The Jacksonville Jaguars begin Week 10 with another tough loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and will look to pull off an upset win at home against the 6-2 Minnesota Vikings.
Like last week, it will be the Jaguars including franchise quarterback who suffered a left shoulder injury this week. Losing Lawrence will be a tough blow for a team that has been relatively competitive, largely based on its performance in recent weeks.
However, there is a path to success that Jacksonville can follow. The Vikings don't have many weaknesses, but there are some areas the Jaguars can exploit to pave the way to an upset.
Jaguars Wire breaks down the key matchups that could be crucial to the Jaguars' third win over the Vikings.
Jacksonville's running game vs. Minnesota's run defense
The Vikings have the NFL's second-largest rushing defense in yards allowed this season and have allowed the fewest Rushing Expected Points Added (EPA) this season. The Jaguars have had success locally this season, and with Lawrence out, they will have to rely on their new starting tank, Bigsby.
A productive day from Bigbsy could be Jacksonville's biggest key to victory this weekend. According to Next Gen Stats, he is a difficult runner to beat, forcing a missed tackle on nearly 38 percent of his runs.
That's enough for the third highest rate in football. Minnesota has struggled in space this season, with the fifth-highest rate.
Bigsby has the skills to handle a large workload at short notice. His ability to dash downhill and his agility in space make him a handful to take down.
To add pressure for Minnesota, Bigsby can be a home run-hitting running back with his explosiveness and speed in the open field. It won't be an easy fight, but this weekend's duel is strength vs. strength.
Jacksonville DE Josh Hines-Allen vs. Minnesota LT Cam Robinson
This duel could be personal for both players. It's only been a few weeks since Robinson occupied Lawrence's blind side.
But after the Vikings' star left tackle Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending injury, they acquired Robinson and a conditional 2026 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a conditional 2026 fifth-round draft pick.
The former Jaguar had a stellar career in North Florida. Robinson played solid football in pass defense with a pressure rate of just 7.1 percent before being substituted. But he struggled in his Vikings debut against Indianapolis and now has to slow down Josh Hines-Allen as an opponent for the first time.
Jacksonville's cornerstone pass rusher, along with teammate Travon Walker, are under the most pressure on the team with 34. He's as good as he gets off the edge and will likely spend most of his snaps lining up at right defensive end for his one-on-one assignment – a matchup with Robinson.
Hines-Allen versus Robinson in the trenches is an important one-on-one matchup that fans should keep a close eye on and could be a deciding factor in this weekend's game.
Jacksonville QB Mac Jones vs. Minnesota pass defense
Losing a talent like Lawrence for just one or more games is a huge blow to the Jaguars. He is the franchise quarterback and has played good football for most of the season.
But now it's time for Mac Jones, former Pro Bowler and once-suspected signal-caller for the New England franchise, to make his debut as a starter for his hometown team.
Jones never proved to be the most productive quarterback on Alabama's incredible 2020 NFL National Championship squad. More of a game manager, a If things go according to plan, a heavy dose of running game and play-action should allow Jones to sail reasonably smoothly.
However, with Jones under center this weekend, the Jaguars may be missing the vertical element that has been a staple of their offense.
Jones faces a defense that ranks second in the NFL in blitz rate and has used split safety coverage the most of any team this season. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has them playing good football and will provide a challenge for Jones this weekend.
Still, there is a way for Jones to perform well enough to put Jacksonville in a position to pull off the upset. When he protects the ball and finds answers to pressure while giving likes to receivers . and Parker Washington's run-after-catch chances will move the Jaguars one step closer to victory.
