Welcome to Big Cat Country’s staff roundtable!
Today, we’re previewing Week 7’s matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium.
What are you most concerned about after Jacksonville’s Week 6 loss to Seattle?
Dillon Appleman: I’m concerned that the Seahawks unlocked a bit of a blueprint on how to attack this Jacksonville offensive line. They ran game after game last Sunday, and it seemed to really confuse the Jags into one of the worst outings you will ever see from
an offensive line. That unit’s success to this point has been a huge reason why the Jaguars’ offense has been able to move the ball this season. If they can’t prove that last week was an anomaly, it could become a huge issue moving forward.
Travis Holmes: The Jaguars’ lack of a run game over the past two weeks has become concerning for me. For a team whose core was Travis Etienne rushing for 100 yards per game in Weeks 1-4, to run for 38 yards per week over the past two games is worrying. Are the guys limited due to injuries with the approaching bye week and multiple linemen listed on the weekly report? Or is dropping from 6.1 yards per rush to 3.2 just Jacksonville’s lead back regressing to the mean after catching a few teams off guard early?
Gus Logue: As far as position groups go, I’m most concerned about the pass rush. A lack of pressure on Sam Darnold was one of the chief reasons for Jacksonville’s Week 6 loss. According to Sports Info Solutions, the Jaguars rank 30th in pressure rate (25.6%) and 31st in sack rate (2.4%) when rushing four defenders this year. Defensive line depth is the first area the front office should address next offseason, if not at the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Henry Zimmer: I am certainly most concerned about execution. The penalties are absurd at this point, and half the team cannot figure out how to line up or get off the ball. If those things persist, a veteran coach like Sean McVay is going to take full advantage and punish the Jags.
What’s a matchup you’re looking forward to watching?
Dillon: I’m looking forward to watching the Rams’ defensive front go up against the Jaguars’ offensive line. While I think they’re outmatched, I just want to see more aggressiveness at the point of attack, as well as more communication and anticipation on those stunts and twists that gave them such fits last week. Any notable change in their approach would be a positive sign for me.
Travis: The matchup I’m most interested in is WR Davante Adams versus CB Travis Hunter. From both an entertainment and a competitive perspective, I’d love for this Jacksonville defense to continue leaning into Hunter’s uptick in snaps, where he flips sides and follows No. 1 receivers. Hunter allowed a 39.6 passer rating when targeted in Week 6, giving up just 1 catch allowed on 4 total targets. Three of those targets were against Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Hunter saw a season-high 11 snaps at right CB after pretty much exclusively playing left CB when Tyson Campbell was rostered. If Jaguars’ fans get more of that in London, have your popcorn ready.
Gus: Josh Hines-Allen against Alaric Jackson is a strength-on-strength matchup. According to Next Gen Stats, Hines-Allen ranks top-20 among all defenders with 22 total pressures and 11 quick pressures, while Jackson has allowed the fourth-lowest pressure rate (5.5%) and sixth-lowest quick pressure rate (0.9%) among left tackles with at least 75 pass blocking snaps. Jacksonville’s defense is desperate for Hines-Allen to bounce back after he failed to record a pressure for just the fourth time in his career last week.
Henry: Matthew Stafford versus this pass defense is going to be a big thing to watch. Can Greg Newsome contribute? Will this be the first game Travis Hunter gets a pick? You know Stafford is going to sling it. Let’s see what the Jags corners, who have done a fine job to this point, can do.
Who will be the biggest X-factor?
Dillon: Travis Etienne. After the beating the offensive line took last week against the Seahawks, they now face another elite defensive front in L.A. — it will be a tough task. Their specialty is getting after the passer, so the run game will need to be a lot more effective this week than it has been lately. Travis Etienne enjoyed a nice start to the season but has had back-to-back quiet weeks. If he can get going early against the Rams, the Jags could mitigate the powerful pass rush threat by working in some play action and bootleg looks to keep them off balance.
Travis: I’m sure this may feel like a wildcard, but my X-factor for this week is Foyes Oluokon. This Rams offense is currently third in the NFL with five fumbles lost in just six games. Three fumbles were surrendered by Matthew Stafford, and two by Kyren Williams. Oluokun, the Jaguars’ leading tackler, is someone who notably punches at the football multiple times on a near-weekly basis in the run and passing game. He leads the Jacksonville defense with two fumbles forced (one recovered), and is my best bet to be the party to force another on Sunday.
Gus: I’ve harped enough on the Jaguars’ pass rush, or lack thereof, so I’ll go with Dyami Brown. I think this matchup sets up perfectly for him to pick up chunk yards down the field. The Rams have a solid safety tandem but unconvincing depth at cornerback; expect Trevor Lawrence to throw near the sidelines at a high rate. Brown converting a few intermediate/deep looks would go a long way toward Jacksonville scoring 20+ points.
Henry: For an X-Factor, I will go back to my top point and say Liam Coen. Trips to London can be a tremendous way to bring a team together and get them on the same page. My hope is that this trip will actually help the Jags clean some things up. If Coen used this time to the best of his ability, we could see a new-look Jags squad Sunday morning at Al’s Pizza on Baymeadows.
Final score prediction?
Dillon: Jaguars 21, Rams 24
Travis: Jaguars 17, Rams 14
Gus: Jaguars 20, Rams 24
Henry: Jaguars 18, Rams 30
What are your Week 7 predictions, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments!
