Keys To Victory: 10 Things Jaguars Have To Do To Defeat The Eagles In Philadelphia

Nov 01, 2024 at 01:15 PM

John Oehser

Jaguars Senior Writer

JACKSONVILLE – This is a tough, tough task.

That's a familiar scenario for the Jaguars in this difficult season, and it's unlikely to change soon as one of the trickiest stretches of their 2024 regular season continues.

It's about pride and professionalism now, and the latest test for the Jaguars (2-6) comes against the Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) of the NFC East at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., Sunday.

The Jaguars this past Sunday lost to the Green Bay Packers, 30-27, at EverBank Stadium. It was an emotional game in which the Jaguars sustained a slew of injuries, including a season-ending collarbone injury to veteran wide receiver and leader Christian Kirk.

The game had an emotional feel, with the Jaguars twice rallying from 10-point deficits to tie the game late before losing on a last-play field goal to slip three-and-a-half games behind AFC South-leading Houston (6-3).

That loss to the 6-2 Packers was the first of a stretch of games against contending NFC teams. They visit the Eagles Sunday before playing host to the Minnesota Vikings (5-2) and visiting the Detroit Lions (6-1). They then play host to the Texans in early December.

They also enter Sunday’s game with a slew of injuries in addition to the one that ended Kirk's season. Left guard Ezra Cleveland missed practice the last two days, and the team's two other top receivers in addition to Kirk – rookie Brian Thomas Jr.and veteran Gabe Davis – were limited in practice this week.

No, the upcoming stretch won't be easy. Sunday sure won't be, either.

Here are 10 things the Jaguars must do to win:

Stop.The.Run. The Eagles want to run. When they run, they're very good. The Jaguars have been good defending this area for the most part this season. Against Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley, they must be better than good and they must do it for the whole game.
Contain Hurts … Hurts is very good in the pocket and really good outside the pocket. When you rush him, you must be aware. He is fast and strong and his strength makes him one of the toughest quarterbacks in the NFK to tackle in the open field. You also must be very aware of him in run-pass options because he's dangerous in both ways.
…. and force turnovers. This seems unlikely. Hurts has protected the ball very well lately and the Jaguars have just three defensive takeaways in eight games. Unlikely or not, the Jaguars must do this. The Eagles are most vulnerable when Hurts is committing giveaways and they are extremely tough to beat when he is not.
Step up. Kirk is out for the season. That stinks for the Jaguars, because he's Lawrence's most-trusted downfield option. Lawrence. Second-year wide receiver Parker Washington, who has shown flashes in limited opportunities, will get an extensive opportunity now. This is his time.
Get a defensive touchdown. The Jaguars have seemed far away from this this season. That's because they're not pressuring the passer very well and not creating takeaways. Still, when playing a favored team on the road, the best way to stay in the game is to steal a possession and get unexpected points in the form of a defensive score.
Protect the ball … This is about Lawrence. He had a major issue protecting the ball in the pocket during his first three NFL seasons. That issue arose again against the Packers. It hadn't been issue in the first seven games this season. Lawrence must make sure it's not an issue moving forward.
… and keep progressing. The outside "noise" and criticism around Lawrence this week has bordered on ridiculous. It often has crossed the border. He has played well overall for the last month and is progressing steadily after a slow start to the season. He must keep moving in that direction.
Run. The Jaguars have run well this season far more often than not. They haven't been as consistent in short-yardage as would be ideal, but they have been far more productive with more big plays than they were last season. They must keep grinding and improving here, particularly with injuries increasing at wide receiver. This is particularly tough this week against a dominant Philadelphia defensive front.
Cover the deep pass. This has defined too many losses this season. If it continues to define games moving forward, those games will usually be losses.
Play for pride – with professionalism. At 2-6, this may be what's left.

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Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars offensive lineman Mitch Morse (65) during practice at the Miller Electric Center on October 30, 2024.