Anthony Campanile Highlights Key Matchup for Jaguars' Defense vs. Jets

The Jacksonville Jaguars are highly favored in their upcoming matchup with the New York Jets. A year ago, these two teams were in the same tier, with both sitting at 3-10 through their first 13 games. Today, the Jets are in the same place they were then, only with different faces on the roster. The Jaguars, on the other hand, are preparing for a playoff run, currently leading the AFC South at 9-4.

Last year, New York actually got its fourth win over Jacksonville, 32-25. Week 15 is a grand opportunity for the Jaguars to get some revenge while also flexing just how far they've come in one season. While this is a favorable matchup for Liam Coen and his team, it's also a crucial one. Getting the victory here will help the Jaguars maintain their grasp on the division crown while boosting their chances of climbing into the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, New York Jets, Breece Hall — New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) leaps while rushing for yards during the third quarter Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jets held off the Jaguars 32-25. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars have to watch out for Breece Hall

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been heating up in all three phases. In their 36-19 blowout of the Indianapolis Colts, they got fantastic performances from the offense, defense, and special teams. The Jags ran up the score on the Colts, with Trevor Lawrence catching fire in the rain, throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns in adverse circumstances.

Kicker Cam Little also fought through the downpour, going 2-for-2 with a 48-yard hit. The defense might have been the most important unit, though, forcing two turnovers while holding the Colts to just 13 points outside of garbage time. They did give up their first 70-yard rushing performance to Jonathan Taylor, although it took him 21 carries to get there. They'll be looking to bounce back with another dominant showing against Breece Hall and the New York Jets. Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile spoke on how he poses a challenge for the Jaguars:

If I’m the Jaguars, im preparing as if I’m going to face Justin Fields at QB with Brady Cook as the backup.

I doubt Tyrod Taylor will be able to play.

Fields is a clearly a game wrecker with his rushing ability; especially in tandem with Breece Hall.

Stop. The. Run.#Jaguars
— DJ Dittmar (@DJayy_MaGic) December 9, 2025

"Yeah, coached against him before when I was in Miami. I got a ton of respect for him as a runner. He's made big plays in the run game and the pass game. And he's done that through his career, so I've seen firsthand how good of a player the guy is. I said this about a couple guys previously in weeks prior, but he's hard to tackle. It’s got to be a team tackling mentality. And their offensive line, in my opinion, has done a great job this year. They do a great job of staying on the down guys, moving people on double teams. Josh Myers, the center, was in Green Bay with me last year, so I've been around him a lot. Know how talented he is, how capable he is. Both tackles and guards, I think, are physical."

"I think the young tight end, [Mason Taylor] has done a really good job for them, and [Jeremy Ruckert] has always been a guy who's been a POA guy that's a finisher. He's a good football player. So, they got a lot of guys, even when they bring [Andrew Beck] in as a fullback, they’ve got a lot of guys who finish blocks, and they've done a really good job in the run game as well. So, credit to them, and it's going to be a challenge out there on Sunday. We're just trying to get these guys prepared to meet that challenge.”