The play of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive line unit may be the entire key to victory against the LA Rams.
The Rams’ defensive front has been excellent this season. This group will enter Week 7, allowing only 3.8 yards per game, which ranks sixth in the NFL, and they have generated the eighth-highest pressure rate.
Leading the way is defensive end Jared Verse, whose 31 pressures are the third-most in the NFL. Right behind Verse is Byron Young with 26 pressures, per PFF.
For the most part, the Jaguars‘ offensive line unit has held up well this season. Trevor Lawrence has been pressured at the seventh-lowest rate in football, while Jacksonville is averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
However, as we saw last week when the offensive line struggled, moving the ball with any sort of consistency becomes extremely difficult in those instances.
Lawrence was under constant duress by the Seattle front, while the Jaguars had no running game to lean on. That not only oftentimes left them behind the sticks, but the run game element is an important component to making the Liam Coen offense go.
On the flip side, time for Lawrence allows him to operate within the rhythm of the play, while success in the run game is a must for the Jaguars’ offense.
Some good news for the Jaguars is that Robert Hainsey will be back at center this week, but the offensive line unit is in store for a big challenge against this Rams’ front. How they handle it will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars offensive line key to victory in Week 7 vs. Rams
