At first glance, it might not seem like the Jacksonville Jaguars had a great defensive showing in Week 12’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. After all, they allowed 24 points to Jacoby Brissett and needed a crucial stop to eke out a three-point overtime victory. However, the defense did its job all day. The only reason that the contest was close was the offense, or more specifically, Trevor Lawrence and his four turnovers.
Jacksonville’s defense has actually been heating up as of late, which is even more impressive when factoring in the injuries they’ve had to overcome. Still, this unit has lengths to go before it’s ready to help lead a playoff push and an extended postseason run.
The good news is that this defense should only get healthier down the stretch. Coupled with some favorable matchups in the last few weeks of the season, Jacksonville might just peak at the perfect time to punch a postseason ticket and possibly even make some noise in the playoffs.
September 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars safety Eric Murray (29) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Eric Murray could be good to go
The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ lighter part of the schedule began last week against the Arizona Cardinals. In their next game, they play their first matchup against the Tennessee Titans, who are currently 1-10 on the season. However, this isn’t a bout that the Jags can expect to sleepwalk to victory in.
Cam Ward and the Titans have been heating up. They’ve lost their last three games by just a combined 16 points, playing the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and Seattle Seahawks extremely close. Jacksonville will likely have to slow down Tennessee’s attack without Travon Walker and Danny Striggow, who didn’t practice on Wednesday. Jourdan Lewis was a full participant, though, and the Jaguars might be getting Eric Murray back versus the Titans, following his four-game stint on IR. Head Coach Liam Coen spoke on what he’s seen from his strong safety in his recovery:
Eric Murray met with the media today and talked about how important it is to play meaningful football at the end of the year
Watch the full media scrums now ⬇️ https://t.co/eC4lpg7JAw#Jaguars | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/uViANhCcGR
— 1010 XL / 92.5 FM (@1010XL) November 26, 2025
“We’ll see what he looks like throughout the week. Great to just get him back out on the grass. Hopefully, the communication, the ability to continue to calm things down with his presence. But I really believe that Antonio Johnson has stepped up in a major way. I thought the last few weeks, specifically. Dewey [Andrew Wingard] has also played some good football for us, and Rayuan Lane has stepped up in a big way.”
“He played the most snaps, I think, this past week that he’s kind of played throughout the season, and when he’s out there, he just plays his tail off as he does on special teams. So, getting Eric back will definitely help. We’ll see what it looks like for his availability this week, but been very confident. Antonio Johnson is playing with as much confidence as I’ve ever seen him have, and his impact in the game for us in a positive way.”
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