Liam Coen Details Advantages to Jaguars' Defensive Scheme

The Jacksonville Jaguars' entire roster and organization look a lot different now than it did this time a year ago, but perhaps the change is clearest on the defensive side of the ball.

With new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile replacing Ryan Nielsen on the sideline this year, the Jaguars' defensive scheme is set to do a 180.

After running a press-heavy scheme last season that focused on attacking offenses at the line of scrimmage, the Jaguars are moving to more of an off-coverage based scheme this year.

Instead of having one's back to the quarterback throughout the play, the Jaguars will now task their defensive backs to keep their eyes on the signal-caller each second -- something that head coach Liam Coen thinks could pay dividends.

“If you can get a pass rush with playing vision-zone coverage and mixing it in with obviously some match principles and man coverages, that’s hard because you can kind of squeeze the offense that way. If you can now get a rush, and the ball’s got to come out, but you don’t have a ton of room, if you can play zone coverage a little bit tighter in terms of not just spacing the whole field out, I think that’s the key," Coen said after OTAs earlier this week.

Campanile is well-versed in the idea, which Coen says is a lot like what the Philadelphia Eagles did in 2024 en route to a Super Bowl win.

Campanile, of course, worked for Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in the past. If anyone has the insight into how to pull off the new scheme and the advantages the Jaguars hope will soon play into their hand, it is their first-year defensive coordinator.

"You obviously saw Philly have a lot of success this past year playing a lot of vision-zone coverage, shell coverage, and still getting a rush with four. I think if you were to draw up what’s the ideal, I think that’s what you’d say as a defensive coordinator. I can rush four, and play three-deep in quarters? That’s going to be difficult," Coen said.

Time will tell if the Jaguars can execute their vision, but we now at least know why they believe it will work.