3 Things We Have Learned About the Jaguars Entering Bye Week

Penalty issues were persistent throughout training camp and the preseason, so perhaps it is no surprise the Jaguars have had penalty issues haunt the team in seemingly every game but the Chiefs one. And as things stand today, the Jaguars do not look like they are slowing down anytime soon in terms of the volume and impact of the penalties.

How the Jaguars can fix the penalties is an entirely different question and discussion altogether. But for now, the Jaguars are defined by the sloppy, self-inflicted mistakes that have consistently taken touchdowns, sacks and other big plays off the board.

This is a Running Team

Not many offenses have a higher EPA/Play rushing the ball than they do passing; it is simply easier to pick up better numbers via the passing game, especially in today's NFL. But the numbers are clear for the Jaguars: they are better on a per-snap basis running the ball on offense than they are dropping back and passing.

Liam Coen said he wanted to establish the run when he took over as head coach, just like most new coaches do. The difference is that Coen and the Jaguars actually stuck to this theme and were able to put together a strong running game. The running game has gone away in recent weeks, which explains the recent offensive struggles.

Travon Walker is Key

The Jaguars' defense has not looked the same over the last three weeks, which directly correlates with the timeline for Travon Walker's wrist injury. Walker has played just 31 snaps combined from Weeks 5-7 due to the injury, and most of those snaps have been on obvious passing downs. As a result, the Jaguars have been weak on early downs.