The Jacksonville Jaguars will face an uphill battle to fight in 2022, starting with a Week 1 matchup with the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The game will pit a Jacksonville’s new-look offensive line against a dominant Washington front-seven that can wreak havoc on every down.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was asked about the impact of former first-overall pick Chase Young’s absence in the impending tilt on Wednesday, and told reporters that he will still have his hands plenty full scheming up blocks for the rest of Washington’s defensive line.
“First of all, Chase is a great player,” Pederson said. “I’ve seen him in my former life, played against him—not me personally playing, but I’ve coached against him—great player. He’s going to be missed by that team and that front. He’s a leader there, but the other guys are just as good. Washington has spent a lot of resources on that defensive line over the years, and these are really good players. It really doesn’t matter who they plug in. There are some game wreckers there. A guy like Luke Fortner (OL), first time in there with these two big guys, physical guys. It’ll be fun to watch these two the whole game. They give you a bunch of different looks, multiple looks, and things we have to be prepared for.”
Few offensive lines in the NFL will be capable of getting their quarterbacks through games against the Commanders unscathed, and though Pederson seemed confident in the Jaguars’ ability to mitigate their superb talent, he is sure to respect their abilities on every play he calls on Sunday.
With the new faces up front in Jacksonville, this matchup will be a litmus test for the offensive line’s chance for success moving forward. If they can contain Washington, it will be a good indication that they’ll manage to get through their 2022 schedule without incident as the Jaguars look to rebuild this season.