The Jaguars' Most Pressing Concern Heading into Sunday

The Jacksonville Jaguars are missing numerous players, including starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Still, there most significant issue heading into their matchup against the Tennessee Titans is not the QB position.

Sep 15, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line Anton Harrison (77), offensive line Brandon Scherff (68), and offensive line Mitch Morse (65) wait to line up for the drive against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are missing their best player heading into Sunday's matchup against the Tennessee Titans, as quarterback Trevor Lawrence will essentially be out the remainder of the season.

Still, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson's primary concerns against the Titans is not the fact that Lawrence is out, but the Titans' defensive line.

“It’s one of the best we’re going to see all year, quite frankly,” Pederson said. “They’re big, they’re powerful. Their two tackles, [Titans DT] Jeffery Simmons, is one of the best tackles in the NFL. Sweat’s [Titans NT T’Vondre Sweat] another one that’s a rookie, but he’s learning. He’s a load. And we know Arden [Titans OLB Arben Key]. Arden is very athletic. Speed-rusher and plays with a lot of energy. But this front is going to be one of the better ones we’ve seen.”

Jaguars' offensive coordinator Press Taylor also noted how talented the Titans' defensive line is. However, Taylor credited the Titans' defensive coaching staff with playing to their players' strengths and putting their players in the best position to succeed.

Taylor emphasized the importance of the Jaguars' offense staying on track and not finding itself in third-and-long situations. He knows it will be difficult to run the ball against a formidable Titans defensive line.

“Yeah, I mean, you always want to do what you can to stay ahead of the sticks," Taylor said. "I think that's a big part of it. Runs on second-and-10, second-and-nine, they're not always the most exciting. You may have a productive run that's still setting you up for a third-and-long situation. So just being able to mix and match when we're trying to run the ball.

“Making sure we're creating ideal looks, whether it's just matchups or the numbers in the box or staying in those manageable situations, is always key to being able to do that. It's not an easy group to run on. It's a very good defensive line, particularly on the inside. They've always done a very good job stopping the run, just personnel. And then you add in the new scheme with Coach Wilson [Titans Defensive Coordinator Dennard Wilson], and they make it really hard on you. But the game script is a big part of that, too.”

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