The Jacksonville Jaguars will look to keep up their winning ways when they take on the New York Jets at TIAA Bank Field Sunday.
The Jets are coming off of a demoralizing home loss to their division rivals in the New England Patriots where they were thoroughly dominated by the score of 33-0. The Jaguars, on the other hand, are coming off of a critical win against the Cincinnati Bengals in a game where the defense ran roughshod forcing Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton into three interceptions.
The Jaguars’ defense will look to repeat the same performance when they take on the Jets No. 31 ranked scoring offense. Here is a look at some Jaguars players to keep an eye on during the game:
DT Abry Jones
Abry Jones may not be the flashiest name on this list, but he gets the job done. Jones is a good run stopper but will look to gain extra penetration as he will most likely line up against Jets reserve guard Alex Lewis and veteran center Ryan Kalil. Lewis will take the place of former starter Kelechi Osemele who was released Saturday afternoon after being embroiled in a medical dispute with the Jets because of the Jets’ wariness towards the timing of his shoulder surgery.
Lewis has been highly serviceable as a guard as he has not given up a sack in 178 snaps. He also has earned a respectable 69.8 grade from Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Khalil has struggled mightily and has left fans disappointed with his signing.
This will be an interesting battle on the left side of the trenches.
Edge rusher Josh Allen
The Jets offensive line ranks at No. 2 in the league in sacks given up. A player with the skill set of Josh Allen should have a complete field day.
Allen currently leads the Jaguars in sacks with five, which is more than Carolina Panthers star rookie defensive end Brian Burns, New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins and Chicago Bears All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack.
Allen’s talent will likely allow him to add two more sacks before the day is over. The Jets will have a tough task ahead trying to guard Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and also Josh Allen in a “pick your poison” style matchup for the Jets battered offensive line. There is no better game than this one to continue to make his claim for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
LB Malcolm Smith (if he starts)
The Jaguars are completely thin at linebacker as three starting linebackers in Najee Goode (toe), Quincy Williams (hamstring) and Leon Jacobs (hamstring) are all ruled OUT for this Sunday. Myles Jack will be the only healthy starting linebacker going into the game.
The Jaguars signed former Seahawks Super Bowl MVP linebacker Malcolm Smith and Donald Payne, who has spent most of his time on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad and some time on the Jags’ roster in 2017-18.
In all probability, Smith will look to start his first game as a Jacksonville Jaguar at outside linebacker, a position that he is well familiar with. In 2016, he amassed 86 solo tackles and an interception from the position. Keep an eye on how he fits in Todd Wash’s scheme. Smith actually plays better as a middle linebacker but has shown the skills when it comes to covering outside runs and short yardage plays at the weak or strong-side linebacker position.
Who are some Jaguars players that we should keep an eye on? Follow the Jaguars Wire on Twitter and Facebook and let us know! Follow Robert Ricks on Twitter for more Jaguars discussion and news!
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