This Bye Week Could Make or Break the Jaguars’ Season

Jaguars have to find a way to get pressure again

The Jacksonville Jaguars' pass rush was heralded as one of their strengths coming into the 2025 NFL season. That never really came to fruition; however, they were able to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks through the first three games of the year. While they only notched six total sacks through Week 3, they averaged 20 pressures a game in that span.

Then, Travon Walker injured his wrist against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4. He was able to suit up after missing just Jacksonville's Monday Night Football clash with the Kansas City Chiefs following surgery, but the team has been bringing him along slowly. He was near his full usage in their last game against the Los Angeles Rams, but he doesn't look the same playing with a club on his arm. In the Jaguars' last three weeks, they've only totaled 44 pressures.

Clearly, this is an issue for Jacksonville. Even if they weren't getting home on the opposing quarterbacks, the Jaguars' pass rush was able to speed them up into poor decisions, leading to an incredible pace in defensive takeaways. Since Walker's injury, they haven't forced any turnovers outside of Devin Lloyd's 99-yard pick six on Patrick Mahomes. Head Coach Liam Coen was asked how he can help bring the Jaguars' pass rush back to its ideal level:

"I think it's touch and go. When we've been able to send some pressure and get some blitzes and get these guys moving, we've had some more opportunities. It's interesting when you speak to a lot of the guys in LA after the game and how much Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay, multiple guys, all they did was talk about our front and what it causes. I think more in the run and some of the pressures and packages and guys that are able to do stuff."

"So, it's a fine line. It's a balance of being able to send five, send four, send pressure, whether it's zone or man behind. It also impacts sometimes the front and their ability to get home when the ball has to get held onto it for another click. I think you look at our third downs and I think in the last two games people are like two or three [out] of 20. It's like one of the most insane third downs going that you can see out there."

"If we're able to do it on third downs and get after the quarterback and impact the receivers and the coverage, we've got to find ways to do it as well a little bit better on first and second down. And some of our early down fronts, looking at what fronts we're playing. Are we getting more four down, five down, whatever it is, to be able to create an advantage for our guys to be able to go? And I think having Travon back a little bit more this week and get him going a little bit more on early downs, we kind of saved him a little bit more for the rush downs, and we've got to give him some more opportunities. But yeah, it has to improve just like the rest of it."

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