Liam Coen on Improvements in Red Zone, Important Matchup at Home vs. Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars

Liam Coen on Improvements in Red Zone, Important Matchup at Home vs. Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars

A little bit more people here than last week. Um, statistically the red zone offense has improved dramatically since since the bye-week. Just what do you attribute that to and what challenges have you guys been able to overcome there? Um, I think, you know, just more shots on goal I think is probably helped. Um, with just being down there more, um, better execution probably from in within the normal field as you get into the red zone. Um, to just get more shots on goal down there. And, um, you know, you’ve always wanted to kind of remain balanced in the red area. So often you can get there and even myself, you know, you you want to get the ball in the end zone, right? You’re you get a little antsy and want to throw it in quickly or whatever it is. And I think just trying to remain patient as you get down into the red zone and and making sure that you come away with points is the biggest thing. So, um, you know, I think our coaching staff’s done a nice job of of kind of tightening the red zone plan each week so that we can continue to use carryover plays from the plan and but also have a few red zone specific plays based on how the defense changes and what yard line it changes at. A lot on the line in this one. How big can it be to have this game at home? Huge. um you know, got the throwback unis back up and um you know, great opportunity for our for our organization, for the city, uh for the fan base to come out and help support. And um you know, as much as uh they’re fans, you know, fans of us, we’re fans of them, you know, from from all of us wanting to continue to put a product on the field that everybody can be proud of and uh entertaining. you know, we are in the entertainment business and I got to believe that uh our players are going to play their tails off, you know, for our city on Sunday. How creative is uh Colts pass rush both in terms of their personnel but also Senate five, six, seven guys? Yeah, it’s a ton. I mean, Lou, Lou’s been um doing this at a high level for a while. And um got a lot of respect for him um not only as a coach, but as a person. and he definitely is game plan specific within um some of the roles and responsibilities he has his players in. and um not quite obviously like Arizona in terms of this the structure, but in terms of some of the uh frustrations and things that it can cause you from a game planning standpoint can be uh similar in a lot of ways where you know like you said there’s they’ll rush four, they’ll rush five, they’ll rush six, they’ll rush seven and you don’t quite always know when it’s going to happen. It’s um it’s why they’ve they’ve been pretty good. So, something that we have to be patient with throughout the week in terms of the plan. Um, and then going out on Sunday and and hey, look, it’s we may not always be perfect here, guys, but let’s just make sure we’re communicated from a protection standpoint. And hey, understand where your quick element throws are in case maybe we do miss something that we have to get the ball out and be able to kind of live and play another day. In regards to Jonathan Taylor, what stands out about his game? It seems like he’s good at at everything. Yeah, definitely one of the more talented players in the league. Um, if you try to arm tackle him, you know, that’s that’s not exactly a recipe for success. Um, you know, he can take them 80 and 90 and he also can get some of the tough hard yards and and in the past game they’ve used him, I think, uh, at a pretty good click this year as well. So, um, very talented. We have to be at our best this week in terms of clamp tackling, um, pursuit to the football. Um, it’s going to truly take all 11 when it comes to getting him down on the ground. As a former quarterback yourself, have you ever heard of quarterback playing with a fibula fracture? I mean, I think, yeah, you know, I have seen some crazy stuff in terms of what you’re able to play with at the quarterback position. Um especially if uh you know you understand that as a staff and try to mold the the plan to let him go operate without maybe putting him in um you know situations where you’re asking him to go and do too much without knowing that you know the plays are going to happen scrambles movements um but you know he’s playing at a high level all season this year. They’ve protected him at a really high level as well. I think their O line’s played played well this whole season. So, um it’s definitely doable. Daniel Jones, you talked earlier this year about quarterback development. Timing and circumstance mean a lot for Daniel. I mean, outside looking in, why is the timing and circumstance right for this guy and he’s taking advantage? Great example. Um he’s always been a very uh natural pure passer. Like the ball comes off of his hand really well. I I I think that his footwork and like should his shoulder balance, his balance of his body position this year is much much improved. Like he’s just always throwing from a good foundation and base, not getting uh leaned one way or the other. The ball is able to come out when his back foot hits. Um and it’s been very accurate for the most part this season. So, you can definitely tell that he put a lot of work into himself in the offseason program and um their coaching staff there has definitely done a nice job of collaborating to get the best out of him and you’re seeing that. So, um they’ve got they’ve built it to have some good, you know, skilled players around him as well. The O line’s playing at a high level. So, uh, when the quarterback can kind of just go play free and it doesn’t have to all be you having to make every single play, that typically ends up leading for a little bit more success for the quarterback. You said during training camp, you didn’t want you guys to pee early. What did it take to kind of make sure that didn’t happen and