Gene Frenette: Quarterback nightmare Josh Allen making case to be in Jaguars' long-term plans

There can be no debate about the Jacksonville Jaguars’ game-changing moment Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

It was provided by a player who stirs the drink for an ascending defense and must, at all costs, not be allowed to get within shouting distance of free agency after this season.

Whether it’s the incentive of Josh Allen being in a contract year or just a natural byproduct of his relentless work ethic, No. 41 is doing more in 2023 than anyone not named Trevor Lawrence to elevate the Jaguars into a potential Super Bowl contender.

From the moment Allen got around Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann, then put his hand up around quarterback Gardner Minshew’s right shoulder to force the ball out, you could sense the 64,851 paying customers were not going to be exposed to another EverBank Stadium letdown.

More: Gene Frenette: Jaguars getting Dawuane Smoot, DaVon Hamilton back better juice up pass rush

That Allen strip-sack and subsequent fumble recovery by defensive end Angelo Blackson — followed by a Travis Etienne 22-yard touchdown run out of a wildcat formation on the next play for a 14-3 lead — set a tone for the Jaguars’ dominance and seizing solo first place in the AFC South division.

While it’s understandable many remain skeptical about the Jaguars’ pass rush, and they gave critics reason to feel that way after back-to-back losses to Kansas City and Houston, there’s no denying Allen is becoming a mega-force to change that narrative.

His imprint was all over the Jaguars’ 37-20 rout of the Colts because that one play changed the whole tenor of the game. When Allen got around Raimann to pry the ball loose from Minshew, it triggered a momentum shift that Indianapolis could never overcome.

Allen pressuring the former Jaguars quarterback into the first of four turnovers robbed the Colts of any chance to keep the game close. They had no shot at possibly pulling it out at the end, like Indianapolis almost did in the Week 1 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium, which the Jaguars won 31-21 with two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Sunday also provided more evidence that Allen, playing out the last year of his contract, is driving up the price tag for the Jaguars or somebody else on a new deal, whether that happens before this season ends, immediately after, or in March free agency.

“That’s my brother,” said defensive end Dawuane Smoot about Allen. “I never want to not be here with him. I’m hoping everything goes well. I’m not going to talk about that man’s [contract] business, at the end of the day. The Jaguars would be fools if they don’t come back and go get him, for sure.”

Sack numbers piling up

Nobody in the Jaguars’ locker room — albeit No. 1 overall draft pick Travon Walker also felt some considerable heat after a 3.5-sack rookie season — realistically felt more pressure to produce in 2023 than Allen.

While the Jaguars picked up his fifth-year option in April, 2022, guaranteeing him $11.5 million this season, the front office didn’t believe in him enough to offer a long-term contract extension.

General manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson elected to take a wait-and-see approach, preferring to let Allen’s performance decide if he might have a long-term future in Jacksonville.

So far, one of the team’s most respected players is reminding his bosses and every opposing quarterback in 2023 that he’s taking his game up to another level.

“Everybody wants to talk about the pass rush, pass rush,” said tight end Evan Engram. “Those guys are fighting their ass off and he’s leading them.”

Allen is already up to seven sacks in six games (on pace for a 20-sack season), which doesn’t include the one he had taken away last week against Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen on a debatable roughing-the-passer penalty.

Regardless, the Jaguars’ Allen is putting together his most impressive resume since he registered 10.5 sacks as a rookie in 2019, then the beneficiary of having Calais Campbell as his tag-team, pass-rushing partner.

“Yeah, Josh is the heart and soul on defense,” said Pederson. “He’s been playing extremely well. It’s good to see. He probably felt a little pressure maybe to start the season, to perform. He’s answered, he’s answered that.

“It’s no surprise that this is what he’s capable of doing. Just continues to find ways to get around the quarterback, to affect the quarterback. It obviously impacts the defense when he’s creating the plays that he’s doing, either a tackle for loss or a strip sack, fumble, things of that nature. It’s a credit to Josh and how he’s getting himself ready to play.”

