Has Jaguars' Run Defense Been Historically Good?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are known for their offense, and that’s not without merit.

Trevor Lawrence is continuing to develop the consistency needed to be one of the league’s top quarterbacks.

Parker Washington has become one of the league’s better receivers, while 23-year-old Bhayshul Tuten is making a name for himself as the team’s top RB after Travis Etienne’s departure.

But as the cliché goes, defense wins championships, and this Jags team has championship aspirations.

Losing in the first round of the playoffs after going 13-4 was good enough for a lot of people last year, considering the Jags went 4-13 the year before.

Although it might be extreme to call this season “championship or bust,” the Jags need to advance in the playoffs for the general public to say this was a successful season.

The good news is, the Jags' defense is as good as any and better than most. Through five games, Jacksonville has allowed 70 points, fewer than any team in the AFC and any NFL team besides the Minnesota Vikings.

Jacksonville is second to none in terms of stopping the run.

Before the season, only one team in the Super Bowl era had gone the first five games of the season without allowing an opposing running back to reach 40 yards. The first being the 1969 Dallas Cowboys coached by the great Tom Landry.

As with any great statistical feat, there’s a measure of luck involved.

For instance, the Jags played the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday without having to deal with Saquon Barkley, who is known for eclipsing 40 yards in a game from time to time.

But a lot of teams have faced teams without their top RB over the years between Week 1 and Week 5, and none have done what the Jags have since before the NFL and AFL merged in 1970.

There’s a good chance the Jags make it six in a row this weekend. Their opponent is the Houston Texans, and their leading rusher, Woody Marks, is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and has eclipsed 40 yards just twice in five games this season.

The bad news for Jacksonville is that only two teams have allowed more passing yards. It hasn’t burned the Jags yet, considering they’re hardly allowing any points.

But with the quality of quarterback play in this league, that’s something that could kill Jacksonville is it isn’t corrected.

With that saidm overall, there isn’t much to complain about with this Jags defense.