Though their Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders went sideways on them, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ season is far from over. Despite the tough loss to open their 2022 campaign, the Jaguars had several aspects of the game working in their favor, and just need to continue building on their strengths to get to a point where they can close out games.
Among the players who stood out the most in the tilt was cornerback Tyson Campbell. Along with first-overall pick Travon Walker, Campbell was one of two Jaguars that came down with an interception of Carson Wentz to put Jacksonville in a position to secure a fourth-quarter lead that kept the game interesting.
He spoke to the media on Monday after the loss and pointed out that though the game didn’t go according to plan for the Jaguars, their confidence is bolstered by head coach Doug Pederson’s meticulous attention to detail.
“You [have] got a bunch of groups of guys that want to win, and want to get to where he’s been,” Campbell explained, “And everybody buys in. That just brings us even more closer and makes us even more hungry. I think that’s the culture we’re trying to bring around and just focus on winning, doing everything we need to do for winning. The little things, you know, whether it be showing up on time for meetings or doing walkthroughs the correct way. It’s just that every little thing matters. That’s the culture we try to bring in here.”
The culture that Campbell referenced that is being built in Jacksonville this season isn’t intended to be a one-time investment of time and effort. This Jaguars team is being carefully crafted to become a long-term contender, even if they have to start from the absolute bottom in their pursuit of a Super Bowl.
Direct dividends of their toils aren’t likely to be paid this year, but with young talent up and down both sides of their depth chart, Jacksonville has no need to rush. Their window for legitimate Lombardi trophy contention is only starting to open, and to hear Campbell tell it, once their path becomes clear the Jaguars will be ready to pounce on every opportunity they get to prove they’re ready for the big-time.