By
October 6, 2017
Through four games this season, the Jaguars’ run defense is last in the NFL in yards per attempt and yards per game and only two teams have allowed more rushing touchdowns.
In last week’s 23-20 loss to the New York Jets, the unit was gashed for 256 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown by Bilal Powell and a 69-yard score by Elijah McGuire.
And now the Jaguars go on the road Sunday to face Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell, one week after he seemed to find his rhythm following groin surgery in March and missing all of training camp because he did not sign his franchise tender.
Scary?
Worst-case scenario?
Maybe.
But maybe not.
“If we are going to bounce back, this is the team to do it against,” nose tackle Abry Jones said. “We know how big of a challenge it is this week and we know there is no better team than this team.”
The Jaguars are allowing 5.7 yards per carry and 165.5 rushing yards per game. They’ve allowed five rushing touchdowns, which is third-most in the league behind Indianapolis (six) and the Los Angeles Rams (seven).
To put into context how bad they’ve been: Take away Powell’s fluky touchdown — when he fell to the ground after a short gain, realized he hadn’t been touched down and got to his feet to run the rest of the way to the end zone — and the Jaguars would still be worst in the league in yards per attempt.
Currently first in passing defense at 147 yards per game, the Jaguars are on track to become the first team since the 2006 Colts to allow more rushing yards than passing yards.
Overall, the Jaguars are 11th in total defense.
“We know it’s bad,” Jones said. “The defensive line is really paying attention to it. As a defensive line, we take it personally.”
Against the Jets, the problems went beyond the defensive line.
On McGuire’s touchdown, the Jets seemed to take advantage of all three levels of the Jaguars’ defense.
The play started as a run to the left behind a zone blocking scheme. When a lane opened in the middle of the field, McGuire cut back and had room for a big run as linebacker Myles Jack was pushed backward.
Jaguars safety Barry Church had an opportunity to tackle McGuire after a gain of about 10 yards but took a poor angle and couldn’t get a hand on him. One foot race later and McGuire was in the end zone.
“It’s easy to point the finger at the first level,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “But then you get to the second level: Who’s going to cover out butt? And then you have the third level, the final level, of who’s going to cover it?”
Asked his overall impression of the team’s run defense this season, Marrone said: “We’ve got to do a better job. There’s no doubt about it.”
Limiting Bell will require a strong effort from the Jaguars’ defensive line, linebackers and secondary.
The fifth-year veteran, who averaged 105.7 rushing yards per game last season and is coming off a 35-carry, 144-yard effort during a win over Baltimore, has a unique running style.
Bell generally takes a couple of hop steps behind the line of scrimmage while he scans for holes, sometimes coming to a complete stop. When Bell finds a crease, he has the explosiveness to pick up big chunks of yards.
Last week against the Ravens, he had gains of nine, 16, 17 and 21 yards. He also scored two touchdowns.
Bell said this week the Steelers offense, which ranks 17th in scoring and 21st overall despite also featuring quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Antonio Brown, is “still getting better.”
“The sky is the limit for this offense,” Bell said. “I’ve been saying that for the longest [time]. We’ve got to put it all together.”
That’s the challenge ahead of the Jaguars.
They’ve faced Houston’s Lamar Miller and Tennessee’s DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, but Bell is the class of the AFC.
Containing Bell would be a much-needed boost.
“He’s super patient,” Church said. “Our one-gap scheme is going to have to hold true. We can’t have people going from this gap to try to make the play in that gap because he’s super patient to where he will wait for that to happen and then, boom, he is out of the gate.
“We’ve practiced long and hard for this.”
Phillip Heilman: (904) 359-4063
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