Week 6 Mismatches: Jaguars set to humble Prescott, Cowboys
Here are four of the most one-sided matchups in Week 6 of the NFL season:
Jaguars' secondary vs. Cowboys' passing attack
After facing Kansas City's league-best passing attack last week, this should be a relative cakewalk for the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense against the putrid passing attack of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys have one of the best ground games in the NFL, thanks to Ezekiel Elliott and a high-priced offensive line, but rank just 30th in passing yards per game (172), 26th in touchdown passes (five), and 24th in completion percentage (61.8).
Much of that is due to Dak Prescott and Co. struggling to replace the former production from Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, as Cole Beasley currently leads a ragtag group of pass-catchers. Nobody outside of Elliot presents a matchup problem for Jacksonville.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars have the best defense in football, and they specialize in stopping the pass, ranking first in passing yards allowed per game (191), fifth in completion percentage allowed (60), and first in touchdown passes allowed (three).
Within that defensive unit, Jalen Ramsey leads the most talented secondary in the NFL. He and A.J. Bouye make up a fearsome cornerback tandem, and it may be harder for them to defend boredom than the Cowboys on Sunday.
Ramsey has certainly earned his praise, but Bouye often gets overlooked despite being one of the best cornerbacks in his own right. The latter is adept in man and zone coverage, possessing smooth footwork, fantastic recovery speed, and impressive ball skills. This interception is a great example:
On this play, Bouye is lined up across from receiver Demarcus Robinson in man coverage to the offense's right. After the ball is snapped, Robinson does an excellent job of defeating Bouye's initial strike from press coverage and creating some separation with his release. Nevertheless, Bouye quickly opens his hips and drives on Robinson’s slant route, which allows him to undercut the route and make the interception.
In terms of Jacksonville's safeties, Barry Church is one of the most fundamentally sound tacklers at his position, while Tashaun Gipson is fantastic in coverage, as he held Rob Gronkowski in check when the Jaguars beat New England. When he's not covering tight ends, you can find Gipson patrolling the deep middle in an effort to prevent big plays and take advantage of any overthrown passes:
Here, the Jaguars are in zone coverage with Gipson responsible for the deep middle. He does an excellent job of playing from the proper depth while reading the eyes of Patrick Mahomes, which allows him to slide into position and intercept the pass.
If Dallas wants to be productive through the air, Prescott must make a high volume of tight-window throws - something he’s proven incapable of doing through five weeks.
Matt Ryan vs. Buccaneers' secondary
It hasn’t been an ideal start for the Atlanta Falcons, who've limped out to a 1-4 record. But Matt Ryan and the offense haven’t been the problem, ranking ninth in points per game (26.6), sixth in yards per play (6.1), and second in third-down conversion percentage (47 percent).
This week, the unit should be able to take advantage of the Buccaneers’ secondary, which ranks last in passing yards allowed per game (358).
On paper, this is the week when Julio Jones should finally get over his allergy to the end zone, as Tampa Bay doesn’t have the talent at cornerback or safety to slow him down. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Jones has the footwork to generate separation at the top of his route and the long speed to run away from coverage. This play is a great example:
Here, Jones is aligned toward the bottom of the screen with the Saints playing off coverage. With a free release, the receiver is able to quickly accelerate to his top speed and run by New Orleans’ deep zone coverage. If Ryan hit Jones in stride, this would have been an easy touchdown; because it was slightly underthrown, the receiver had to settle for a 58-yard gain.
Even if the Bucs somehow stop Jones (they won’t), Ryan has a plethora of other weapons at his disposal. Mohamed Sanu is a big, physical complimentary receiver, and he should be able to create his own success against Tampa Bay cornerbacks Carlton Davis, Ryan Smith, and Brent Grimes. Calvin Ridley has proven to be a reliable target for Ryan in his rookie year, showing off excellent route running while racking up 19 catches for 302 yards and six touchdowns.
Moreover, Austin Hooper has become a capable weapon in the passing game while running backs Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman are dangerous receivers out of the backfield.
As long as Ryan isn’t pressured too much, he should be able to pick apart the Buccaneers' porous pass defense.
Frank Clark vs. Raiders' offensive tackles
Former second-round pick Frank Clark has emerged as the Seattle Seahawks' best defensive lineman and one of the top up-and-coming edge defenders in the NFL.
This season, Clark ranks 13th in total pressures among edge defenders, per PFF, and has embarrassed offensive tackles with his exceptional "get-off" and active hands as a pass-rusher. Here’s an example of Clark using that get-off to blow by an offensive tackle:
On the play, Clark is aligned with an outside shade over Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith, who's one of the best offensive linemen in football. After the ball is snapped, Clark explodes out of his stance and defeats Smith’s strike with a simple swipe-rip move. And as Clark starts to wrap around the edge, he displays great eye discipline to identify Prescott stepping up in the pocket.
From there, Clark's able to throw on the brakes - which forces Smith to lose his balance and stumble past the pocket - and sack Prescott, who's looking to find open space. The play wouldn't have been possible without Clark's speed, which allowed him to stress Smith’s pass set.
This week, Clark will spend most of his time opposite Raiders tackles Kolton Miller and Donald Penn. Miller has gone through struggles in his rookie year, as he's given up 19 pressures (sixth most among tackles) and four sacks (second most among tackles), per PFF. Penn has been slightly better, but still not good, having allowed three sacks and nine total pressures.
Whether he lines up on the right or left, expect Clark to have his way with the Raiders' tackles. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him generate six-plus pressures and a sack or two.
James White vs. Chiefs' LBs
In order to beat the Chiefs, the Patriots' offense must continue the barrage it's levied on opposing defenses over the past couple of weeks.
New England can do so by exploiting mismatches - the biggest of which will be James White against the Chiefs' linebackers. Kansas City has allowed nearly 200 yards per game to opposing rushers, so White - who's one of the most versatile running backs in football - is in line for a big day.
Of course, while White is listed as a running back, he’s best utilized as a receiving threat out of the backfield. He’s only had more rushing yards than receiving yards in one game this season, and here's why:
On this play, White turns a simple swing pass into an 18-yard gain and a first down, leaving a Colts defender grasping for air in his wake.
And that's common with White, who's one of the league's more elusive backs in open space. The Patriots often make an effort to feed him in the short-to-intermediate zones when a defense is suspect at the second level.
That should be a problem for Chiefs linebackers Anthony Hitchens, Reggie Ragland, and Terrance Smith, who all have trouble keeping up with shifty backs in man coverage.
Don’t be surprised if White gains over 100 yards through the air, along with a touchdown or two.
John Owning is a football writer at theScore. He has written for Bleacher Report and Football Insiders. He was also the lead NFL content editor at FanRag Sports. John provides analysis on the Dallas Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News and edits for The Quant Edge. Find him on Twitter @JohnOwning.