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The Jacksonville Jaguars defense gave up only 27 points on Sunday in the team's 34-17 loss, with the final touchdown of the game coming off a fumble returned for a touchdown. While it might look a little funny to say "only", the defense overall did more than enough on Sunday to win the Jaguars the game, and some other outlets seem to recognize this.
Football Outsides has the Jaguars defense ranked No. 7 overall in DVOA after the first week of the season.
What is DVOA?
DVOA is a method of evaluating teams, units, or players. It takes every single play during the NFL season and compares each one to a league-average baseline based on situation. DVOA measures not just yardage, but yardage towards a first down: Five yards on third-and-4 are worth more than five yards on first-and-10 and much more than five yards on third-and-12. Red zone plays are worth more than other plays. Performance is also adjusted for the quality of the opponent. DVOA is a percentage, so a team with a DVOA of 10.0% is 10 percent better than the average team, and a quarterback with a DVOA of -20.0% is 20 percent worse than the average quarterback. Because DVOA measures scoring, defenses are better when they are negative.
What does this mean?
Right now, not a whole lot. It is worth noting that the overall defense ranks in the Top 10, despite all that transpired on Sunday against the Eagles. What it means is that the Jaguars defense did the important things well, which they did. The team gave up 14 points on two plays that were either a mental error or a coaching error.
The team picked up five sacks in the first half, a franchise record, and are currently tied for the NFL lead in sacks. Ryan Davis, who picked up two sacks on the day in just 20 pass rushing snaps.