T
he Jacksonville Jaguars are coming out of their bye week at 4-2, ready to go on a run and return to the playoffs for the second straight season. A lot has gone well for them this season so far. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is playing at a high level while two-way sensation Travis Hunter is emerging as a true star for the defense. If they keep this up, expect them to enter the Super Bowl contender conversation in January.
But it has not been perfect. As is this case for any team, there are things they can improve on for the rest of the season if they truly want to separate themselves among the pack in the AFC. The AFC is a tough conference, featuring teams like the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. ESPN listed three ways the team can get better if it wants to see its Super Bowl chances improve exponentially.
The Brian Thomas Jr. Issue
The first one is fairly obvious– the lack of production from wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Bursting onto the scene as a rookie in 2024 when he registered 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, the last two seasons have been much different. Now, Thomas Jr. is at the center of trade rumors, and with the emergence of Parker Washington, ESPN’s Michael DiRocco wonders if his time is up in Jacksonville or if he can salvage his season.
“Thomas has nine catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, which puts him on pace for 26 catches for 298 yards and three touchdowns. His lack of production is surprising considering he had a good offseason,” DiRocco wrote. “Outside of Parker Washington, Thomas was the most impressive offensive player in OTAs and training camp. But he had two drops in Week 2 against the Broncos and hasn’t recovered.”
“[Josh] Cameron and Hunter have both earned bigger roles, which would leave Thomas as, at best, the sixth option as a pass catcher behind Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Brenton Strange, Cameron and Hunter. He’s maybe even behind [running back] Bhayshul Tuten, too. The Jaguars might decide it’s time to move on and see what they can get in a trade.”
The Pass Rush and Kickoff Coverage
The Jaguars’ offense has been the star of the show and while Hunter is helping the defense succeed in its own right, there are still some glaring issues on that side of the ball that DiRocco pointed out. He also mentioned problems with the special teams unit. The team is not getting enough production from its star pass rushers, which could be a problem in the playoffs, while the kickoff coverage has cost the team some games, particularly their most recent game against the Houston Texans.
“The Jaguars are tied for 10th in the NFL in QB pressures (81) but are tied for 20th in sacks with 11. The top two pass rushers — [Josh] Hines-Allen and [Travon] Walker — have a combined 3.5 sacks. Three of those sacks came in the season opener (each had 1.5),” DiRocco wrote. “Hines-Allen hasn’t had one since, and Walker managed a half sack against the Eagles in Week 5. That has not been good enough.”
The Jaguars are among the league’s worst in kickoff coverage, and in the playoffs especially, special teams makes a real difference.
“The Jaguars are allowing 28.9 yards per kickoff return (ranked fourth-worst). The problem earlier in the season was the coverage team struggling to get off blocks, though that has slightly improved after the Jaguars did extra work during several practices,” DiRocco wrote. “It’s the only thing on special teams the Jaguars aren’t doing well.
Three Things the Jaguars Need to Fix, per ESPN