JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars on Thursday practiced at the Miller Electric Center.
The Jaguars (5-4) will play the Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) at EverBank Stadium Sunday in a 2025 Week 11 game. A look at Thursday around the Jaguars – with Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski and Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile speaking to the media before practice:
The defensive task this week is as clear as it important.
The Jaguars must pressure Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, which means performing well in an area in which they have struggled defensively this season.
"We have to be better there," Anthony Campanile said.
Campanile, in his first season the Jaguars' defensive coordinator, was discussing a pass rush that enters Sunday 30th – tied for last – in the NFL in sacks with 12. They have registered two in each of the last two games, failing to sack Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills on 24 fourth-quarter dropbacks this past Sunday.
"I always put that on myself," Campanile said. "You're coordinating the unit. That's the way I look at it. We have to have a good plan to do that this week because the guy we're playing is elusive in the pocket – has done a great job with his feet his whole career and certainly this year. We have to be locked in, be disciplined in a rush and try and affect him here on Sunday."
Campanile said rushing a mobile quarterback such as Herbert effectively requires more than rushing with as much effort as possible.
"You have to have a great rush plan against guys like that," Campanile said. "It's similar to when you're playing against [Kansas City Chiefs quarterback] Pat Mahomes, guys who are really elusive in the pocket. You have to have a good rush plan and not be behind the quarterback and giving them B-gap step ups, that whole deal.
"You have to do a good job in the interior as well, not just the edge. You have to make sure that everybody's square in front of the quarterback. You have to be on point because he's legit and has done a great job with his feet the whole year."
The Jaguars, who allowed 26 points in the fourth quarter of a 36-29 loss to the Texans Sunday, have allowed the NFL's third-most points in the fourth quarter this season at 10.7 per game. They have allowed 14 or more fourth-quarter points in four of the last five games.
"That's something we've looked at," Campanile said. "I've looked at personally what we're doing in those situations, what we're calling, just making sure that we're in the best possible situation.
"We have to be better there and we have to finish those games in the fourth quarter. Losing that one the other day, nobody's happy about that. We have to be better in the fourth quarter for sure."
The Jaguars on Thursday released the second of three injury reports for the week, with starting wide receiver Parker Washington practicing limited with a hamstring injury after missing practice Wednesday.
Starting right tackle Anton Harrison (knee/ankle/leg) and starting cornerback Jourdan Lewis (neck) missed a second consecutive practice Thursday.
Also practicing limited for the Jaguars Thursday: Starting wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (ankle), tight end Hunter Long (hip/knee), starting tight end Brenton Strange (hip), starting right guard Ezra Cleveland (knee/ankle), starting center Robert Hainsey (groin), starting guard Patrick Mekari (knee), linebacker Dennis Gardeck (chest), linebacker Jack Kiser, punter Logan Cooke (groin) and linebacker Ventrell Miller (back).
With Thomas and Washington limited in practice this week, this marks yet another uncertain week for a wide receiver group that has faced many such weeks this season.
Not only did Thomas miss last week's game, wide receiver Dyami Brown missed a Week 4 victory over the San Francisco 49ers with a shoulder injury and missed the late minutes of a a Week 9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders with a concussion.
Rookie Travis Hunter has missed the last two games with a knee injury and will miss the rest of the season, with receivers such as Tim Jones, Austin Trammell, Tim Patrick and Jakobi Meyers – acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders last week – playing key roles in recent weeks.
There's certainly a challenge to it, but it's the challenge we all signed up for," Udinski said. "Those guys are facing really a tremendous challenge to go out there and execute at the highest level, against the best of the best, without having the opportunity in practice to do some of those things. It's our job to try to limit the amount of newness and try to make sure that what we put on their plate is stuff they can go out and execute.
"It probably has been a little more than anybody would like, but those guys have really been doing a great job of not flinching when the opportunity comes."
