Liam Coen has yet to flex shirtless in a victorious locker room, sparking a run on free hot dogs. But like fellow rookie head coach Ben Johnson in Chicago, Coen is shaping a team in his image, and nourishing a success-starved city in other ways. The 8-4 Jacksonville Jaguars are the AFC’s No. 3 seed and begin December controlling their playoff fate.
This is uncommon for a franchise that is frequently overlooked. The Jaguars have had more television blackouts (26) than playoff games (16; 8-8) since they began play in 1995 and remain the only NFL team yet to play on Thanksgiving. They last enjoyed double-digit wins in 2017.
But under a predominantly first-year front office and coaching staff, that may change. Coen, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, general manager James Gladstone and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli made it their priority to toughen up the team.
Culture is frequently used to depict the mood of a locker room. To detect culture — bad, championship or somewhere in between — the fringes of a roster often provide the truest reading. If a team has, say, a chippy punter who puts his body on the line to back up a teammate, a long snapper who can tackle and a rookie running back who repeatedly runs his mouth off at premier defensive players, these are good signs.
“There’s an edge to our team that I think shows up on our tape when you turn it on in all three phases and ultimately that’s what you want as a coach,” Coen said in Sunday’s postgame news conference after his team bullied the Tennessee Titans 25-3. “It’s the best compliment I think you can get as a coach, is that your players play their tails off. Like, I would rather hear that than, ‘Man, y’all execute and have great scheme.’”
Since their Week 8 bye, the Jags have been a wild watch. They have gone 4-1, averaging almost 30 points a game. Four games were on the road and included topsy-turvy overtime wins against the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals, with oscillating win probability charts.
While the Los Angeles Chargers and Titans were handled easily, the Jaguars’ play hasn’t been perfect. They beat the Cardinals despite turning the ball over four times. Jacksonville is also the NFL’s most penalized team (104), something Coen has been attempting to solve for most of the season.
The meltdown in Houston is also noteworthy. A 29-10 cruise became a 36-29 loss after the Jaguars allowed 26 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. On one side, they are one of only two teams to put up 20-plus points against the fearsome Texans defense this season. On the other, the collapse was the worst in franchise history and sparked Houston’s resurgence.
But the response was telling. Win or lose, Coen projects himself as a man who treats those twin impostors just the same. After gut-wrenching defeats to the Los Angeles Rams in London and to Houston, and statement victories against the San Francisco 49ers on the West Coast and at home in prime time against the Kansas City Chiefs, his public messages are unchanged. Accept the result. Learn. Practice. Play hard. Go 1-0 this week.
In a conference full of good-but-not-great teams, Coen has put Jacksonville right in the mix. But just how far can the Jaguars go?
The season rests on Trevor Lawrence, the 2021 No. 1 pick who can be infuriatingly inconsistent. On any given play he can resemble peak Tom Brady, then Blake Bortles.
Lawrence — who was rewarded with a five-year, $275 million extension in June 2024 — is in his fifth season. He has thrown for 2,636 yards (13th in the NFL), with a 59.7 percent completion rate and 16 touchdowns. His five rushing touchdowns and 235 rushing yards are a hat tip to his physicality and ability to read the pocket, but other traits are less flattering. He has thrown 11 interceptions (his career high is 17 in 2021) and has five fumbles this season.
After throwing three interceptions against Arizona, Lawrence said: “I’m never going to play scared. I’m going to continue to let it rip and I think that’s why we had a chance at the end of the day is because you keep playing.”
He played almost perfectly against Tennessee. As the Jaguars struggled to run, Lawrence did not turn the ball over, going 16 of 27 for 226 yards and throwing two touchdowns while continuing to build chemistry with tight end Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers with throws like these:
Jakobi Meyers 🤝 TDs
RT to #ProBowlVote!#JAXvsTEN on CBSpic.twitter.com/gMXJMzMycA
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 30, 2025
Lawrence is also playing under his third head coach, third offensive coordinator and another new scheme. Coen, 40, is a Sean McVay acolyte who prioritizes a run-first offense that combines zone and gap-blocking plays. After the Jaguars leaned heavily on 11 personnel, there has been heavier usage of 12 and 13 personnel since the return of Strange from injury.
