Jaguars vs. Jets: What Are the Keys to a Jacksonville Victory?

Jaguars vs. Jets: What Are the Keys to a Jacksonville Victory on Sunday?

The 3-4 Jacksonville Jaguars host the 1-5 New York Jets on Sunday at TIAA Bank Field in a pivotal game for Jacksonville. What will be the keys to a Jacksonville victory? 

Force Sam Darnold to Struggle

The Jets are coming off a pitiful 33-0 loss to the New England Patriots on Monday night where quarterback Sam Darnold had a rough game, as he only completed 11 passes and committed five turnovers. That kind of performance could spell turnovers for the Jets in Jacksonville,. This hungry Jaguars defense will be ready to put pressure on Darnold, especially after the Jaguars forced four turnovers in Week 7's 27-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and pressured Andy Dalton all game long. 

Darnolnd throwing into tight coverage could lead to potential interceptions for the Jacksonville defense, which could shift momentum on their favor. On Monday night against the New England Patriots, Darnold was 11-of-32 for 86 yards and four interceptions. The Jaguars’ defense can certainly take advantage of that scrappy play if Darnold doesn’t rebound from that performance.

Establish the Run

For the Jaguars, establishing the running game early will be key on Sunday. Minshew should throw a few check down passes to Leonard Fournette to get him more involved in the passing game. 

One of the key matchups to watch will be Leonard Fournette against a stingy Jets’ defense. Leonard Williams hasn’t really been a factor for New York, but expect him to make plays in the backfield Sunday against an inconsistent Jaguars offensive front. Consistency in the backfield is going to be crucial for success the rest of the season, but Fournette is coming off a few solid games, and has the momentum on his side. Having a big game against the Jets would give him a few more of the touchdowns that he tweeted about needing earlier this week.

Attack New York's Secondary

Jamal Adams has been a standout safety for the New York Jets as the former LSU Tigers product has produced solid numbers in his career,but the New York secondary around him has struggled mightily. If the Jets get into busted coverage situations in defense, that gives Gardner Minshew an advantage in the passing game. 

Minshew has played great for the Jaguars but he needs to have another one of his standout games this week. Somewhere in the ballpark of 200+ passing yards and at least two touchdowns. Minshew also needs to be cognizant of New York's defensive front and their ability to create pressure as he attacks the Jets' streaky secondary. These are just a few aspects Minshew needs to account for on Sunday. 

The Jaguars should get a win on Sunday at home. Facing a 1-5 Jets team that has a ton of issues, Minshew and the offense should be able to take advantage early. Getting to 4-4 would give the team a momentum boost for their next few divisonal games against the division leader Indianapolis Colts, the Houston Texans, and the Tennessee Titans to close October and open November. 

There’s still a lot of football left to play, and the Jaguars are on a mission to win now and Jacksonville is searching for a potential playoff spot as we get down the stretch soon. With a potential situation at quarterback looming, things could get interesting soon, making Sunday another must-win.