Jaguars failing to bring down opposing QBs

For a franchise with numerous on-the-field issues, this one tops the list.

"It's not good," linebacker Paul Posluszny said Wednesday. "It's definitely surprising. We feel like we have the guys who can get there, but we haven't had any success doing it so far. Sacks are such an important number in this game. The more you get, the better your chances of winning."

The Jaguars (1-3) hope to reverse the trend Sunday against the Chicago Bears (3-1), who have allowed 13 sacks this season.

Sacks can be overrated if defenses are affecting quarterbacks by hurrying throws, disrupting timing plays and causing turnovers. But Jacksonville has done little of that, too. The result? The Jaguars rank 26th in total defense.

Defensive end Jeremy Mincey, who signed a four-year, $20 million contract in March, has just three quarterback pressures while playing nearly every down.

Rookie defensive end Andre Branch, a second-round pick thrown into the starting lineup because of preseason injuries to Austen Lane and George Selvie, caused an interception last week but has been mostly inconsistent.

"It's frustrating because we know what we have in our room," Branch said. "But you can't keep looking back on that or else it will keep going on and on. We know what we have to do to get it done and we're going to work our tails off to get that done. We know it will turn around."

Defensive tackles Terrance Knighton and Tyson Alualu have the team's only sacks. Even then, Alualu's takedown didn't even lose yardage because he tackled Ponder as he scrambled back to the line of scrimmage.

"We've seen flashes of the good things we can do," coach Mike Mularkey said. "We just need to do it more."

The Jaguars blitzed considerably more than usual in Sunday's 27-10 loss to Cincinnati, hoping the extra pressure would yield better results. Instead, it left one-of-one coverage in the secondary, and speedy receiver A.J. Green burned cornerback Rashean Mathis deep several times.

Jacksonville believes the Bears could take a similar approach this week with mobile, strong-armed quarterback Jay Cutler and big-play receiver Brandon Marshall.