The Jacksonville Jaguars are on a roll after back-to-back blowout wins, but now they have their toughest test of the season so far against the NFL’s only undefeated team.
The Philadelphia Eagles won a Week 1 shootout against the Detroit Lions and then steamrolled over the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders in Weeks 2 and 3. Both the Jaguars and the Eagles are top 10 in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, and total defense.
For the Jaguars to pull off the upset, they’ll need big games out of several key players. Here are five who will be important in Week 4 against the Eagles:
OLB Travon Walker
Perhaps you’ve heard of him.
The No. 1 overall pick has fallen behind linebacker Devin Lloyd in the rookie hype train race, but it hasn’t been because he’s playing poorly. Walker has been a force in the run game and he’s been making plays in the pass game, whether that’s rushing the passer or making athletic plays in coverage.
Walker’s going to be especially important for the Jaguars defense if it hopes to corral Jalen Hurts and the Eagles running backs.
If Walker can dominate one-on-one matchups like he did in the first three weeks, it could slow a dangerous Philadelphia offense and create negative-yardage plays. If Walker’s inexperience finally shows, the Jaguars defense could get gashed.
WR Christian Kirk
The Jaguars’ $72 million investment at receiver has looked worth the lofty price tag and he could be especially valuable against an Eagles secondary that will be without Avonte Maddox.
How Philadelphia will handle that absence remains to be seen. It could be former Jaguars draft pick Josiah Scott stepping in or perhaps former Saints safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will slide down to cover Kirk in the slot. Regardless of the Eagles’ approach, it’ll be an advantageous matchup for Jacksonville.
Kirk may draw a lot of attention because of that mismatch, which could open up other opportunities for the Jaguars offense. When he gets his one-on-one moments, Kirk should create problems for Philadelphia.
C Luke Fortner
The Jaguars have asked a lot of their rookie third-round center and, so far, Fortner’s been … fine.
Jacksonville’s offense and its offensive line have been in sync, and that’s a huge credit to the rookie in the middle of it all. But Pro Football Focus has Fortner graded as one of the worst linemen in the NFL so far.
Fortner is going to be tested in a major way Sunday when he’s lined up across from Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and an Eagles defense that had nine sacks last week.
Right guard Brandon Scherff will help out Fortner plenty, especially against Cox, but expect Philadelphia to attack the Jaguars’ inexperienced center.
RB Travis Etienne
The explosive plays from Etienne are coming, we can all feel it.
The Jaguars have tried to find him touches and he’s shown off his acceleration, but so far, the big play hasn’t happened. It might not happen against a good Philadelphia defense either, but Etienne’s going to get his chances.
That’ll be especially true if the wind and rain become a significant factor Sunday. The Jaguars will likely lean on James Robinson between the tackles, but they’ll also want to use screens and quick passes to keep the Eagles off balance. That’s when it’s Etienne’s time to shine.
S Andre Cisco
The Jaguars cornerbacks have a lot to deal with Sunday when they line up across from the duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Jacksonville may get Shaquill Griffin back from a hip injury and Tyson Campbell has taken a significant step forward in his sophomore campaign, but the Jaguars aren’t going to expect those two to win one-on-one in man coverage.
Strong safety Rayshawn Jenkins will be part of the solution, but it’ll be free safety Andre Cisco who has to take away deep ball options for Jalen Hurts. The Jaguars don’t need Cisco to be Ed Reed in Week 4, they just need to avoid coverage busts against an offense very capable of explosive plays.
