The Green Bay Packers will attempt to run the win streak to four games when they go on the road to play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon. The Jaguars are 2-5 but coming off a big win in the second of two consecutive games in London.
Can the Packers complete the four-game sweep of the AFC South with a win over the Jaguars on Sunday?
Here’s a closer look at the Jaguars entering Week 8:
Last week (Win, 32-16 over Patriots)
For the second straight week, the Packers will be playing an AFC South team coming off a win over the New England Patriots. The Jaguars fell behind 10-0 in London but scored 25 straight points between the second and third quarters to break open the game. Rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. caught a touchdown pass and running back Tank Bigsby created a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Jaguars ahead, and Parker Washington’s 96-yard punt return for a score gave Jacksonville a 12-point halftime lead. Bigsby finished off the win with a 4-yard touchdown run late. Trevor Lawrence completed 15 of 20 passes in an efficient performance, Bigsby ran 26 times for 118 yards and the Jaguars defense held Drake Maye and the Patriots to only 295 total yards. Jacksonville didn’t allow a sack or have a turnover, and Doug Pederson’s team only committed four penalties. A strong overall effort to close out a two-week stay in London.
Quarterback play
Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, is a bit of a mystery. He is undeniably talented, but the numbers show a still inconsistent passer. Through seven games, Lawrence has seven touchdown passes and three interceptions, with a completion percentage of 62.1, a yards per attempt average of 7.2 (currently a career high) and a passer rating of 92.3. He has been especially good attacking down the field, with 15 completions of 20 or more yards (first) and 541 yards on deep passes (first). By PFF grade, Lawrence ranks eighth out of 28 qualifying quarterbacks. Targets have dropped 10.3 percent of his passes, an NFL high, so his low completion percentage to start 2024 might be easily explained. When under pressure, Lawrence is averaging 4.2 yards per attempt, the fourth lowest among quarterbacks. Pressure will be key because Lawrence has been very efficient from clean pockets.
Line of scrimmage
The starting five offensive linemen have played in all seven games. Only 29.2 percent of Trevor Lawrence’s dropbacks have included pressure, the third lowest percentage among quarterbacks. The Jaguars rank 11th in pass-blocking efficiency at PFF. Lawrence has been sacked 15 times in seven games. The Jaguars run game is averaging 5.1 yards per carry — including a 6.2-yard mark from Tank Bigsby — and three different running backs have a success rate over 50 percent. Defensively, the Jaguars are giving up only 4.2 yards per carry, the seventh best mark in football, but have only 16 sacks. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker both have over 25 pressures as edge rushers. The interior of the defensive line is a weak spot.
Turnovers
The Jaguars have turned the ball over only seven times in seven games, including three games with zero turnovers. But they are still -4 in turnover margin because the defense has generated only three takeaways, tied for the second fewest in football. A terrible pass defense has just one interception despite facing 253 passing attempts. Of the three fumbles forced by the defense, two have been recovered. Trevor Lawrence has thrown only three interceptions and currently has the best interception percentage of his career.
Injury situations
Left tackle Cam Robinson is in concussion protocol coming out of Week 7. Running back Travis Etienne missed last week’s win with a hamstring injury, but he could return Sunday. Top linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and special teamer Andrew Wingard are on injured reserve, but both were designated to return to start this week. The Jaguars are a relatively healthy football team entering Week 8.
Players to know
S Darnell Savage: The former Packer has played mostly in the slot this season. Despite playing closer to the line of scrimmage, he’s remained a liability in coverage.
WR Brian Thomas Jr.: The rookie first-rounder leads the Jaguars in catches (30) and receiving yards (513) and receiving touchdowns (4). He’s a legitimate big-play threat.
DE Travon Walker: The 2022 first overall pick has 6.0 sacks to start 2024. While not as down-to-down dominant as Josh Hines-Allen, Walker is starting to consistently impact games as a pass-rusher.
CB Ronald Darby: The veteran corner has allowed 372 passing yards into his coverage, the third most among cornerbacks this season. Quarterbacks are completing 76.3 percent of passes and have three touchdown passes and zero picks when targeting Darby.