Trevor Lawrence isn't the Jags' MVP heading into Week 10
By all accounts, if the Jacksonville Jaguars were to give out midseason awards, they'd surely hand the Most Valuable Player trophy to the face of the franchise in Trevor Lawrence.That's just how the game goes. Quarterbacks are the bees knees and if they have a good-to-great season then they usually take home the hardware. It's […]
By all accounts, if the Jacksonville Jaguars were to give out midseason awards, they'd surely hand the Most Valuable Player trophy to the face of the franchise in Trevor Lawrence.
That's just how the game goes. Quarterbacks are the bees knees and if they have a good-to-great season then they usually take home the hardware.
It's not like Lawrence is undeserving, either. He's coming into his own and looks like a top-tier signal-caller this year. Now, it's just about doing it consistently while continuing to improve. And win some big games, of course.
But, at this point, the Jags defense deserves the MVP award more than Lawrence does. Outside of Week 3's debacle against the Houston Texans, Mike Caldwell's unit has frustrated opposing offenses on what is a week-to-week basis, pretty much.
Jags defense is a playmaking unit that is getting better each week
The numbers back it up, as well. The Jags defense currently allows opponents to score at the NFL's fourth-lowest rate (27.4%) and it forces turnovers at a league-high rate of 17.9%. The latter number matches up perfectly when noticing the Jags are tied with the New Orleans Saints for the league lead in total turnovers, with 18. That's with them coming off the bye week, as well.
Quarterbacks average the fourth-lowest QB rating when throwing against the Jags defense and the unit allows opposing offenses to convert third downs at the fifth-lowest rate (34.2%) in the NFL.
Overall the unit is a takeaway waiting to happen. The only area in need of improvement is the pass rush. The Jags only have 16 sacks on the year, despite blitzing at the ninth-highest rate in the league. Their overall pressure numbers are OK, but both need to be much, much higher if the Jags are blitzing that often. Fortunately, the secondary is playing at a very high level to help offset that.
Still, the defense has played very well to the point where it's allowed the Jags offense to stay the course throughout games and never get into a spot where they're forcing the issue or anything like that. That's a huge advantage and major help for Lawrence and co.
Week 10 represents a huge test for the Jags defense
The Jags are coming off their bye week and will head to San Francisco to take on the 49ers, who are also coming off a bye, in Week 10. Even though they're on a three-game skid, the 9ers offense boats plenty of playmakers that can make the life of any defense hell. Even with the current injuries on the offensive line.
That same offense is the perfect opportunity for this defense to keep building its case as one of the league's best. And they'll get to do it in front of their home crowd, which only adds to the situation.
And with the Baltimore Ravens playing the Cleveland Browns -the Ravens are just 3-2 over the last five contests– plus the Kansas City Chiefs being on their bye week, a Jags win would have them right in the thick of it when it comes to the top seed in the AFC.
