The Jaguars (4-2) will play host to the Los Angeles Rams (4-2) at Wembley Stadium in London Sunday. The Jaguars leave for London Monday afternoon, with Coen calling the game – and particularly the days between Monday and Sunday – a positive chance for players to bond.
“We’re coming off of a tough loss,” he said. “We have to face a little adversity as a team. Well, now we’re together for an extended period of time in a new setting, in a different place.”
Coen said the idea that the week could serve as positive was discussed in the offseason when deciding whether to travel to London early in the week or closer to game day.
“We talked about that this could be a possible opportunity for a new ‘everything,’ to maybe be together for an extended period of time,” Coen said. “I talked to some of the players in the offseason about what they liked. That weighed into it. We did all the pros and cons from a sports science standpoint. We dove into it.
“At the end of the day, I thought it was just a great opportunity for our team to be together. I do think it came at the perfect time.”
Coen on Monday also discussed an offense that allowed seven sacks and 17 quarterback hits Sunday – “At the end of the day, we did not play well enough up front; it starts there,” he said – and also discussed the Jaguars committing 10 penalties for 76 yards against the Seahawks.
“Our good and some of the good has been really good – and some of the bad just goes to a really bottom floor in some ways,” Coen said. “That’s the consistent play that we’re looking for from everybody a part of this thing, trying to not let those dips dip down so low that it’s game-changing.
“We’re all going to make mistakes or have physical errors and cut down on the mental errors, but the dips can’t go so low.”
The Jaguars’ defense, while allowing just 13 first downs and 346 yards, allowed two 61-yard pass plays Sunday – one from quarterback Sam Darnold to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Ngiba for a second-quarter touchdown and one from Darnold to tight end A.J. Barner that helped allow the Seahawks to clinch the game late in the fourth quarter.
“That’s the key,” Coen said. “We let the ball get thrown over of our heads a few times. That’s a tough world if you let up two 60-yarders. I will say this: Seattle did a great job of calling their shots against the exact coverages that you would want those plays to be drawn up in.
“We did some really good things, but ultimately those big plays … man, they’re killing us. We have to eliminate those plays. That’s the Achilles heel over the last two weeks has been the big plays.”