The primary yr of the Liam Coen period with the Jacksonville Jaguars was objectively successful. They exceeded all preseason expectations, gained the AFC South and did so whereas shedding No. 2 total choose Travis Hunter to a season-ending harm. Their 27-24 wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills was a tricky finish to the season, nevertheless it nonetheless got here in a giant yr of progress for the group.
Even with all of that being the case, the first-year Jaguars head coach goes to have a complete offseason to consider — and probably second-guess — a few of his selections on Sunday.
A minimum of, that’s what he ought to be doing.
Liam Coen’s choice to not take the factors was enormous
The most important particular person choice he may be fascinated about is his option to not kick a subject objective within the first half when the Jaguars had an opportunity to take a 10-3 lead.
Simply after the Jaguars scored their first landing of the sport, they recovered a Buffalo on the following kickoff and had been arrange with prime subject place and an opportunity so as to add on to their lead.
However with the Jaguars going through a 4th-and-2 on the Buffalo nine-yard line, Coen opted to not kick the sphere objective and went for it.
It didn’t work. Buffalo took over after the turnover on downs, drove down the sphere for a landing, regained the lead after which finally gained by three factors.
On one hand, going for it on fourth down has change into way more widespread and accepted within the NFL in recent times. Coen may need additionally been pondering that he was not going to beat Payments quarterback Josh Allen with subject targets. There may be loads of fact to all of that, and no person can be questioning something if the Jaguars had transformed and scored a landing.
However they didn’t convert, they scored no factors and so they ended up shedding the sport.
Aggressiveness on fourth downs within the common season can work out as a result of you may have a 17-game pattern measurement to work with. Should you miss one in Week 4 and lose the sport in consequence, you may have 16 different video games for it to stability out. Should you miss within the playoffs and lose, it’s a must to wait till subsequent season.
Jaguars didn’t make the most of operating recreation sufficient
The opposite remorse Coen ought to have isn’t about anybody particular person play or choice, however extra of a philosophical method.
They merely didn’t run the soccer sufficient. Not solely does Buffalo have one of many NFL’s worst run defenses, however the Jaguars had been completely dominating after they did run the soccer. For the sport, they averaged 6.7 yards per carry, accumulating 154 yards on 23 makes an attempt.
It ought to have been the first focus of their offense. However for lengthy stretches of the sport, and particularly in the course of the sport, they appeared extra decided to let quarterback Trevor Lawrence attempt to dictate the sport. Whereas he did throw three touchdowns, he was additionally intercepted twice and threw a handful of different passes that might have — and even perhaps ought to have been — intercepted. He was not constantly efficient, actually not sufficient for the Jaguars to have a run-pass cut up of their play-calling that favored the cross.
This was a recreation there was there for the taking. Maybe a extra run-oriented method, whereas additionally taking the factors when introduced with the chance, might have produced a win.
