JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s a clash for first place in the AFC South against a familiar foe and familiar face.
Can the Jaguars continue to build on the progress they made during a lengthy stay in London and take the next step? And what does that step look like?
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The Jaguars (3-2) host the Colts (3-2) on Sunday at EverBank Stadium. At stake is the early No. 1 spot in the AFC South and a potential season sweep of Indianapolis, which would be the first since 2017. The growth of Trevor Lawrence and the offense has been incremental. They’ve showed some spark this year, but there remains quite a bit of room to grow on that side of the ball.
Coach Doug Pederson has seen that growth over the weeks on that side of the ball and said that the step forward, especially in a player like Calvin Ridley, comes with game reps.
“Sort of what I’ve been saying all along, it takes a little bit of time. It takes that work in practice and seeing things, seeing yourself in these game situations and making the necessary adjustments and corrections,” Pederson said. “Continuing to work the following week to get better and working on timing, all of that.”
Right now, the Jaguars are still developing that offensive identity, especially with the moving parts on the offensive line. The backbone of the team right now is unquestionably the defense.
Jacksonville beat the Colts and rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson 31-21 in Week 1. The big change in the second meeting is the absence of Richardson (on injured reserve with a shoulder problem) and the return of Gardner Minshew, a former fan favorite in Jacksonville. With how the Jaguars defense has been playing, it probably wouldn’t matter who was under center this week.
Jacksonville has become a defensive-centric team this season and reinforced that with back-to-back wins in London. The Jaguars clamped down on the Falcons (23-7) and then choked out the Bills’ high-powered offense (25-20). With the exception of an implosion against the Texans in Week 3, Jacksonville’s defense has been rock solid. The pass rush still isn’t where it needs to be, but that wasn’t an issue against Buffalo.
The Jaguars put enough pressure on Josh Allen to affect the trajectory of his passes and alter his line of sight. Sacks are preferred, of course, but if that doesn’t happen, stopping the play on the other end is the end result.
“It goes hand-in-hand,” said defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell. “When you have a rush that’s able to get around guys, that’s what we go back talking about affecting the quarterback when he’s unable to step into it, that’s not as good as a sack but it affects the quarterback.”
Minshew is mobile enough to create options with his legs. Jaguars fans saw that numerous times when he was in Jacksonville. And he’s not as much of a threat as Richardson is, so Jacksonville will tailor is gameplan accordingly.
The positive news for the Jaguars on that side of the ball is that they are inching ever so slowly to having a full defense back. The lack of a pass rush is positioned to get a major boost from the return of edge Dawuane Smoot. He’s been a full participant in practice this week, less than a year after suffering a torn Achilles.
Defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton also practiced on a limited basis Thursday as he continues to make a push from a serious back injury. Smoot was having a career year in 2022 before a Week 16 Achilles tear at the Jets. Hamilton was arguably the best defensive player in training camp this season before suffering an unusual back injury that forced him onto injured reserve. The team designated Hamilton for return from IR on Thursday.
“Really, when you look at it, those are our guys last year that we depended on. This year, going into this season, we depended on and we were glad to get them back at whatever time. Now, Smoot is ready and D-Ham is ready to go and that’ll be a jump to the team.”