Oakland Raiders Week 15 X-Factors against the Jacksonville Jaguars
By Matt Holder
Johnathan Hankins
Along the same lines as Ngakoue and Allen, Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette is having an outstanding year in spite of the team’s lack of success. With 4.4 yards per carry and 1,038 rushing yards, Fournette is on pace to set career-bests in both categories. Also, his 79.9 yards per game ranks in the top 10 of the NFL.
Especially with a rookie quarterback under center, expect head coach Doug Marrone‘s game plan to rely heavily on the ground game. That means Oakland’s best run defender, Johnathan Hankins, has to bring his “A” game.
Among the Silver and Black’s front seven, the defensive tackle possesses the highest PFF run-defense grade and ranks in the top 20 at his position. Since joining the Raiders last season, Hankins has 10 tackles for loss which is the third-most on the team in that timeframe. Sunday should be an opportunity for the big man to inflate those numbers as the matchup works in his favor.
According to Football Outsiders, the Jags’ offensive line has allowed the ball carrier to get tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage on 21 percent of the team’s rushing attempts. That rate puts the unit in the bottom-ten of the league and Jacksonville’s interior offensive lineman, Andrew Norwell, Brandon Linder, and A.J. Cann, have not fared well in PFF’s grading system. Look for Hankins to take advantage of the lackluster group and have a big game this week.