Bucs, Panthers clash for top NFC South spot | NFL preview video
Two of the AFC’s top teams clash as he Jaguars visit the Broncos. The Bucs need a win over the Panthers as they are locked in a tight NFC South race.
The Denver Broncos lead the NFL with 58 sacks, 14 more than any other team.Jacksonville’s pass protection has been inconsistent, allowing 14 sacks in two losses but only 18 in their other 12 games.The Jaguars’ offense will face a significant challenge against a Broncos defense that has eight different players with at least three sacks.
Even before they started preparing for the Denver Broncos’ NFL-best pass rush, members of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense had already seen video of Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper and so many of their teammates sacking quarterbacks.
“I’ve used some of their clips in my team meetings showing darn good rushes against some of the teams we’ve played,” Jaguars coach Liam Coen said.
The Jaguars’ offensive line and quarterback Trevor Lawrence will get to the real thing in-person on Sunday, Dec. 21.
The Broncos have 58 sacks … 14 more than any other team (and most through 14 games in 25 years).
The Broncos have eight players with at least three sacks … no other team has more than six players.
And the Broncos have 13 games with multiple sacks … only two teams have 12 such games.
Add in the anticipated crowd noise and the Jaguars better have their T’s crossed and I’s dotted as they look to win 11 regular-season games for the first time since 2007 and end Denver’s 11-game winning streak.
Protect Lawrence, who is on a three-game heater, and the Jaguars have more than a puncher’s chance.
Don’t protect Lawrence and the Jaguars will face a repeat of the protection debacles they experienced in losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams.
Sometimes in pro football, things are that simple.
Five sack shutouts
The Jaguars’ pass protection this season can be divided into sections: The losses to the Seahawks and Rams and the other 11 games.
The Seahawks and Rams games (0-2 record): Fourteen sacks allowed and, per my game charting, 12 additional knockdowns and 30 pressures for a total of 56 “disruptions.” Mind-boggling awful stuff.
The other 12 games (10-2 record): Eighteen sacks allowed and, per my game charting, 16 additional knockdowns and 66 pressures for a total of 101 “disruptions.” Consistently impressive stuff.
Let’s put that into perspective. The Seahawks/Rams games account for 43.8% of the allowed sacks, 42.8% of the knockdowns, 31.3% of the pressures and 35.7% of the disruptions.
The Jaguars have pitched sack shutouts in five games (5-0 record).
The Los Angeles Chargers are fourth-best with 40 sacks, but had none against the Jaguars. Houston is ninth with 38 sacks and had seven in two games against the Jaguars. And Indianapolis is 10th with 36 sacks, but had none against the Jaguars.
So, how do the Broncos get to the quarterback? Sans a hobby, I charted all 58 sacks.
By number of pass rushers: Three (three sacks), four (34), five (13), six (six) and seven (two).
By quarter in the game: First (nine sacks), second (21), third (nine) and fourth (19).
By down: First (16 sacks), second (11), third (25) and fourth (six).
What also popped out is the Broncos aren’t padding their sack stats in garbage time. Only two of their games have been decided by more than eight points and 52 of their sacks have come when they are trailing, tied or leading by eight or fewer points.
Bonitto leads the Broncos with 12 1/2 sacks, followed by Cooper (eight), Allen (6 1/2), John Franklin-Myers (5 1/2) and Ja’Quan McMillan (four).
Bonitto knows how to time the snap count to activate out of his two-point stance.
“Oh man, he’s explosive,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll told reporters earlier this season. “He’s really slippery. He’s got the knack physically to avoid you and race right on past the tackles. And he has a great motor.”
Before the Broncos posted four sacks in a win over Houston, Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley told reporters: “You’ve got to buckle up. They’re tough, they’re physical and they’re relentless.”
Preparing for pass rush
The Broncos play a base 3-4 defense (three down linemen and four linebackers) and usually present a five-man front with the two edge rushers lined up outside of the offensive tackles.
I asked Coen about his process in evaluating the sacks and the myriad of knockdowns and pressures.
“You break them all down by sacks, hurries, affecting the quarterback and (then) by blitz, stunt, straight rush, four-man, five-man, three-man, six-man and if they bring more (than that),” Coen said.
The breakdown of the Jaguars’ 32 sacks allowed revealed three with a three-man rush, 19 with a four-man, eight with a five-man and two with a six-man.
During their current five-game winning streak, the Jaguars have allowed six sacks. Now they have to block the Broncos.
“Really, really good,” Lawrence said of the Broncos. “Obviously, the numbers are historic, the way they’re playing and flying around and it’s not just the group up front, it’s the whole defense.”
Contact O’Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com