Liam Coen Talks Stepping Up Amid Injuries, Week 11 Game Plan | Jacksonville Jaguars

Liam Coen Talks Stepping Up Amid Injuries, Week 11 Game Plan | Jacksonville Jaguars

And um you’re you’ve been in the public eye probably the most in your life over the last 11 months. Just how have you sort of kept yourself insulated? You know, it could be, you know, when things are going right, you might be written about positively. When things are going wrong, criticized. Just how do you sort of keep yourself grounded? That’s a good question. Trevor and I have had these conversations a few times actually and with a number of different players that um it man it comes with the responsibility um of being in in these positions, right? You sign up for it. You you actually put your name on a contract for it and um it’s with great respons right like with with where we’re at. It’s it’s just the name of the game. And um I do believe that I mean I don’t have any social media first and foremost. I don’t you know it was more um you know I was I got kind of deep with it a few years ago where I remember sitting on the couch after we just had our second son and it was in the summertime so I’m off and I had both my sons sitting next to me watching them and hanging out with them and I remembered like I was scrolling through Twitter and I was like what am I doing like what what am I doing you know I mean I’m not being present with with my kids. And I was like, “All right, how much time am I wasting minutes, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years at the end of my life? What is that going to add up to looking at news or other people’s lives? Like, what am I doing?” So, that was a kind of turning point for me in terms of just all right, man. let me just uh try to be more in the moment with the people that I’m with, whether it’s here, home, uh with family and friends, whatever that is. And um know that it comes with it, man. Right. It just comes with the job. And sometimes the outside like perception we can sometimes become reality for good or for bad. And we it’s just maintaining that having real conversations with the people that help you through these convers, you know, through tough times. Um, and that was the message to to Trevor, to our players, to all these guys that man, it it’s our responsibility. It comes with the territory for good or for bad. How have you felt about the focus level throughout the building this week through practice? Yeah, a little quieter like first few days, you know, I think just, you know, not as rah rah during the week, but I thought, you know, and then Wednesday was uh more jog walk, so we weren’t able to do a ton full speed on Wednesday, but then when we got out there yesterday, had the pads on, uh man, they practiced hard. You know, you felt a little bit of a buzz. You felt uh um intentionality at practice. Um you know, you’re still coaching. there’s still stuff to uh correct and fix, but I thought that the guys came out yesterday uh quiet sometimes okay. You know, I’m sure we’re, you know, there’s still some ticked off. You know, it’s okay to be ticked off. Um but as long as our the way that we approach practice and the way that we approach this game is rooted in, man, we can’t let you know, never again, right? And if we can use it as motivation, a learning moment, and that’s how practice maybe was yesterday in some ways, I thought um I thought it was good. Reports been getting longer as you go through the season. Um and when you look at that, guys get opportunities to show up. I mean, I know that sometimes is a strain on on the maybe the game plan or on the team, but I mean, how big is it for those guys to kind of embrace that moment and step up? Huge. Um, I mean, you look at I know Tim Patrick did not show up in a stat column this past Sunday, right? Tim Patrick played his tail off and blocked his tail off, ran routes full speed, was open, you know, a few times that either we couldn’t get it to him or you know, whatever it was, maybe the ball wasn’t going his way. But guys like that that have uh you know continued to do right longer and and that’s ultimately what uh it comes down to when when you do have injuries and you do have uh a talented roster or guys that have worked their tails off to stay the course that maybe haven’t made a million plays for us thus far this season but are going to be ready and prepared when their number is called. I do think we have a a group of guys that that’s important to that are that next man up mentality and um yeah that list is long to that point you obviously were part of a pretty banged up Bucks team last year but uh where and then let alone the 2022 Rams challenges in practice the last two days to have enough guys to do what you want to do a little bit. Yeah, I mean we had a few show team DBs playing wide out, you know, and guys bouncing around from a few different positions to to do that. And um look, it’s it’s a ch it’s all part of adversity, right? It is. It’s just all part of an NFL season and that a lot of teams have gone through, not just us or uh the Bucks last season or the Rams that year. It’s It’s part of it. And it is a balance though of uh I know Wednesday specifically this week like I think a lot of the guys were itching. They wanted to go full speed. They wanted to more so to help get some of that taste out a little bit and to just go man go cut it loose a little bit in a moment at practice. And um but we I’m glad we were able to do that yesterday more and and you could feel that from the guys. So, yeah, it’s a balancing act when it comes to the way that you’re trying to schedule the day for these guys. Um, and also your reps, like the reps have to be very intentional. Um, who’s getting what rep, what throw does Trevor, these are the throws he needs to get. These are the routes that these guys need to get. They don’t need to probably get that one. They’ve run that a million times or they’re not the primary. Let’s move on. So, um it’s yeah have had some experience with the balancing act and um ultimately Sunday’s coming. If you’re able to speak on it, waving Colin Saunders and then elevating or signing Branson to the 53man roster. Number one, what went into that decision? But then also in terms of run defense, what do you need to see from that defensive front? Um you know, I have a lot of respect for Bank. It was, you know, came here. It was unfortunate just with the way things were from a depth standpoint and um we had an opportunity to get Branson up to the to the active roster who’s done a phenomenal job on on teams all all year that when his numbers been called um you know that’s just some of those decisions go into like all right hey how do we helmets are hard you know getting guys a hat on game day man it’s it is it’s a challenge so we just felt like for us moving forward that was just kind of the benefit and and and the best thing for us moving forward And uh defensively in the run game, you know, you look at uh we try to say, “All right, we want to make people one-dimensional, right?” And or get our opportunities to rush the passer. Well, we’re getting a lot of drop back first and foremost. Houston was able to maintain balance at the end of that previous game, whereas maybe in weeks prior, we knocked out that run game a little bit better in the second half. Right. Um