New Jaguars DC Campanile Has a Clear Vision for the Defense

The Jacksonville Jaguars have quickly rebuilt their coaching staff after a second consecutive disappointing season. After their defense struggled again this season, the Jaguars will enter next season with their third defensive coordinator in as many seasons.

Jacksonville's defense allowed the most passing yards of any defense in the National Football League this season. The unit finished with the fifth-fewest sacks and was tied for the fourth-fewest pressures. The unit forced the fewest turnovers of any defense in the league. New Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has a vision in mind to get the defense going in the right direction.

“I think the most important thing you talk about when you talk about defense, is your play style," Campanile said. "My vision for us defensively, we want to be a tough, fast, physical, violent at the point of attack team. That means that you’ve got guys who take pride in not getting blocked. Everybody talks about running to the ball.

"I don't think there's another person in the world who believes in running to the ball more than I do. But you can't run to the ball if you don't get off the blocks, and that is something that's going to be celebrated in our room. It's going to be celebrated in the culture of our team. There's a point in every play where somebody tries to block you, right? Your passion to not stay blocked is really what makes plays on defense.

Campanile elaborated on what aspects of the game he believes are most critical to a defense's success. Jacksonville's new defensive coordinator values effort and intensity, among other things.

"Coaching, scheme, all that stuff—that's great, really important. But at the end of the day, the players win the game, and the violence at the point of attack, the effort, the strain, and the finish that it takes to not stay blocked and run to the football—that's what really creates a great defense," Campanile said. "We want guys that are going to play with their shoulders square, be able to read everybody's number and name tag every play, and attack contact, and never turn it down.

"Those are tenants of a great defense. Those are tenants of all the great defenses in the history of football and the great defenses I've ever been around. I watched that on the tape, when I watched the guys here, I see a lot of that. I see great effort, great strain. Meeting these guys, we’ve got a lot of great people in here, guys I'm excited to coach. You just asked about Liam [Coen]. He's about the same things. He wants strain, he wants effort and that's the environment I want to be in every day, and I know we can succeed in.”

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