The Jacksonville Jaguars should be hyped up about some of the things that took place in the Week 1 preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, including kicker Cam Little's jaw-dropping 70-yard field goal. However, they ultimately lost, and one thing that stood out, and not in a good way, was the dreadful display the first-team defense put on.
Sure, it's only the preseason, but the Jags cannot just rest on their laurels and expect things to turn out all right when they face the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of the preseason. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is well aware that his unit didn't perform well and is already working to fix the issues that plagued them in the 31-25 loss to Pittsburgh.
Communication is the main issue the Jaguars defense had vs. the Steelers
Anthony Campanile met with reporters following Day 14 of training camp and said the defense must improve its communication, pointing out that it's their biggest issue right now.
"I think we got to do a better job with communication," Campanile said (0:00). "I think that's the No. 1 thing that's just everywhere, even sideline operation, all that stuff. So I think a lot of that stuff, first game preseason, you see stuff like that. You get better at everything. We're just focused on right now. I think the guys have done a great job of that the last two days, so working hard getting that right. They did a lot of good things, too."
Following the game, head coach Liam Coen expressed disappointment in the defense's performance, noting that they played loose in coverage. On the other hand, he acknowledged that the Jags have a new scheme, having transitioned from man coverage to zone.
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The Jaguars defense has its work cut out vs. the Saints in Week 2 of the preseason
The Jacksonville Jaguars have ample time to fix whatever issues they had against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they'll have a chance to show improvement when they face the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 of the preseason. What was concerning about their showing in the opener is that they bolstered their cornerback group and their pass rush in the offseason, and they still struggled. Rightly, that's something to keep an eye on.
Sure, the Jags switched defensive schemes, but they simply are too talented to struggle. Although they probably have a top 5 defense, they do have enough playmakers at all three levels to struggle like they did in Week 1 of the preseason.
The good news is that, as Anthony Campanile stated, Jacksonville is putting a big emphasis on communication ahead of the game against the Saints, and if that was really their main issue, and they fix it, as they said they would, the Jaguars' defense should look much better in Week 2 of the preseason.
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