Jaguars' Armstead Gets Serious on Team's Defensive Struggles

The Jacksonville Jaguars veteran defensive tackle made a blunt assessment of the issues his defense faces.

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead (91) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It has been a disappointing regression for the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense, which had an exciting and blossoming start to the regular season, but it all reverted back to the days of old when the team had one of the worst defenses in football. Those flashes reared their ugly head this past Sunday on the road against the Houston Texans, blowing a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter in a 36-29 loss.

While discussions of changes in the offseason are to take a back seat for the time being, the Jaguars are still in control of their destiny at 5-4 with the seventh seed in the AFC, at the moment. If Jacksonville wants to keep this spot, its defense must improve. Defensive tackle Arik Armstead made serious and blunt observations of the unit's struggles on Monday to the media.

While the Jaguars have had no issue pressuring the quarterback, they have not been able to translate to sacks, garnering only 12 for the season despite maintaining an above-average standing in total pressures. Still, the blown coverages and the lack of finishes defenivsely have opened an old wound that even manufactured pressure may not help.

"I think manufacturing of pressure is blitzing and bringing more than they can handle or trying to free guys up. So, in terms of getting pressure with the front, it's on us to go win our matchups when that is the play call for us to rush four, and put pressure on them rushing four," Armstead explained. "And just really focus for us up front, focusing on that. When we are called on to go get them with four, making sure that we're putting our best foot forward and we're locked in and we're going to win our matchups and whatever they throw at us."

[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Oct 19, 2025; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead (91) gets tangled up with Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) and offensive tackle Warren McClendon Jr. (71) during the first half during a NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Boyers-Reuters via Imagn Images | Andrew Boyers-Reuters via Imagn Images

Frustration is not only mounting on the coaching staff, front office, and fans on the lack of winning plays from the defense, but it's the players on this side of the ball that are feeling it as well, including Armstead, who called it a "part of the process" to find success in the long term. The question remaining is whether it is feasible for this Jaguars group.

"And everything that you go through is part of the process and part of the journey. Like I said, these moments, these games are making us the team and the players that we need to be," Armstead said. "We have to go through these things to find growth. When times get hard, that's when you learn a lot about yourself, and either you come together and make it better, or things go awry. I believe that we're going to come together and make it better and find the success that we want to have."

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller (51) and defensive tackle Arik Armstead (91) react to a quarterback sack during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Seahawks defeated the Jaguars 20-12. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Blowing a fourth-quarter lead of that size can linger for weeks or an entire season. As the Jaguars' veteran defensive tackle explained on Monday, they must turn the page and flip the script with the Los Angeles Chargers coming to town for the first home game in Jacksonville in over a month.

"Turn the page, flip the script whether you like or not, we have another game coming up here in six days, so lingering about what happened this last game isn’t going to do anything for the Chargers," Armstead said. "You learn from your mistakes, you get things cleaned up and then you move on. We're still in a very good position with our season ahead of us, and you turn the page and get back to work."

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