the tape to see exactly every call, but I didn’t necessarily think that we were putting these guys in really bad positions. You’re kind of trying to hold onto a lead and make them earn it and we let up too many explosive plays.»
Josh Hines-Allen has just two sacks in nine games. He entered the season needing 2.5 to overtake Tony Brackens for the franchise’s career record (55). Among other defensive ends, Travon Walker has two sacks — he had one wiped out by a penalty Sunday — and Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah have a combined 1.5.
The team lead belongs to defensive tackle Arik Armstead (4.5).
«Could definitely could have finished [better against the Texans], but I think it’s also winning on early downs, too,» Walker said. «First and second down where they want to do a lot of play-action pass. We’ve got to be able to get to the quarterback in those play-action pass situations as well.»
They have to do it especially when the game is on the line. That has been the situation at the end of the past two games, but the Jaguars have not responded. In the fourth quarter and overtime in Sunday’s loss to Houston and the victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9, the Jaguars managed just two sacks and six pressures, and they blitzed only twice on 36 dropbacks.
As a result, Geno Smith and Mills combined to complete 70.6% of their passes for 241 yards and five touchdowns.
DaVon Hamilton not knocked down Smith’s pass on a 2-point attempt, the Jaguars would have lost both games.
«We have all the faith in the world in the guys up front,» linebacker Devin Lloyd said. «We know that they’re playing their asses off, so we’re going to get it right.»
But it might be that there’s not much the Jaguars can do.
They didn’t add a pass rusher at the trade deadline. They did draft Auburn edge rusher Jalen McLeod in the sixth round this year, but he was viewed as a developmental player and is on injured reserve.
Could they blitz more? Yes, but that leaves the secondary vulnerable to big plays if the blitz gets picked up. That’s a big risk, especially with Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers coming to Jacksonville on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
«I think we had some opportunities [against the Texans],» Coen said. «We didn’t get him down I think a few times. Had him wrapped up, didn’t get him down. Those are huge momentum plays when you have him and you can’t get him down and he’s able to throw it away. It just gives him another down and more life. You just keep the life in, and the whole message was to squeeze the life out of these guys in the second half and go take it.
«And it’s been a frustration for a while now. Obviously, the combination of lack of getting to the quarterback and, when we do, finishing it, but it definitely needs to continue to get evaluated and see who can help us do those things, too.»
