The Jacksonville Jaguars' defense got stronger Friday with the acquisition of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, but that move failed to address the biggest issue facing the team
Dareus - a former third overall pick and two-time Pro Bowler - joins a team ranked No. 2 in pass defense and No. 6 in total defense. The move is expected to improve a rush defense ranked second to last, while boosting the 4-3 Jaguars' playoff hopes.
After all, the team is already 2-1 in the division and boasts a lethal running game, led by rookie Leonard Fournette.
But for all the good the trade might do the Jags, it fails to address the elephant in the room.
Jacksonville may have its sights set on returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, but it's likely that will depend heavily on the play of quarterback Blake Bortles.
The Jaguars have alternated wins and losses all year, and it's probably not a coincidence that Bortles has averaged 34 pass attempts in their losses and just 23 in their wins.
After a porous preseason, the team is asking its franchise quarterback to do less and is instead relying on Fournette and a fierce defense.
The results have proven it's the appropriate course of action. But will it be sustainable?
Inevitably, the opposition will force Bortles to win games with his arm. He threw for 330 yards with Fournette sidelined in last week's win over the Colts.
However, even with that performance, Bortles has a clutch-weighted expected points added on plays with pass attempts of just 3.8, according to ESPN. Among starting quarterbacks, he ranks 26th, ahead of only Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Mike Glennon, Brian Hoyer, and DeShone Kizer. Of that collection of passers, three are having down years, two have been benched, and one is a rookie.
As the Denver Broncos have learned, it's one thing to have a top-ranked defense and a reliable running game, but without consistent quarterback play, a playoff berth is far from a guarantee.
While Jacksonville has morphed into #Sacksonville, leading the league with 33 sacks, Dareus could aid its trailing run defense. He's Pro Football Focus' 37th-ranked interior defender with three stops on 54 snaps on running plays. And if the defense rounds into a balanced unit capable of shutting down both forms of offense, the Jaguars will be a favorite to win the AFC South.
But will they continue to trot out a muzzled Bortles at quarterback, even though he's committed seven turnovers in seven games? Or will they make a similarly bold move on the offensive side of the ball and promote backup Chad Henne or trade for a veteran like Eli Manning?
That's the true matter that needs to be addressed in Jacksonville.
