Jags Defense Will Attack Patriots’ Offense With Speed At All Levels

This week instead of jumping into the Patriots film, I jumped into the Jags. I never get a chance to really study another team because I’m so busy trying to decipher what the Bill Belichick is cooking up. So a chance to take a look at multiple games of film, including the Pats-Jags preseason game, the Jags loss to Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers, and both playoff wins.

The Jags defense vs. the Patriots offense is where this game will be won or lost. Their schemes are not complicated, but they have so much speed that they’re really effective. They’re at their absolute best when they get offense’s in third and longs. They have dominant pass rushers and a flexible secondary.

Here are a bunch of quick hits on the Jags defense and how I think they’ll match up against Tom Brady and friends.

— Calais Campbell has the ability to take over a game. He plays defensive end on both sides and reduces down to the interior on third downs where he’s like a giant bear who just destroys the middle of your pocket.

— Speed rusher Yannick Ngakoue badly toasted LaAdrian Waddle for a sack on Garoppolo this past preseason, and that’s a matchup we’ll see again on Sunday, unless it’s Cam Fleming filling in for Waddle. Ngakoue can get blocked in the run game and is at his best going upfield, where he explodes off the ball. Like Campbell he’ll play on both sides of the line.

— Dante Fowler was the 3rd overall pick two years ago and now he’s their designated rusher, coming off both edges with as much speed and ferocity as Ngakoue. Their sub-package front four, with Campbell and Dareus inside and Fowler/Ngakoue on the edges is what is most scary about this Jags defense. The key to is keep them in their base and get good yardage on first and second down to avoid third-and-long’s at all costs.

— The speed of the Jaguar defense can be used against them sometimes as teams frequently had success with screens. The Patriots have been more effective with their screen game lately after a pretty bad year overall. If Rex Burkhead returns it’s easy to see the Pats trying to play more power and screens. The Jags will counter a fullback with veteran linebacker Paul Posluszny and teams like the 49ers targeted him with their fullbacks catches passes for good gains. The Pony (2 RB) package would be very much back on the table and the Posluszny is super mismatch against the trio of Pats RBs. The Jags would be forced to roll with their two fast linebackers in coverage, when they should be making sideline to sideline tackles.

— The do play a lot of Cover 3 where their athletic and physical corners can make downhill tackles, something they both like to do . A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey could play even more press man than they’ve shown and I would expect to see it against the Patriots. I’d especially press Amendola and Gronk off the line on third downs. Force the Patriots to beat you them with intermediate-to-deep routes with Hogan and Cooks. It’s hard to take much from the Steelers’ downfield success. On all of them the coverage was close to perfect, the throw and catch was just a tiny bit better, and the Steelers are built to make those plays. The Patriots are not.

— This is a good fast defense, and I think the Patriots will counter by going fast themselves. Forcing a pace and putting the Jags on their heels early is critical. You obviously can’t let them roar out to a lead like the Steelers did.