that that’s kind of what I’ve seen. Um we need to, you know, look at when you’re playing uh a four eye, when you’re playing a three, when you’re playing a five, you’re playing with just the techniques up front at the second level. How are we fitting these runs? Are we staying square? Are we just plugging or aimlessly running through? And um our safety fits. We we looked at a little bit. okay, our depth at our safety position to start and then man, when we see run, all right, we got to go, right? And so, a lot of that goes into stopping the run. Um, I think for for the most part all year, I think we’ve done a solid job at that. Um, it is so critical this week for us to be able to stop the run against these guys that we know they want to run the ball so that we can get our ops on second. We got to make third down a lot harder than it’s been over the last few weeks. Third down has been way too 3 to five than 7 to nine. And uh that makes it a lot harder to convert when those third downs are better and it starts on first down. What do you like about Gard’s game? Love Dennis. Um you know needs to continue to get more. um when he’s on the grass and and he’s going that way, it it’s man, good things have happened for us and he’s such a pro. All he cares about is is the team and working his tail off every day. when he’s out there and and he’s up against a tight end or an O, whatever it is, he’s going to do everything he can to to shed and to strike and to make a play, but not because he’s trying to do anything outside of the scheme, just because of his mentality and the way that he approaches it. So, um Dennis and I actually had a really good talk yesterday just out in the grass about um staying the course, continuing to push forward, and um that he’s just feeling better and better as he gets going. So, we got to get them more. The Chargers have four guys that all have at least 450 receiving yards. When you look at McConi, Johnston, Allen, and Gadston, how hard is that? And is that the most complete group that maybe you guys have faced this year? It’s up there for sure. Um they’re they’re very detailed uh route runners, I think. Um they have a they all complement each other really well and especially with Gatsson being that big skill tight end and they complement each other well. Um their route detail I think is is very good. Uh their spacing in the pass game you could tell it’s understood. Um you know I think that was something maybe over the last year if you were looking at them playing them last year was something that excuse me they just needed to get continue to get better at. maybe adding a piece too. And you can see what that’s done for that group and for that offense. And uh Justin’s playing with confidence, letting a rip to those guys, understanding where they’re going to be, the timing, and their run after catch. They’ve all had run after catch. So um it’s definitely a talented unit that um is going to challenge us for sure. Being able to go inside, outside for you guys, how have you kind of seen him grow since you got here? Yeah, we’ve we’ve had a lot of conversations. We’ve had a lot of talks. We’ve had a lot of moments and um you know he was definitely challenged a few weeks ago to um you know continue to do right and continue to go out there and he you know he was frustrated too at times right wanting to get out on the grass to help and go play which uh I’m proud the way that he’s responded and stayed the course made some great plays for us on Sunday. Um he always plays and brings energy which I do appreciate. And I mean I thought he triggered really well on the bubbles and some of the quicks outside. Obviously the big interception to start the game, the fourth down stop where he made the great play on the mesh. Um I’m excited for Jarren. I hope that we can continue to build off of this positive momentum. um because he’s a guy that you know when he’s up and he’s bouncing around and he’s doing right and everybody’s uh communicating at a high level like he’s somebody that can be infectious that way. What are your conversations with Josh and Trayon that you know especially after saying the pass rush with just the four guys it’s got to be more productive. Yeah. And look, when I say that, it’s got it’s got to be with the coverage though, too. Now, you know, like it has to match. Like, you look at all the best um you know, look at the Eagles last year, right guys? Right. If we’re just talking about I read one of the Chargers, the lineman’s, you know, comments about like if you could rush four, right? And play coverage with seven, that is typically a good thing, right? Like I’m releasing four, right? If you can rush with four and my halfback is kind of helping to maybe chip somebody, well, now you truly have four against seven. I think those odds are usually going to be in the defense’s favor if you’re pattern matching the right way and the coverage is really getting a little bit more um less aired out and having a little bit less air to the coverage. um understanding third and three, third and five, second and eight, second and 12, where are the sticks, what’s the it all kind of goes together. So, the conversations with those two um have been very positive this week. Very positive. And um there’s an accountability factor for all of us involved, those guys and us as coaches to all right, are we coaching it the right way every single day to have the details show up on passing downs to where the coverage and the rush are matching each other. And at the end of the day, um man, just go guys. Don’t don’t think about it. Just cut it loose. Run it. Go and get off the rock. Just get off the rock and go, man. And um not saying we’re going to stop the run on our way to the passer, but a little bit of that mentality, especially in some of those second downs, man. Just let’s hunt a little bit here, man. You know, and they they had great combos this week. Atlanta, how valuable is his versatility on that line? Yeah, very very uh pleased with Cole as the whole season, right? He came in obviously multiple instances have helped us either get through games, starting games. Um, I thought, you know, Cole’s just he does the the preparation, the trust that he has in that room with those guys. It’s a good group that trusts each other. Um, so I I have a ton of faith in Cole this week stepping in if he has to and continue to keep playing at a high level for us. So, um, his pad level, we talked about wanting to continue to improve and staying lower and when he’s lower, uh, he’s able to be a little bit more explosive. So, I’ve been very pleased with Cole. What have you seen from this week? And just how much of a relief is it just to see him back on practice really good? Yeah, it’s great to have him back out there. Um, you know, it’s you you want them out there as much as you can. Um, obviously we’re continuing to take it day by day and but I just know that, you know, obviously we’re a better we’re a better offense, right, when when he’s on the grass and I know how much he wants it. I know how much he’s put into uh his rehab and the time off. So, um, you know, hopefully we can continue to get more coach. Thanks. All right, guys.

Jaguars HC Liam Coen speaks to the media on Friday of Week 11 during the 2025 NFL Season.

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