Jaguars vs. Seahawks: Three Key Matchups to Watch

Welcome to Jacksonville, Greg Newsome II. The former first-round pick from Northwestern will make his Jaguars debut as the team's No. 1 cornerback against an opponent and wide receiver who has had an incredible start to the year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Jaguars are excited about Newsome's abilities in coverage, plus they have another 11 games to figure out where he stands as the team's new top cornerback.

Smith-Njigba has been a key piece to the Seahawks' success this season and will remain a top weapon in the NFL with his current pace and trajectory. Forcing quarterback Sam Darnold to other options in the passing game and making him one-dimensial is key, and a strong debut from Newsome could excite fans and the organization.

Jacksonville Jaguars skill position players vs. Seattle Seahawks secondary

Out for at least a month is Brenton Strange, the Jaguars' top tight end, with a hip injury. Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt will take over with their respective skill sets, providing a window of opportunity to test the depth of the TE room. The Seahawks have talented second-level defenders and safeties that could cut down quarterback Trevor Lawrence's targets in this manner, but dealing with the rest of the skill group will be a challenge.

Travis Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Dyami Brown are all viable weapons on the perimeter for the Jaguars. Travis Etienne, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen Jr. are also reliable pass-catchers out of the backfield. With the efficiency and discipline that Liam Coen's offenses force defenses to have, they could give the Seahawks' secondary and perimeter defenders problems.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line vs. Seattle Seahawks offensive line

This is arguably the best matchup of the game. The Jaguars' defensive front has been lights out this season and has generated numerous problems for opposing offenses and quarterbacks such as Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Brock Purdy, and even Patrick Mahomes at times. This week, they will face a resurgent Sam Darnold with Josh Hines-Allen and a (hopefully) returning Travon Walker in the fold.

Darnold has only been pressured 49 times this season, the eighth-fewest in the NFL, an impressive job by the Seahawks' offensive line, considering their arguably underwhelming unit on paper. However, this is the best defensive front Darnold has played all season, which could cause his old decision-making habits and turnover-prone issues to reappear. That would be ideal for a Jaguars defense looking to add on to their league-leading 14 takeaways this season.