Yannick Ngakoue

Dante Fowler Jr. & Yannick Ngakoue shut out in Week 1

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Dante Fowler Jr. and Yannick Ngakoue are the pass rushers the Jacksonville Jaguars need to win, but they were shut out in Week 1.

Sacks aren’t everything and applying consistent pressure is often more important, but in looking at what young pass rushers Dante Fowler Jr. and Yannick Ngakoue deliver, it’s tough not to hope to see that stat sheet light up.

Fowler and Ngakoue were in on five tackles in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers and neither of them added a sack. The only Jags sack is credited to Jared Odrick, who had to run down a fleeing Aaron Rodgers in order to get it.

For a team that needs its pass rushing defensive ends to thrive in order for the defensive scheme to work, this wasn’t a great first outing. Ngakoue and Fowler both rarely got close to sacking Rodgers and the team was forced to manufacture a pass rush on some plays in order to keep the pressure on Rodgers.

There were some positive moments, but it wasn’t the kind of fast harassment that the Jags truly need to be successful.

The @AaronRodger12 scramble…
The @JordyRNelson TD catch!

They’re baaaaaaaaack! #GBvsJAX https://t.co/az5sbwXNJ2

— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2016

It’s early to judge both Fowler and Ngakoue. This was the first regular season action for both players in their young careers. Still, all eyes are on them as they work together to try and flush, sack, or hurry the opposing quarterback.

Rodgers is one of the toughest in the business to harass and bring down, so it wasn’t shocking to see it not come to fruition in Week 1. Still, this first “shutout” at the hands of the Packers will only enhance the pressure placed on the two young pass rushers.

We’ll keep our eyes on them all season long to see if they can deliver. So far, though, their mark sits at zero.