Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Dennis Gardeck (47) pressures Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the first quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Jaguars Plan to Address Pass-Rush Hang-Up

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 8:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars couldn't get it done against the Buffalo Bills. They got the ball back staring down a three-point hole with just under a minute left in the contest. Trevor Lawrence proceeded to throw an interception on their first offensive snap on the potential game-tying or even -winning drive.

While that was a miserable ending for an otherwise incredible season, the offense can't really be blamed for the loss. After all, the Jaguars took the lead twice in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, Josh Allen and the Bills responded with their own touchdowns both times. When it came down to it, Jacksonville just couldn't get a stop when it needed one.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars' pass rush has to improve

Two defensive gaffes really stood out from the Jacksonville Jaguars' loss to the Buffalo Bills, both of which came on the ultimate game-winning drive from Josh Allen and company. First, the 36-yard reception from the withered remains of Brandin Cooks, coming on a busted coverage between Greg Newsome II and Eric Murray. Then, the tush-push on 4th-and-1 that somehow turned into a 10-yard scrum that ended just short of the goal line. However, the greatest pitfall for the Jaguars' defense that day was their pass rush.

Between Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Dennis Gardeck, and Arik Armstead, that should be a strength for the unit. They came free a good amount, racking up 17 pressures on Allen, but they only came away with one sack. That was a consistent theme throughout the season for Jacksonville. The defense tied for sixth in pressures with 159, but ranked just 27th in sacks with 32. General Manager James Gladstone was asked how the team plans to address its issue with finishing plays on D:

"That's a cool question, because sacks in particular are never a true indicator. Pressures are probably a better indicator of whether or not you're impacting the QB. The way in which our scheme will evolve will have a role in how we address it from a personnel standpoint. Clearly, I think we saw by season's end that there was an uptick."

"What may have not necessarily been a superpower of our defense on the front end of the season became more impactful by season's end, and I think we saw evolution of usage, and I do expect that our scheme itself will evolve and not necessarily be the exact same. There's going to be some preliminary discussions that take place over the course of the latter weeks in January. Our coaching staff won't return until mid-February, at which point we'll dive into that stuff in greater detail."

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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