Jaguars defense regressses vs. Colts, other Week 6 takeaways

3. The Jaguars defense has taken a step back after a hot start in 2022

The Jaguars’ defense was off to a great start this season. Right off the back, outside linebacker Travon Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, had a sack and an interception against the Washinton Commanders, which made him an early favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

But the former Georgia Bulldog has cooled off considerably since then and five weeks later, New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner or even teammate Devin Lloyd might be more deserving of the accolade right now. Having said that, Walker hasn’t been the only Jaguars defender that hasn’t played as well as they did early in the season.

In the first three games, defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell’s group had created nine turnovers — as many as they had in 17 games last season — and six sacks. However, they haven’t been able to generate as many takeaways nor get to the quarterback as often as they did. In their last three losses, they’ve logged three sacks and just one turnover. To their credit, they did force two fumbles against Indy but couldn’t recover either.

Then again, not everything is doom and gloom. They allowed just 13 points against the Houston Texans in Week 5 and did a good job of containing Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts the game before.

The Jaguars must definitely play better though. The Colts had the worst offense in the league and were able to put 34 points on the scoreboard. Similarly, Jacksonville gave the Texans their first win of the season. It’s clear something is not clicking. Caldwell must find what it is and find a way to get the unit back on track.