All eyes were on the Jacksonville Jaguars as they prepared to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. While, of course, there are questions about how well quarterback Trevor Lawrence will play, the even bigger question is about the defense: was their Week 1 performance a one-time thing?
For context, the Jaguars had one of the worst defenses in the league in 2024. Ryan Nielsen, Jacksonville's 2024 defensive coordinator, took all of the Jaguars talent and ran it into the ground. Anthony Campanile was brought in to replace him, and find a way to revitalize the Jaguars defense.
In Week 1, Campanile's defense appeared to be in good form. Jacksonville dominated the Carolina Panthers, sending a strong message that the Jaguars shouldn't be underestimated. But Week 2 would be a much greater test, with the defense having to contain one of the league's most explosive quarterbacks: Joe Burrow. How would the new-look defense fare?
It took only one quarter to prove the Jaguars defense is the real deal
The Jaguars defense came out swinging against Cincinnati, and while Burrow - being Burrow - was still able to lead his team to a touchdown, he was not nearly as lethal as expected. Jacksonville was aggressive and in the Bengals' first drive, they held Burrow and the offense to three-and-out right away.
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were still able to make plays happen, but they were nowhere near as productive as they can be.
Arik Armstead finds a way!#JAXvsCIN pic.twitter.com/UID5bg7OJS
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 14, 2025
Before the second quarter was even over, the Jaguars had sacked Burrow three times, broken up multiple passes, and in general, kept the Bengals offense on its toes. Rookie Travis Hunter, who is notoriously the first modern NFL player to play both offense and defense, also had several tackles and a sack.
Altogether, it's a good sign for the new Campanile defense. Burrow is a smart, explosive player with a lot of offensive weapons at his disposal, and the Jaguars have done a great job keeping them contained.
There has never been any doubt that there is real talent on the Jaguars defensive roster, but there was also a lot to come back from after last season's disastrous turn under Nielsen. How quickly Campanile would be able to rebound from that disaster was anyone's guess, but at least now it clear: Week 1 against an admittedly-terrible team wasn't just luck. The Jaguars defense is the real thing, and other teams in the league have been put on notice.