Yardbarker
x

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen likely knows what to expect out of his offense in 2025.

He is in clear control of the offense, the scheme, the game-planning, the practices, everything. It is his show, and he has a tangible impact on how the unit performs since he is the play-caller.

It is the other side of the ball where Coen begins to lose his control, and where the questions with the 2025 Jaguars largely begin and end.

The defense is arguably the Jaguars' biggest question mark after a 2024 season in which they ranked among the very worst teams in the entire NFL in nearly every key measure and statistic.

After the exciting hire of Ryan Nielsen as defensive coordinator, Nielsen turned out to be a dud of a hire and the Jaguars were forced to go back to the drawing board this offseason.

Picking his own coaching staff for the first time, there is no question that Coen knew just how important his defensive coordinator hire would be. He couldn't make the mistakes of the last regime, which hired Nielsen and also Mike Caldwell, who was fired after the 2023 season after two years at the helm.

A franchise once known for its defense, the unit has fallen on tough times over the past two seasons and Coen knew he needed to make the right hire in his first year as an NFL head coach.

To fix it, Coen took a leap and hired a first-time defensive coordinator in former Green Bay Packers linebackers coach Anthony Campanile.

And in that hiring, Coen make Campanile the single-most important figure when it comes to the Jaguars' 2025 success.

Coen will get the offense where he wants it, and the unit will largely go as far as Coen and a healthy Trevor Lawrence take it.

But the defense falls solely on Campanile and his staff. The Jaguars have been burned by young and inexperienced coordinators in recent seasons, and Campanile will have to personally take on that challege.

The Jaguars likely do not even need a championship defense week in and week out. But they can't afford to be the worst defense in the NFL again, or even be close to it.

And to make sure that doesn't happen, the Jaguars will need Campanile to prove that he is the real deal.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and tell us how you feel about this game.

Please let us know your thoughts on this game when you like our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.


This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!