Reason Why Jaguars' Defense Had Elite Performance vs. Chargers

The Jacksonville Jaguars are riding a wave of newfound confidence after a dominant, complete victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

The saying of "run the ball, stop the run" rang true in the Jaguars' 35-6 win as everything else fell into place for the passing defense, shutting down quarterback Justin Herbert and leaving Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh in dismay at the destruction laid out in front of him.

Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen lauded the team's defensive performance after struggles in recent games. He responded after Sunday's game with a rave review of the Jaguars' defensive standout against Los Angeles.

Coen on Jaguars' defensive performance

The Jaguars performed one of their best defensive performances in recent franchise memory, allowing 135 total yards on the day, limiting the Chargers' offense to 93 net passing yards and 42 net rushing yards. Coen praised how the defense responded after recent struggles, crediting defensive coordinator Anthony "Campy" Campanile for the work he had done with the unit heading into the week.

"It was a huge response, obviously, from our defense," Coen said. "I thought the defensive staff led by Campy did a great job of, we had some different guys playing in some spots but sort of trimming the inventory, making it about what we do best, putting the players in a position to be successful as much as possible and just letting them go."

Green Jags — Nov 16, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end BJ Green II (95), linebacker Devin Lloyd (0), defensive end Dawuane Smoot (98) and safety Antonio Johnson (26) react following a play against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jaguars were so dominant on Sunday that they held Justin Herbert to just 10 of 18 passing attempts for 81 yards and an interception, one of the most stout performances by a quarterback by any defense this season. Jacksonville got home to the quarterback three times, with key rushes from Josh Hines-Allen, B.J. Green II, and others. Coen noted how the message before the game for his defense was to play freely and not be afraid of making mistakes, a similar tone he approached with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his pass rush.

"That was the biggest thing about our defense today was they played with their own creativity. Just go play, guys," Coen explained. "Just go play. It's not about this or that. It can't be a perfect play all the time, guys. It's about you just going out and causing chaos and doing your job to the best of your ability, and I think that that set the tone, obviously, for the defense but for really our whole team."

Coen Jags — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen hugs familar faces after the game of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The defense has shown the take the ball away, and it is what helped lead the Jaguars to a 4-1 start to the regular season. The hope now is that this trend continues as the organization looks to keep momentum going against the Arizona Cardinals.

"When we play well on defense, typically we win, and that's the reality," Coen said. "I know that those guys, they were specifically pissed off about the way last week ended and really wanted to set the tone for our team today, and they thought they did that."

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