Jets Poised To Snap 2-Game Losing Skid Versus Jaguars At MetLife Stadium
By Abraham Gutierrez
Looking to snap a two-game skid, the (4-3) New York Jets return to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to take on the (2-5) Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9 of the 2015 NFL season. This AFC East vs. AFC South contest is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET and it will be broadcast live on CBS Sports.
This NFL Week 9 clash marks only the 12th time that the Jaguars and Jets have crossed paths in their short head-to-head history. Jacksonville comes into this intraconference game with a slim 6-5-0 edge, but come in losers of two straight.
The last time these franchises met dates back to Week 14 of the 2012 NFL season. Led by the one-two running back combo of Bilal Powell (19 carries, 78 yards, TD) and Shonn Greene (20 carries, 77 yards, TD), the Jets prevailed by a final score of 17-10 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.
Jacksonville Jaguars 2015 NFL Season Record
Gus Bradley's Jags come into Week 9 sitting in third place in the AFC South, trailing the (3-4) Indianapolis Colts and (3-5) Houston Texans, and slightly ahead of the last-place (1-6) Tennessee Titans. Jacksonville is winless on the road this season at 0-3, are 2-3 against fellow American Football Conference foes, and are 1-4 in their last five games played.
Jaguars On Offense
The Jaguars offensive coordinator is Greg Olson, who's in his second stint with the team. The 52-year-old from Richland, Washington, served as assistant head coach under Mike Mularkey in 2012, and was also in charge of the quarterbacks.
Golson's offensive group kicks off Week 9 ranked below average in every significant statistical category, which comes as no surprise for a team that's been able to muster two wins all season.
Prior to their showdown with Gang Green, Jag's attack ranks 17th in passing (246.1), 22nd in points (21.0), 23rd in total yards (342.7) and 24th at rushing (96.6) in the National Football League.
Jaguars On Defense
Under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Bob Babich, the Jaguars have struggled seemingly in every significant area thus far. With eight weeks in the books, the Jaguars "D" ranks 14th against the rush (103.6), 21st in total yards per game (367.4), 25th against the pass (263.9), and a dismal 31st place in points per game (29.6).
Leading the charge on defense is outside linebacker, Telvin Smith, who currently leads the team in tackles with 68, along with an interception. Second on the team in that department is middle linebacker, Paul Posluszny, who has registered 56 tackles on the year, to go along with a pair of picks. And rounding out the top three tacklers in the Jaguars defense is strong safety, Johnathan Cyprien, who has tallied 35 tackles thus far and a forced fumble.
Jaguars Players To Watch
On the offensive side of the football, Todd Bowles and his coaching staff will need to find a way to contain quarterback Blake Bortles. In his second year out of Central Florida, the 23-year-old from Altamonte Springs, Florida, has proven to be evolving as an NFL signal-caller.
After a rookie season to forget, Bortles comes into Week 9 having completed 56 percent of his pass attempts (151-for-271) for 1812 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a quarterback rating of 82.5. His favorite targets are a pair of dangerous wide receivers, as Allen Robinson (586 yards, 6 TDs) and Allen Hurns (513 yards, 5 TDs) are first and second on the team in receiving yards and touchdowns respectively.
On the opposite side of the rock, no matter who's under center for the Jets, they will have to look out for the Jaguars sacks leaders. Leading the way in that department are cornerback Aaron Colvin (3 sacks), defensive end Ryan Davis (2.5 sacks) and defensive tackle Roy Miller (2 sacks).
Jaguars vs Jets 2015 NFL Point Spreads & O/U Line
If NFL Week 9 oddsmakers are correct, New York will have no problem getting back on the win column following a two-week absence. The latest NFL point spreads state that the New York Jets [-2.5] come in listed as two-and-a-half-point favorites against a Jacksonville Jaguars team that will enjoy a cushion of just under a field goal. It's also worth noting that these teams are expected to score about 20 points apiece, evidence by the fact that the OVER/UNDER tallies 40.5 points in this one.
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
