This week’s “Thursday Night Football” matchup seems to have come out of nowhere for Jacksonville Jaguars fans, as the Jalen Ramsey headlines have consumed the early part of the week. With Ramsey ready to play following a conversation with Doug Marrone, the defense will have a major boost as they prepare to suit up for what may be the final time alongside their best player and vocal leader.
With that in mind, here are the three Jaguars to watch on the defensive side of the ball:
DE Yannick Ngakoue
Yannick Ngakoue missed a regular-season game for the first time in his career last Sunday. The fourth-year pro will be eager to get back into the action and start hitting quarterbacks as early as possible, considering he was unable to record a sack during the Jaguars’ opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Jaguars should find some luck against what has been quite a porous offensive line to start the season. With offensive tackle Taylor Lewan suspended, quarterback Marcus Mariota has been sacked seven times through two games, a statistic “Sacksonville” should be looking to add to. Any time is a good time for a team’s pass-rush to return to full-strength, but Marrone and the rest of the coaches will especially be pleased to see Ngakoue come back as the team looks to avoid an 0-3 start to 2019.
LB Quincy Williams
Last year when these two sides met on NFL Network’s primetime stage, Titans’ running back Derrick Henry steamrolled the Jaguars defense for 238 yards and four touchdowns. Jacksonville simply had no answer for the 2015 Heisman winner, as Henry was able to amass such an impressive stat-line on only 17 carries.
Myles Jack, Telvin Smith, and Leon Jacobs simply had no answer for Henry’s unique combination of size and speed. That will have to change Thursday if the Jags don’t want to get embarrassed in front of the nation.
So far this season, Quincy Williams has flashed as a dynamic defender with the ability to deliver punishing hits. The Jaguars will have their hands full trying to stop the run, but if they can neutralize the Titans’ ground game it will largely be thanks to their rookie linebacker.
S Ronnie Harrison
In the Jags’ last primetime meeting with the Titans, Ronnie Harrison was one of the only bright spots as he registered a pick against Mariota. The Jags will need him to pick up where he left off against them and make more impact plays against them if they are to win Thursday night.
Not only will the Jags need him to step up and help out in the run game with Henry always being a threat to surge to the second level, but they will also need him to have a strong night in coverage. The Titans have some under-the-radar passing threats who can make plays and rookie A.J. Brown is the latest one to burst onto the scene after a strong Week 1 performance against the Cleveland Browns.
To an even higher extent, the Jags will need Harrison to match up well against tight end Delanie Walker, who like Henry, has been very successful against the Jags. He’s registered 639 receiving yards and four touchdowns against him throughout his career, most of which have been with Tennessee.
Last week, the Jags gave up crucial yardage on third-downs and Walker has traditionally been a possessions guy for Mariota against the Jags. Simply put, when matched against him, Harrison needs to be mindful of his ability and eliminate him from making clutch plays.