Stretching the field vertically and horizontally, Coen demands rhythm from his quarterback and physicality from his receivers, who adhere to a “no block, no rock” mantra. For their endeavors they are rewarded by Coen’s creative play designs and are one of the league’s best units in the red zone.
Jags are running it up!
LACvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/odeGJ4Unk8
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
Injuries along Jacksonville’s offensive line have forced the versatile Cole Van Lanen to start at center, right guard, left tackle and right tackle. And while Lawrence has been sacked 32 times, fifth-highest in the NFL, he has been without safety blanket Strange, last year’s leading receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (who has a team-high five drops this season) and dual-threat rookie Travis Hunter (out for the season) for significant spells. In their absence, Parker Washington, the outstanding punt returner turned safe pair of hands and Meyers — who joined in November via trade — have shone.
“We’ve put him in a lot of different positions, asked him to do a lot, and there hasn’t been anything he hasn’t been able to handle,” Lawrence said of Meyers in his Wednesday news conference.
The roster has an enviable array of offensive pieces. Running backs Travis Etienne (over 1,000 scrimmage yards, five rushing touchdowns, two receiving scores) and rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. carry the load. The Jaguars rank 11th in total rushing yards (1,479) and rushing yards per game (123.3), and are top-five in rushes per game (29.2) and rushing touchdowns per game (1.3). To cap things off, their special teams unit features kicker Cam Little, who booted a 68-yard field goal, the longest in NFL history, in Week 9.
Without the ball, the Jaguars are the NFL’s No. 1 defense against the run (82.4 yards per game). They are 11th in total defense, allowing 21.1 points per game.
“You see (Campanile’s) personality in that defense, and that’s cool to see,” Coen said after the win over the Titans.
The unit began the season with a happy habit of playmakers regularly making game-changing plays. Devin Lloyd — who is being utilized as the blitzing linebacker seen in college — is enjoying a fine season. His four interceptions (and one touchdown) helped seal early-season victories, but the Jaguars’ last takeaway came in the 35-6 win over the Chargers.
Their four-man rush is fourth for quarterback pressures with 263, per PFF. Their 24 sacks are 22nd in the NFL.
With a front missing Arik Armstead (hand) and Travon Walker (knee), and a secondary that is seemingly constantly in flux, it was defensive end Josh Hines-Allen who picked up the mantle in Tennessee with two sacks, three quarterback hits and three tackles.
In their last five games, the Jaguars have conceded an average of 19.6 points per game. In their last three, they have conceded just three touchdowns and 164 rushing yards total.
Sunday’s tussle against Jonathan Taylor — who leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,282) and rushing touchdowns (15) — should be fascinating.
With the outright lead of the AFC South at stake, it is one of the most significant games in recent Jacksonville history. The Jaguars lead the 8-4 Colts by virtue of tiebreaker for record against common opponents, while the dangerous Texans lurk behind at 7-5.
On paper, the Jaguars have the easier schedule. They host the Colts and New York Jets, followed by trips to the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis before playing the Titans at home. They couldn’t, could they? There is a step up in quality and the addition of pressure, but the old adage about running and stopping the run holds true. If they handle business as they have done in their previous five games, they have every chance.
In the spirit of Coen, we should not get ahead of ourselves. The first indicator of how far these Jaguars can go will come on Sunday. Win and their chances of a division title rise from 42 percent to 65 percent, according to The Athletic’s playoff simulator.
The Colts have lost three of their last four and quarterback Daniel Jones reportedly has a fracture in his left fibula. And of course Coen hasn’t mentioned the Colts not winning in Jacksonville since 2014, with Jacksonville also winning its “home” game between the teams in London in 2016.
“Every year is a new year,” Coen said in his Wednesday news conference. “Every team is a new team. … Ultimately, we got to go beat the Colts — this year’s Colts — and this team on Sunday.
“I think that we all kind of know what’s riding on these kind of games. Division games in December. The season doesn’t end one way or the other on Sunday. It’s our next opportunity against a very quality opponent that also just happens to be in our division and we’re all fighting for it.”