Who is Jaguars' X-factor for critical 5 game stretch to end season?

With five games left in the NFL regular season, who is the Jacksonville Jaguars' X-factor for this critical stretch of games?

ESPN recently asked that question to each of their 32 NFL nation beat reporters. When it came to the Jaguars, Michael DiRocco selected defensive end Josh Hines-Allen.

"In the past two weeks, however, he has had three sacks and a league-high 16 QB pressures -- one more than Cleveland's Myles Garrett," DiRocco wrote. "The Jaguars need Hines-Allen to maintain that surge because of injuries to defensive end Travon Walker (knee) and defensive tackle Arik Armstead (hand)."

Since the bye week, Hines-Allen has been producing at a very high level. And not surprisingly, the play of the Jaguars' pass rush and the defense as a whole has improved as well.

According to Pro Football Focus, Hines-Allen is first in quarterback pressures since Week 9, fifth in sacks, and fourth in pass-rush win rate.

Since Jacksonville's fourth-quarter collapse against Houston, the Jaguars have surrendered just 11 points per game during the team's three-game winning streak.

Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert was under pressure on almost 40% of his dropbacks, and the Cardinals' Jacoby Brissett was pressured on 47% of his dropbacks.

For some context, the Jets' Justin Fields has been pressured on 44.6% of his dropbacks this season -- the highest rate in football.

Along with the play of Hines-Allen and the pass rush, the coverage on the back end has been stickier, which provides additional time to get home, while Anthony Campanile continues to dial up blitzes and simulated pressures to cause chaos for an offense.

The name of the game for any defense is getting after the quarterback, and led by Hines-Allen, the Jaguars have been doing that at a high level in recent weeks.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: DE Josh Hines-Allen is Jaguars' X-factor during playoff push