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Jaguars are first team since the merger not to allow a 40-yard rusher in first five games

The Jacksonville Jaguars have set an NFL record by becoming the first team since the 1970 merger to prevent any opposing player from rushing for 40 or more yards in their first five games. The closest any back has come this season is Jonah Coleman of the Denver Broncos, who managed 39 yards in a single game.

This defensive dominance extends beyond this year, as the Jaguars have now gone 23 consecutive games without allowing a 75-yard rusher, a streak that includes last year’s playoff game. Opposing running backs have struggled mightily, totaling just 210 yards on 83 carries—a league-low 2.5 yards per attempt—against Jacksonville this season.

The unit’s suffocating ground game defense ranks as the best in the NFL, a stark contrast to last year’s season when Jonathan Taylor amassed 74 yards in a single game against them. Their next test comes Sunday in London, where they’ll face the Houston Texans, a team that ranks 31st in rushing yards this season with just 395 total on the ground.

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