How Jaguars Plan to Limit Jonathan Taylor in Week 14

The Jacksonville Jaguars' defense has been heating up lately. They've fought through injuries and some deflating performances to rebound in a big way during this team's current three-game win streak. They've allowed just 11 points per outing in that span, and 10 of the points the Arizona Cardinals scored on them came directly off of turnovers from Trevor Lawrence.

A large part of their defensive surge has been the improvement of the pass rush. Despite missing Travon Walker, the Jaguars have been able to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks since their collapse against the Houston Texans in Week 10. On the other hand, their run defense has been steadily excellent all season. They face one of their toughest tests yet in their next game against the Indianapolis Colts, though.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Wingard, Jonathan Taylor — Jan 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs to avoid tackle by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (42) during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Jaguars can't let Jonathan Taylor get going

The Indianapolis Colts jumped out to a 7-1 record to begin the 2025 NFL season behind an offense that was on pace to be one of the most efficient units in NFL history. Daniel Jones and the air attack were excellent to begin the year, but the true star of Indy's attack has always been running back Jonathan Taylor. He's a top contender for the league's Offensive Player of the Year honor in 2025 and will be looking to add to his résumé against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Anthony Campanile's defense has been stout against the run all year, ranking in the top five for both yards allowed per game and yards per attempt. Last time Taylor faced the Jags, he went for 174 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries. Camp will be looking to show that this is a different defense now, though. Shutting Taylor down is key for Jacksonville's chances in this game. Camp knows that won't be an easy task:

Notable Jaguars vs. Jonathan Taylor split:

Seven games: 126 carries, 718 yards, 5.7 per carry, 4 TDs, Colts are 3-4.

Three games in Indy: 85 carries, 546 yards, 6.4 per carry, 4 TDs, Colts are 3-0.

Four games in Jax: 41 carries, 172 yards, 4.2 per carry, 0 TDs, Colts are 0-4.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) December 4, 2025

"Yeah, they're very good. Obviously, the running back is explosive, but he's also explosive because he doesn’t go down easy, now. He's not a guy that you can arm tackle. It's got to be a team tackling mentality with him. He's a physical back, and they're physical in the front — they’ve got guys that finish blocks. When you have that many explosive or long runs, it's because guys in the front are finishing blocks. They do that on the perimeter, they do that in the front, so that's something we’ve got to do."

"We’ve got to stay after it, do a great job with our eyes. They challenge it with all the schemes that they run in the run game. They probably have the most multiple-run game of anybody we played in terms of scheme variation, motion, pre-snap. They do a great job of it. And I think they've done a great job offensively with their run game and matching up and marrying their play-action pass game to that. But yeah, that's definitely the challenge this week, because he is a great back, and they got a great front."

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