The Jacksonville Jaguars just pulled off a hard-fought win against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4, and once again, their defense was an absolute game-changer, snagging two picks. This isn’t just a fluke, either; takeaways have become the signature move for this Jaguars D, putting them at the top of the NFL with a mind-blowing nine consecutive games with at least one interception.
Anthony Campanile Is Building a Turnover Machine
Head coach Liam Coen isn’t shy about what’s happening in Jacksonville. In the post-game presser, he straight-up called it an “identity piece” for their defense. Seriously, he said defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has made this a core pillar of what they do. It’s not some random accident; these guys are practicing ball disruption every single day, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, all about that takeaway grind. Coen’s quote says it all: “In a lot of ways, it’s an identity piece. It’s a pillar of our defense. It’s something that they practice over and over and over again on a daily basis… the players take it personally. They take it seriously and they know it’s an edge for us. They know it’s something that obviously can help us win football games. So I’d like to believe it’s a part of our DNA at this point.” When a coach says it’s “part of their DNA,” you know it’s deep. Coen and Campanile are clearly beefing up an already solid unit that finished 2025 with the highest-rated run defense in the league and a top 10 defense overall.
The League-Leading Numbers Are Stacking Up
The stats don’t lie, folks. Foyesade Oluokun just notched Jacksonville’s third red zone takeaway of the year, which is already the most in the entire NFL. Think about that for a second: crucial plays when it matters most. And it’s not like this just started yesterday. Last season, the Jaguars defense piled up a franchise-record 31 takeaways, good enough for second in the whole league. This year? They’re already at eight takeaways through four games, with three of those being those critical red zone grabs. That kind of production creates extra possessions for the offense and can totally flip a game.
This Jaguars defense is more than just an identity; they’re producing real, tangible results that are changing games. With eight takeaways through four games, and a full three of those coming in the red zone, the early season trend is clear. It’s going to be wild to see if they can keep this streak alive and if these game-changing plays continue to pile up as the season rolls on.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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