Jacksonville Jaguars: 3 Players that must shine vs. Falcons in Week 16
By Larry Brake
3. Yannick Ngakoue must pressure Matt Ryan
Yannick Ngakoue is one of the Jaguars premier pass rushers. He has eight sacks for the season while playing in 13 games. He missed the Week 2 game in Houston.
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Ngakoue has the innate ability to create turnovers by his constant pursuit of the quarterback. He has forced three fumbles and has returned an intercepted pass for a touchdown, this season. The Jaguars need him to shine in Atlanta.
Ngakoue is playing in the final year of his rookie contract. In order to get that next big contract, he has to put up big numbers. His game performances help the team but will help his bank account, in the long run.
Matt Ryan, the Falcons quarterback, has been sacked 41 times. The Falcons offensive line is average at best. They are ranked 15th in pass protection by Football Outsiders. Statistically, they are near the bottom in rushing offenses by averaging 81.4 yards per game.
The Jaguars will need Ngakoue to shine in Atlanta on Sunday. If he can lock down his side of the line of scrimmage, Atlanta will have a tough time moving the football. The key will be dominating the battle in the trenches.