Chess match: Trevor Lawrence prepares to face Cowboys defense in playoff-like showdown

The game within the game could be a pivotal part of Sunday’s matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ offense, fresh off of his best game this season, will be facing off against a defiant Dallas defense.

Micah Parsons is the engine for the Cowboys. But Lawrence will need to be mindful of one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL Sunday as Trevon Diggs comes to town.

“This guy is long and athletic, can run, great ball skills,” head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday when asked about the All-Pro corner. “Former receiver, playing DB, so he thinks like a receiver sometimes and anticipates well. You see why teams don’t throw his way, and when they do, you see why he’s got so many interceptions and PBU’s and things like that. He’s just a smart player, and again, he’s matched guys like [Vikings WR Justin Jefferson] and he’s done well against players like that.”

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Diggs has recorded 41 solo tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery for the Cowboys this season. He’s matched top receivers for opposing teams and continued to grow as a top talent in the league.

Only in his third season as a pro, he’s already amassed 17 interceptions, including a league-leading 11 last year.

“He's a playmaker and a ball hawk. And that's what he does best is he gets the ball back for their offense and he takes advantage of those opportunities,” wide receiver Christian Kirk said.

In his last five games, Lawrence hasn’t thrown an interception. He’s completed 130-of-181 passes and thrown for 1,362 yards with 10 total touchdowns. His outing against the Titans saw him deliver 368 yards on 30 completions with four touchdowns.

He’s starting to get into a groove after hitting a five-game losing slide earlier this season. His matchup against Dallas will be a litmus test for the second-year quarterback and Diggs is at the forefront of that.

“He’s got some great catches, stuff that you’d be proud of as a receiver,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday. “It feels like he’s a receiver that’s playing DB in terms of the way he tracks the ball and goes after the ball. He just does a great job from that standpoint.”

Parsons could present problems for Jaguars offensive line

After keeping Lawrence clean on Sunday the Jaguars offensive line achieved a franchise record milestone. They’ve pitched a shutout on sacks in six of their games this season.

Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson didn’t take full credit for the feat, rather giving kudos to other teammates who’ve played a hand in keeping the pocket clean.

“I think it's just a mixture of everybody playing good football,” he said on Wednesday. “[The offensive line] being intentional and very precise. The quarterback has a good feel in the pocket. Receivers getting open. All that matters when it comes to sacks. I mean, of course us blocking. It’s the quarterback and his pocket awareness. It’s the receivers getting open so he can get the ball out of his hands. So, a lot of times its more than just us.”

This week they could have their biggest challenge of the season when Micah Parsons comes to TIAA Bank Field. Through 13 games this season Parsons has recorded 57 total tackles, 22 quarterback hits, 12 sacks and three forced fumbles.

He’s the star of Dallas’ defense and is in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year in his second season. That comes after being voted the Defensive Rookie of the Year and coming in second for DPOY voting last season.

"They’ve always had good edge rushers. Micah Parsons is one of the best we’ve seen all season long,” Pederson said Wednesday. “He’s quick, he’s explosive, his motor never stops, he’s relentless to the quarterback.

Parsons has the ability to make game-changing plays for Dallas. He shows up on a weekly basis and seems to never run out of energy.

“I think what sticks out more than anything will probably be his motor. He just plays the game extremely hard,” Robinson said.

To say the Jaguars will try to game plan for Parsons would be an understatement. They’re going to try their hardest to contain him and that still might not be enough to stop him on Sunday.

“I think he’s one of the best pass rushers in the league, just week in and week out the plays he makes, his pursuit, chasing down from the back side, all those things,” Lawrence said during his media availability. “He’s a guy you always got to know where he’s at, you’ve got to have a plan for him because he’s a guy that definitely can wreck your game if you don’t plan for him.”

'Knowledge of the game' boosting Campbell into limelight

During training camp, Tyson Campbell was asked what he envisioned for the Jaguars’ defense. The second-year player paused for a moment before replying to the question.

He said he expected the season to be a dominant one.

Though the Jaguars haven’t consistently shown it, there have been flashes of dominance sprinkled into a few games, with the Tennessee game being the latest example. And Campbell’s emergence as a leader and star of the defense has helped with that goal.

“My knowledge of the game. [It’s] slowing down for me,” Campbell said when asked the biggest thing that stands out about his growth this year. “Learning how to be a pro has definitely helped me play faster and play more confident. And just trusting my ability.”

His growth hasn’t gone unnoticed in the building.

“I see him spending extra time. He meets early in the morning, gets a little extra with his coach,” defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said about Campbell. [Cornerbacks Coach Deshea Townsend] is doing a great job of feeding him information and he’s taking it. On the field, you see the confidence, and you see the leadership starting to show up. He’ll speak to the [defensive backs], and get guys in the right place, so it’s good to see his growth.”

The Jaguars have been without cornerback Shaq Griffin since he went on injured reserved in October. It’s forced Campbell to step into the top cornerback role and made him take on the responsibility of the top opposing wide receiver on a weekly basis. A role that he’s fully embraced as he continues to trend upward.

“If you want to be recognized as one of the best cornerbacks, you got to cover the best receivers in the league,” he said on Thursday. “And that's my job title, to cover receivers. Whatever the team needs me to do to put us in winning situations, I’m accepting the challenge. I’m all for it.”

This week Campbell will line up against Dallas’ receiving core who have the ability to be dynamic. But Campbell won’t back down, as he hasn’t this entire season.

“Just play like the ball is coming your way no matter who is in front of you,” he said on his mindset this week. “They’ve got good receivers; we’ve got good defensive backs. Everybody trusts in their ability, do their job, use good technique, we’ll be fine.”

Jersey reveal

All black is back. The Jaguars will be sporting all black uniforms from head to toe as they take on the Cowboys Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars notebook for Week 15 Dallas Cowboys matchup