The Jacksonville Jaguars hope to pull off a significant upset as they travel north to take on the Detroit Lions in a matchup with plenty of disadvantages.
Jacksonville enters Week 11 with the projected No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to Tankathon. The Jaguars are 2-8 and coming off a defensive slugfest of a loss against Minnesota without franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is out again this week with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.
Head coach Doug Pederson will not have a ton of edges against the Lions. Jaguars Wire looks at a few key matchups that will be critical against the Lions on Sunday afternoon.
Jacksonville WR Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Detroit’s secondary
This is a big moment for the rookie receiver. Brian Thomas Jr. has been one of the better wide receivers in the league this year, an impressive feat for a rookie. Now demanding double-coverage, per Pederson, Thomas will face an uber-talented Lions secondary that will likely continue that trend this weekend.
Thomas’ strength is his vertical game but he is much more than that as a receiver. He has developed into an all-around playmaker who threatens all three levels of the field with his speed, agility, fluidity and route running.
The challenge in Detroit will be taking on cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Terrion Arnold and safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
There is an argument that Branch has had a defensive player-of-the-year-worthy season. And while Detroit’s defense has allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game (244.2) in the NFL this season, it also gives up the third-fewest passing touchdowns per game (0.8).
If Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor manufacture touches for Thomas, the Jaguars could find themselves in scoring positions more often. Thomas is bound for his true workhorse game and this week could be the one.
Jacksonville DE Josh Hines-Allen vs. Detroit OT Taylor Decker
Despite last week’s loss to Minnesota loss, Jacksonville edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen got the better of former teammate Cam Robinson, tallying eight pressures and forcing quarterback Sam Darnold into some rough decisions with the football.
According to Next Gen Stats, Hines-Allen leads the Jaguars in pressures and will line up opposite Lions left tackle Taylor Decker, whose pressure rate ranks in the bottom ten among players at his position at 10.6%.
This is one of the few Achilles heels on Detroit’s offense and there aren’t many of them. Decker is an overall sound tackle but arguably the weak link on the best offensive line in the NFL.
Hines-Allen has been a handful this season and has been continuously worthy of the contract extension that secured him as a true franchise cornerstone on a lowly team. A big day from the former Kentucky standout could keep this game a competitive one through all four quarters.
Jacksonville’s coaching vs. Detroit’s coaching
If you have watched any football between these two teams, it is clear there is a sizeable advantage. If not, this game features a Lions coaching staff that has one of the best offensive minds in the NFL in Ben Johnson, and a defensive coordinator who has his defense playing competitive football in Aaron Glenn.
Not to mention, Detroit is led by Dan Campbell, one of the most respected head coaches in football. It would be fair to expect him to get the most out of his players.
The Jaguars have been under a microscope for most of the season. After entering the season with playoff expectations, those expectations aren’t likely to be met unless they pull off a miraculous run in the final seven games.
If Pederson and the rest of his staff want to tone down the noise about their futures in Jacksonville, they must coach the best games of the season or at any point of their Jaguars tenure.
Last week, there were glimpses of the Jaguars generating more pressure with more blitzes. Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen must coach a perfect game in this instance and find a way to force Lions quarterback Jared Goff into bad decisions for the second straight week.
Offensively, as stated in the aforementioned key matchup, having the game plan around getting the ball to Thomas is critical. Travis Etienne Jr.’s return to health helps with the loss of Tank Bigsby. Leaning on Thomas and Etienne will ease the pressure on backup quarterback Mac Jones.
It may seem like a tall task against one of the best coaching staffs in the league headed by Campbell, but the Jaguars have pulled off miracles under Pederson before. They could do it again in Detroit.