Jaguars' Armstead Gets Serious on Team's Defensive Struggles

It has been a disappointing regression for the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense, which had an exciting and blossoming start to the regular season, but it all reverted back to the days of old when the team had one of the worst defenses in football. Those flashes reared their ugly head this past Sunday on the road against the Houston Texans, blowing a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter in a 36-29 loss.

While discussions of changes in the offseason are to take a back seat for the time being, the Jaguars are still in control of their destiny at 5-4 with the seventh seed in the AFC, at the moment. If Jacksonville wants to keep this spot, its defense must improve. Defensive tackle Arik Armstead made serious and blunt observations of the unit's struggles on Monday to the media.

Armstead on Jaguars defensive struggles

While the Jaguars have had no issue pressuring the quarterback, they have not been able to translate to sacks, garnering only 12 for the season despite maintaining an above-average standing in total pressures. Still, the blown coverages and the lack of finishes defenivsely have opened an old wound that even manufactured pressure may not help.

"I think manufacturing of pressure is blitzing and bringing more than they can handle or trying to free guys up. So, in terms of getting pressure with the front, it's on us to go win our matchups when that is the play call for us to rush four, and put pressure on them rushing four," Armstead explained. "And just really focus for us up front, focusing on that. When we are called on to go get them with four, making sure that we're putting our best foot forward and we're locked in and we're going to win our matchups and whatever they throw at us."