Minshew’s first game back at The Bank since the Jaguars traded him away before the 2021 season couldn’t have gone much worse. Clearly rattled at times by Allen and the Jaguars’ defense, he threw three interceptions right into the waiting arms of Andre Cisco, Rayshawn Jenkins and Darious Williams.

The Jaguars put the Colts’ running game in cold storage. After Allen forced back Jonathan Taylor out of bounds for a 4-yard loss to begin their first series of the second half, Indianapolis only ran the ball six times in their last 39 snaps.

“Once we knew we could stop that offense, it’s a run-heavy offense,” said Allen. “Man, we knew the opportunities were just going to be there [for sacks]. We just had to get home.”

Allen is “balling”

As long as Lawrence has no issues with his knee after landing awkwardly on it from a sack by the Colts’ Samson Ebukam in the game’s last three minutes, the story from completing a sweep of Indianapolis is the terrorizing defense.

With four more takeaways, Mike Caldwell’s unit is up to 15 turnovers. That would put the Jaguars on pace for 42, well ahead of the franchise-record 33 in 2017.

There’s little doubt that without Allen having seven of the team’s 12 sacks, the Jaguars’ defense wouldn’t be having the surprising impact through the first one-third of the season.

“He’s awesome, I love Josh,” said safety Andrew Wingard. “Me and him are the last two remaining guys of the 2019 class. I’ve seen him work, seen him do everything. It’s no secret that the work he’s put in is really translating on to the field this season. No question, he’s an absolute dog.

“I know he had all the pressures last year and the sack numbers weren’t there, but the rushes were still there. I remember everyone this offseason was scared about the Jags’ pass rush. There was a little bit of pressure on Josh and he’s balling. I’m proud of him.”

More: Gene Frenette: Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew deserves warm welcome back by Jaguars fans

Don’t let him get away

Seven sacks in six games ties for Allen’s best stretch of his career since 2019 when he became the first Jaguars rookie to make the Pro Bowl.

He’s already had a pair of three-sack games this season, including against Colts QB Anthony Richardson in Week 1. With Smoot back in the fold, and tackle DaVon Hamilton expected to return after the bye week, the Jaguars’ pass rush could be a lot more formidable in the second half of 2023.

Allen’s impact against the Colts only makes it harder to envision the Jaguars not locking him up for the future, whether that’s done with the franchise tag or a long-term contract.

GM Trent Baalke isn’t in the habit of signing players to extensions during the season, so Allen’s fate with the Jaguars may not be decided until February or March.

He’s made no secret of his love for “Duuu-vall,” but when it comes to NFL business, there are no guarantees.

“Oh, man, this is home,” Allen said when asked about his future. “I want to make this home for me, for my family as well. But I got to handle business next week, too.”

For his teammates, the thought of coming back in 2024 without Allen in the locker room is unthinkable.

“No, he’s a huge part of this team,” said Lawrence. “He just brings a lot of energy. Has that intensity, that look in his eyes every day, whether it’s practice, Sunday, whenever.

“He’s a great example to the young guys coming in. I knew he was that way when I came in. He’s a guy that you can look to that is going to do things the right way.”

One Jaguar put it this way about Allen not being a Jaguar next year: “That’d be terrible.”

Jenkins simply can’t imagine how different the locker room would be without the Jaguars’ most indispensable defensive player.

“I honestly think it would be [different] because Josh was here when stuff wasn’t so great,” said Jenkins. “I wasn’t here then. He was here when things were really not good, so he’s been through the mud of this [franchise].

“There is light at the end of the tunnel. We’re looking to do some big things here. We want some hardware. That’s what we’re striving for. It would be just phenomenal if we were able to do that for [Allen] and all the other guys that were here from the start.”

Allen, 26, is just entering the prime of his career. He may not be the next J.J. Watt, but it’s not like the Jaguars are well-stocked with pass-rushers who can make life miserable for quarterbacks.

If this franchise expects to be a Super Bowl contender, now and in the future, Josh Allen has to be part of the equation. Pay the man accordingly.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: A Keeper: Jaguars better make sure Josh Allen is part of their future