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Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff Writer
LONDON — Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Allen rushed past Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews so quickly that the former Pro Bowler was turned around facing the opposite direction the offense was supposed to go.
Though quarterback Desmond Ridder took a quick step forward, Allen was able to reach out and knock the ball from Ridder’s hand as he was about to throw. Three bounces later, Jaguars defensive lineman Angelo Blackson fell on and recovered the ball.
That was Allen’s third sack of last Sunday’s game at Wembley Stadium and certainly the most important. It happened with under two minutes to play and destroyed any chance of a Falcons comeback, securing the Jaguars’ 23-7 victory.
It was another big game for the 2019 No. 7 overall pick, who is also off to the best start of his career with six sacks in the first four games after tying his career high in a game (three) against the Falcons.
“He was in a great head space before the game, this whole week,” coach Doug Pederson said. “Just an outstanding performance, and obviously the big one there at the end. It’s what he’s capable of doing.”
Allen’s six sacks are tied for the NFL lead with T.J. Watt and Khalil Mack and his 20 quarterback pressures are tied for 10th. His career high of 10.5 sacks, set as a rookie in 2019, looks like it’s in jeopardy, and potentially so is his career high of 84 pressures set in 2021 (he’s on pace for 85).
“I don’t know what he’s eating. I don’t know what he’s drinking,” teammate Darious Williams said after the victory over the Falcons. “He’s doing something because he’s going crazy.
“We need that. That helps the whole defense.”
Allen had three sacks, seven pressures and three tackles against the Falcons, none of which was bigger than his final snap, which helped the Jaguars (2-2) snap a two-game losing streak and a six-game losing streak in the month of October.
“I couldn’t do a lot of it without the guys in front of me,” Allen said. “I had Foley [Folorunso Fatukasi] helping me push the pocket, as well, to help me get that one, then Tre Herndon for the inside blitz. Quarterback rolled out right into me. In the second [sack] I told the DBs just to give me a little bit more time.
“It was definitely a collection of everybody working together, but that process starts in practice.”
The Jaguars did not offer Allen a contract extension the past offseason, instead opting to let him play on the fifth-year option — where he’s making $10.892 million guaranteed — and then deciding his future at a later time.
Allen hasn’t addressed the Jaguars’ decision to not offer him an extension but he has acknowledged that what he did in 2022 wasn’t good enough. He was among the league leaders in pressures (per NFL Next Gen Stats) but wasn’t able to consistently convert that pressure into sacks. He had three sacks in the first 12 games last season but had four in the final five.
But he also was part of one of the most important plays of the season, scooping up a Joshua Dobbs fumble, forced by safety Rayshawn Jenkins, and returning it 37 yards for the game-winning touchdown in a Week 18 matchup against Tennessee.
That game won the AFC South and sent the Jaguars to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
If his hot start over the past month continues, Allen will be forcing the Jaguars’ hand in the offseason: Pay up or use the franchise tag. The latter could be a risk because the Jaguars may need to use the tag to keep receiver Calvin Ridley.
If Allen were to become a free agent, he’d be among the top edge rushers scheduled to become available, along with Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter and Washington’s Chase Young. That could push him well out of the Jaguars’ price range, especially since the team plans to extend quarterback Trevor Lawrence this offseason.
Hunter and the Vikings ended a contract conflict this past training camp that increased his guaranteed salary to $17 million for this season and structured it so he could earn up to $20 million. A number that Allen could seek this offseason.
Another contract example is Haason Reddick, 29, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract with Philadelphia in 2022 — including $30 million guaranteed and an annual salary of $15 million. Reddick has 40.5 sacks since the start of the 2020 season.
But the question is, can Allen continue to be among the top rushers this season and earn a sizable payday in March – either from the Jaguars or another team in free agency? Time will tell.
“For me, it’s a week-by-week basis,” he said. “First and foremost, I’ve got to take care of my body. I’ve got to make sure that my body is where I can compete at a high level. When you’re playing in the league, every week your body is going to be dealing with something, so it’s how well can I maintain that and not have setbacks? That’s first and foremost, and nutrition. I make sure to eat right, make sure to study accordingly, know who I’m going against, know their weaknesses, know their strengths, and execute those in practice.”
Allen can further make his case against the 3-1 Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday. He played arguably the best game of his career the only other time he’s faced the Bills: a sack, interception and fumble recovery in a game the Jaguars won 9-6 in 2021.
It marked the first time in NFL history a player has sacked another player with the same name.
“I’ve done it before, but the Buffalo Bills are a really good team behind a good experienced offensive line,” Allen said. “I’m going to start tonight, start looking at those guys because I have to be prepared for what I can do. Today I studied [Ridder’s] weakness, and I found a weakness that I could exploit, and it was just waiting to get to those opportunities, which was stop the run. We stop the run, be able to rush the passer.
“Next week we’ll see what their weakness is, stop that, and then I can have my opportunities.”