Sacksonville was a nickname given to the defense of theJacksonville Jaguars during their2017 season. Their defensive coordinator wasTodd Wash. The nickname derived from the high number ofsacks tallied by the defense (55), which was second only to thePittsburgh Steelers, who accumulated 56 sacks. Ranked second overall, the defense revitalized a Jaguars team that went 3–13 theprevious season to a 10–6 record andAFC South division title, culminating in anAFC Championship Game appearance, only for them to lose to theNew England Patriots.
The Sacksonville defense was short-lived as the Jaguars returned to the bottom of the AFC South during their next three seasons, while the defense regressed to ranking 25th in2019. By2022, all members of the defense left the team.
After a 29–7 blowout win in Week 1 of the2017 season over theHouston Texans, in which theJacksonville Jaguars recorded ten sacks (including four by newly acquiredCalais Campbell), the Jaguars fanbase collectively started a trend called "Sacksonville."[1] Jacksonville won nine more games to finish with a 10–6 record, making the postseason for the first time since2007 and clinching their division for the first time since1999.[2][3] The division title was also the franchise's firstAFC South title, as the Jaguars played in theAFC Central from1995 to2001.
The Jaguars won the AFC wild card game over theBuffalo Bills at home, 10–3. In the divisional round they defeated thePittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, 45–42. The Jaguars then traveled to New England for their firstAFC Championship Game since1999, where they lost 24–20 to theNew England Patriots, ending their season. Following the season, cornerbacksJalen Ramsey andA. J. Bouye, defensive endCalais Campbell, defensive tackleMalik Jackson, and linebackerTelvin Smith earned Pro Bowl honors. Ramsey and Campbell earned First-Team All-Pro honors, while Smith and Bouye earned Second-Team honors. Following Campbell pulling out of the Pro Bowl due to injury, teammateYannick Ngakoue went to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
In2018, the Jaguars defense once again started strong, leading the team to a 3–1 record through its first four games, including a victory over theNew England Patriots in an AFC Championship Game rematch. However, injuries and poor play by the offense contributed to significant degradation by the defense, as the team would go on to lose seven straight games and 10 of its last 12, being eliminated from playoff contention after Week 14.[4][5] Jacksonville's record regressed to 5–11.
The unit dissolved with the Jaguars having one of the league's worst defenses in2019 and multiple players leaving the team.[6] LinebackerMyles Jack, the last remaining starter of the Sacksonville defense, left the team in 2022.[7]
Source:[8]
| 2017 | ||
| DE | Calais Campbell | |
| NT | Abry Jones | |
| DT | Malik Jackson | |
| DE | Yannick Ngakoue | |
| OLB | Myles Jack | |
| ILB | Telvin Smith | |
| MLB | Paul Posluszny | |
| CB | A. J. Bouye | |
| CB | Jalen Ramsey | |
| CB | Aaron Colvin | |
| SS | Barry Church | |
| FS | Tashaun Gipson | |
| Statistics[9] | |||||||
| Season | Points per game | Total yards per game | Rushing yards per game | Passing yards per game | Sacks | Interceptions | Defensive touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 16.8 | 286.1 | 116.2 | 169.9 | 55 | 21 | 7 |