Calais Campbell on struggling Jaguars defense: 'We haven’t played up our capabilities yet this year'

What is wrong with the Jaguars defense? In short: Everything.

A day after giving up 445 yards to the Carolina Panthers (3-2), including 285 yards rushing to Christian McCaffrey and Reggie Bonnafon, the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) defense is left reflecting on what is going wrong and where to go from here.

Even defensive captain Calais Campbell is looking in the mirror for answers.

“We have to be better. It starts with me, it starts with the captains and then downhill,” Campbell said in the locker room on Monday.

“It is on us, especially on the defensive side of the ball, to elevate our game. We haven’t played up our capabilities yet this year, not consistently.”

Members of the Panthers offense almost bragged about the simplicity of their dominance after they beat the Jaguars defense down in a 34-27 victory on Sunday. Multiple Panthers offensive linemen pointed out the team was calling the same running player over, and over, and over.

They were imposing their will vs. a Jacksonville defense that lacked the gap discipline or strength up the middle to put up a fight. And after watching the tape, Campbell doesn’t blame them.

“There is good teams and teams will make it tough on you. But I feel like we really put ourselves in bad positions and it cost us multiple times this season and especially this past game,” he said. “All we can do though is correct our mistakes and take it one play at a time.”

For the first time since Campbell became a Jaguar in 2017, the team has an offensive identity and is relying on their passing game to put points on the board instead of relying on the defense to shut teams down.

And for the first time since 2017, the once proud defense has had to come to terms with being the team’s glaring weakness and being a unit that has to be bailed out nearly each week.

“When the offense is scoring points like they did this last week, we should win ballgames,” Campbell said. “Even the week before, when we had the lead. We are up six, there is a couple minutes left in the game (and) we have to find a way to win that ballgame.”

“It is exciting to know points are being put up. The confidence that they are going to score points has never been higher since I have been here. … That is a good feeling, it is definitely a good feeling. It should motivate us on defense.”

Jacksonville’s next defensive task will not be any easier than the last. After playing one elite running back whose game is built on quickness and shiftiness in Christian McCaffrey, the Jaguars will be getting another elite back built in the same mold in New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara in week 6.

So far in 2019, Kamara has terrorized defenses along his way to another uber-productive season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and also tacking on 241 yards receiving and one touchdown as a receiver.

Alvin Kamara has 25 broken tackles this season. No other running back has more than 17.

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 7, 2019

“If I am Kamara and I see the tape, I am licking my chops,” Campbell said today. “He is the same kind of back. Super elusive, hard running, tough, strong, fast. If I am him looking at the tape, he is getting excited.”

When Kamara watches the film on the Jaguars defense against the Panthers, he will likely be optimistic about his chances. For Campbell and the rest of the defense, it is their job to change that perception.