Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets: What's the Game Plan for Jacksonville?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are traveling to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to take on the 4-3 New York Jets in an important Week 9 battle. The Jaguars are 2-5 and a half-game out of the AFC South lead. A win over the Jets would likely turn the Jaguars into legitimate contenders.

While the win over the Buffalo Bills in London was a much-needed one and put the team in close striking distance of the AFC South, the Jaguars still showed plenty of issues and weren't facing a Bills team that wasn't close to being 100 percent healthy.

But a road win against the Jets would validate the Jaguars' position in the race for the AFC South. The Jets are arguably the second-best team the Jaguars face in their final nine games, and if they can defeat "Gang Green," they should be able to contend with or beat anyone on their remaining schedule.

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It's not a necessity for the Jaguars to win this game, but it is important for them to stay with the Jets and to not suffer a demoralizing loss. While this would be a huge win, it's definitely not the most crucial game on the schedule.

It's hard to say what a "positive loss" would be this weekend, but the Jaguars could likely achieve it. Proving they can hang with a team like the Jets would be something concrete to take into the remaining eight games. Win the game, and the race for the AFC South is on.

Offensive Game Plan

The Jaguars were able to win against the Bills without great play from quarterback Blake Bortles, and that's mostly thanks to a great defensive effort. However, a lot of credit also goes to running back T.J. Yeldon, who ran for 115 yards and a touchdown.

The Jets have the NFL's best run defense, averaging 78.1 yards per game. It will be an uphill task for Yeldon and the run game, but that 78-yard mark is what the Jaguars should strive for. 

	Rushing	Passing	Points	Total Yards
Jaguars Offense (Rank)	96.6 (25th)	246.1 (17th)	21.0 (23rd)	342.7 (22nd)
Jets Defense (Rank)	78.1 (1st)	229.0 (8th)	19.9 (12th)	307.1 (3rd)

While that's not a flashy target, it's a reasonable one. Reaching that total and averaging a decent yards per carry in the process would do wonders to open up deep passes for Bortles and the passing offense. They'll be facing a Jets pass defense that's only allowed 229 yards a game.

Honestly, Bortles will probably have another tough day. Jets corners Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are two of the league's most experienced and distinguished corners, and it will be tough to face them.

To combat that, Bortles should look to tight end Julius Thomas and wide receiver Bryan Walters instead of WRs Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. The "A-Team" will certainly get their chances, but to cut down on turnovers and incompletions, it'd be best to look elsewhere.

Walters stepped up against the Bills, and the Jaguars will look for similar production. As for Thomas, the Jaguars need something similar to his 78-yard, one-TD game against the Houston Texans. While the corners may lock down the receivers, Thomas can open up the seam and cause a lot of problems on Sunday.

Defensive Game Plan

The Jets have a solid, balanced attack on offense, with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, WRs Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker leading the passing attack and RBs Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell being their two most used backs on the rushing front.

The Jets are averaging 24.6 points a game coming into Sunday, and that balanced attack is the cause. However, the Jets do make mistakes, evidenced by Fitzpatrick's seven picks this season, and that's where the Jaguars have to take advantage.

None of the Jaguars' defensive backs have earned an interception, but this might be a prime opportunity. The Jaguars rushed the QB more in Week 7 than they had in any other game this season, and that led to two picks and a forced fumble.

A tenacious, but sensible blitz is the Jaguars' best bet to force turnovers on Sunday, which will be the primary way the defense can help win this game. It won't be able to stop the Jets from scoring somewhere close to their average, but making opportunities for the offense could be a deciding factor.

While the Jets haven't lost a fumble from a RB this season, the Jaguars have a knack for forcing loose balls. Hitting Ivory and Powell hard and often will be the Jaguars' best bet to force a turnover in that regard.

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The linebacker group has been the standout unit of the Jaguars defense this season, and it'll need to lead again on Sunday. The pass rush may have found something in Week 7, and the secondary is improving with time, but the major impact players for this Sunday will be LBs Telvin Smith, Paul Posluszny and Dan Skuta.

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It will take a team effort stronger than even what we saw against the Bills. Obviously, the Bills game was a step in the right direction, but the Jaguars have to play consistently for four quarters to beat a team like the Jets.

Sunday will be a good test for both sides of the ball, and the result could set the tone for the rest of the season. If the Jaguars are serious about contending for the AFC South, Sunday will be their chance to make a move.

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