Jaguars See Improvement In Completely Unexpected Place

The Jacksonville Jaguars still have one of the worst records in the National Football League. However, they have seen impressive improvement from one specific unit on the team.

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) prepares to take the snap from center Mitch Morse (65) against the New England Patriots in the second half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled in multiple areas through the first six games, especially on offense. The most critical area the Jaguars needed to improve was their offensive line.

During the Jaguars’ 1-5 start to the season, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was one of the most-sacked quarterbacks in the National Football League.

However, the Jaguars’ offensive line has only given up three sacks over the last three games. Two of the three games led to Lawrence’s two-highest quarterback ratings this season. Lawrence’s games with his highest quarterback ratings have all come in games where he was sacked the fewest times.  

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson believes the line’s improved play is due to their finally playing a solid amount of time together. He feels this has made the unit more comfortable with each other and confident in themselves. It is hard to deny the unit has looked much better over the last few weeks. 

“I think what you're seeing is these guys have now logged a lot of time together, and there's some continuity there,” Pederson said. “If you just go back to last year and all the different line combinations we had each week, it's difficult. It's hard, and it's hard to get consistency. I think that's what you're seeing. I think you're seeing the consistency up front. 

“We've scaled back on the amount of run scheme, keeping it simple for those guys, keeping it to where we can call the same plays multiple times in games. So, it's been good for them, and it gives them a lot of confidence to knowing they can go out and knowing exactly what's going to happen, and just go execute. So, it's been good that we've had the five guys together really up until yesterday.”

The Jaguars have shown they can be competitive, but at 2-5, they must be more than competitive. They have no more room for losses, as one more loss essentially means the end of their season. They will need their offensive line to continue protecting Lawrence and opening up running lanes to ensure they continue winning.

Jacksonville has had many things go against them this season. However, their offensive line is finally headed in the right direction. If the Jaguars can pull off an upset or two over the next few weeks, they may be able to finish the season on a high note.

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