Jaguars Must Limit Wildly Successful Opposing Weapon

There are few defenses in the NFL that the Jacksonville Jaguars will play this season with more success and playmakers than the Green Bay Packers this Sunday. The Jaguars next challenge will be to limit turnovers against a tough defense in another must-win game.

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson watches from the sidelines against the New England Patriots in the first half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) will return to Duval County this Sunday to face the Green Bay Packers (5-2), competing against one of the best defenses in the league along with a few of the best secondary players.

Head coach Doug Pederson spoke to the media on Wednesday on what he expects from a Packers defense that is ranked third in the league in turnovers gained (6).

“Yeah, opportunistic team, I mean, right place, right time," Pederson said. "They're getting some batted balls, they’re getting some tips, they’re getting some timely interceptions, I think early in the season, I think Xavier [Packers S Xavier McKinney] was all over the place. The ball was finding him and that's how turnovers sort of come, right? They come in droves like that, and this team has capitalized on that and they've been able to score even when Love [Packers QB Jordan Love] wasn't in there. They were still finding a way."

McKinney is the league leader in interceptions this season with five and has universally been the best safety in the league to this point. Amazingly, he intercepted a pass in each of the first five games of the season. He will be heavily involved this week in stopping the Jaguars from continuing momentum.

The biggest key to victory for the Jaguars is keeping the ball in their hands and avoiding any type of giveaways. They have been better of late not turning the ball over and quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been sharp with just three interceptions and nine touchdowns through seven games.

"So, one of the things we’ve got to do is obviously take care of the football.," Pederson said. "We've been pretty good lately at that. But again, this is a good team, and you can't give good teams more opportunities. We’ve just got to find a way to take care of the football.”

If the Jaguars can effectively run the football and not give it away in the pass game, the offense should find success. The Packers defense is allowing an avergae of 20.4 points per game over 200 passing yards per game. Lawrence should thrive if the ball stays out of the secondary's hands.

The run game will have to be used frequently as well even if Travis Etienne is out for a second-straight week. The Packers are giving up over 100 yards per game on the ground and another statement game from young star Tank Bigsby would help the Jaguars find their second home victory this year.

Pederson also mentioned a highly-skilled cornerback that has been a Packer for his entire seven-year career. Two-time Pro Bowler Jaire Alexander has been the lifeline of this defense for the past several seasons and has continued his success with a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery this year.

“Obviously, corners of his nature, there's a lot of confidence in their ability and rightfully so," Pederson said regarding Alexander. "He's a good corner. They're guys that love competition and they love the chippiness of what the game brings, right? The best ones I've been around are just that way and they’ve got a swagger about them, and he’s got that when you watch the film. I mean, he's doing his part, right? I mean, this is a zone-scheme team. So, eyes are on the quarterback and you've got to be smart as a quarterback. You can't stare down receivers or otherwise, he's that good. He's going to pick the ball off and possibly return it for a touchdown, which he's done. So just got to be smart as an offense. A lot of respect for him, a lot of respect for that defense and what they're doing right now. But he's really shaped himself into one of the best corners that we've seen in this league.”

The Jaguars head coach is very familiar with Alexander and many other members of this defense and will be prepped and ready for what they throw at him. Pederson referenced the zone-scheme team that the Packers show and Lawrence's decision making will play a role in the team's passing success.

If the Jaguars want to pull off the upset at home this Sunday afternoon, they must control the time of possession and keep the ball in their hands when on offense. The Packers give up considerable chunks of yards per game in all facets but take advantage of teams when they turn the ball over.

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