By Don Coble, Florida Sports Wire
JACKSONVILLE – When pressed about the Jaguars’ pass rush – make that, the lack of one – head coach Liam Coen didn’t wait to say what everyone else already knows:
“To me, we are who we are. That’s where we’re at,” he said. “It needs to get better. It has to improve for our team to continue to ascend and go where we want to go.
“But I do have a lot of confidence and faith in that group.”
Bookends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, who are supposed to be the marquee pieces of the Jacksonville defense, have combined for just ½ sack in the past five games. What’s worse is, Hines-Allen is the third year of a five-year deal worth $141.25 million, while Walker started the season with a new, four-year, $110 million contract.
Hines-Allen had 17.5 sacks during the 2023 season to get the restructured contract. Now he has 1.5 after six games.
Walker’s best year was 2024, when he recorded 10.5 sacks. Although he was injured for much of 2025, Jacksonville still rewarded him with a new deal in the offseason. So far, he responded with two sacks in 2026.
It’s hardly what the Jaguars expected for their money.
In its 34-31 loss to Houston in London on Oct. 18, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud often had three or four seconds to find a receiver. No pressure up front, put too much pressure on the back end. Given extra time to find a receiver, Stroud threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Houston also had four plays of 21 yards or more.
Heading into Sunday’s home game against Indianapolis, the Jacksonville (4-2) defense is ranked 20th overall by giving up 346 yards a game. Of those, 273.8 are against the pass, which is third worst in the NFL. The run defense, however, is best in the league at only 72.2 yards a game.
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile said he’s tried to mix up the play calls to force the opposing quarterback to throw quicker than he wants.
“Whether it’s split-safety coverage or playing vision zone, even when you’re sending extra players at the quarterback. So, some of that is intentional to get the ball out of the quarterback’s hand quicker,” he said. “But I also think there are some things we can do with the coverage that’ll tighten that up and help our guys finish at the point of attack those.
“There are some reps where we are getting in there. Some are finishing it at the top of the rush; some are tightening the coverage so that the rush can get there and finish the rep. So, on a bunch of those we’re close, but that doesn’t mean anything.
Being close, no one cares about that, and we certainly don’t. But at the end of the day, I got to be better.”
The Jaguars will be home for only the third time this season. Construction for a remodel of EverBank Stadium and two games in London means the team will be on the road for 11 of 17 games. In fact, Jacksonville only has one game – Sunday against the 2-5 Colts – in a 63-day span.
The fans’ patience may not be rewarded. The forecast calls for a 30% chance of rain for the kickoff at 1 p.m. (CBS), and it will increase to 45% by the game’s end.
To get ready for likely inclement weather, the team practiced with wet footballs last week. The training staff constantly dunked balls in buckets of water during individual and ball security drills.
“These guys are taking the ball, dumping it in a bucket and then taking it out, which isn’t truly realistic because the refs take the ball and will try to help you out a little bit,” Coen said. “But it does happen.”