you’re even getting better on the way through 14? Yeah, I mean I think that you look at the Chargers game and then you go to Arizona and and then you you know obviously win the game the other day and is it perfect? No. But, um, I think the guys understand that what we’re trying to do throughout the week, even though limiting some of the practice full speed reps, is we had a meeting about it this morning with the players and coaches, is like, all right, individual during the week. Like, it can’t just be EDDDs, like everyday drills, and just go do, you know, whatever to get them loosened up. like everything that we do on the grass has to be super intentional for some a drill uh a fundamental a technique that needs to show up for this game to win this game on Sunday and also to improve right if there’s fundamentals and techniques at every position that ultimately you’re trying to improve upon and I want our coaching staff and players to be very deliberate about that throughout the week of practice and preparation this week um you know knowing that you still got to save their legs and their bodies and be smart with them. But, uh, we we don’t have any time to waste out there. And I think our players and staff have done a nice job of that so far. Part of a series like this where it’s one team wins 10 in a row on either side. I I’ve never Yeah. No. To to answer your question. Uh, and look, you know, the message to the team today was uh I’m sure you guys are all going to ask them the same question. And, um, every year is a new year. Every team’s a new team. And uh I think we understand that we’re different. We’re everything’s new and different and every year is is different. So yeah, I think you can hold on to that as a something in your back pocket as a as a player, but ultimately um we got to go beat the Colts, this year’s Colts and this team on Sunday. And um you know, hopefully our crowd and fan base is a big part of that. Do you do you mention it before game? We don’t want to be the team that lose to these guys. A man, no, no, no. It’s not anything that I’m thinking about. I hope our players are not thinking about that either. What’s it like when a pass rusher kind of gets on a roll or gets in a groove? Yeah, I mean, I think confidence is a hell of a thing. Momentum is a hell of a thing. Um, you know, when you’re able to go play freely and and not be thinking about uh, you know, ne anything, you know, guys just going out and playing and letting it rip and, um, you know, once you start to get a few and you get next closer to the queue and you’re affecting the game, that momentum, we all feel like everybody feels it on all in all three phases. And you know that um when you get people in known passing situations, well, there’s a different feel now. There’s a little bit of a different vibe to um knowing when the coverage and the trust that maybe that rusher, those guys have up front in the guys behind them that they’re going to be able to be in the right positions to do their jobs to help those guys be able to go up front. Um, I think that’s some of the stuff you’re seeing in terms of the back end defensively for you guys countering the various skilled players that they have on offense. What did you think of Jarry and Jordan both on the field together this past weekend moving forward? And then of course obviously if you get Eric back, how does that factor into the matchup? Yeah, I think you know both of those guys obviously Jordan was just coming back. Um, Jarian’s done a really nice job in his absence in a lot of ways. So, you want to continue that ascension and that development um because it helps us on the grass on Sundays either whether it’s tackling, whether it’s coverage, whether it’s making a play on the ball, uh communication. So, you you got to be unique and creative in terms of rep count, packaging, um and making sure that you’re getting your best 11 on the grass as much as possible. And then like I mentioned with, okay, safeties, is it dime? is it, you know, little dime, whatever those packages are to ultimately get guys in positions to do what they do best. And I think that that’s been a work in progress and hopefully something we can continue to build off of. And then how does matching up with Tyler Warren pair with that? Yeah, I mean like the play that I don’t know if you guys saw the play that he made uh at the end of regulation against Atlanta on the fourth and two I believe it was where they kind of got bluffed into a zero check. He throws the flat route out there. The nickel is literally in the best position that you could possibly be in to make a play to end the game. And uh Daniel puts it up to to Tyler like right up here and he just eats the ball and makes a play and throws the m the guy off of him and like right they’re going to make some plays. There’s no question. But I think that if we can get some of our um you know whether it’s LBs, safeties, whatever it is from a matchup standpoint, we we’ve got to go get hands on these guys a little bit more and um try to stop them early in the down. Um, that’s why the coverage and the rush is so important. Another solid day from your tight end room again, coach. Big plays from Britain Strange. See Morris in there get some. Is that just fundamentally something a part of your offensive scheme where you’re going to feature multiple guys in the T room? Yeah, I think it’s just a a good example of guys stepping up and and making plays when their numbers are called. And ob, you know, Brenton’s a guy that we’ve wanted to continue to get more to as a player that um, you know, when he catches the ball can do something with it, right? And the more you can get those guys in space, the better. And it allows you to be a little bit more balanced in the run in the pass when you have 12 personnel and tight ends that can do both. So, um, all those guys have made some made a play for us at some point this season and, um, you know, hopefully to continue to use those guys maybe in more, you know, 12, 13, whatever it is to get those guys on the grass. How difficult is what Cole Van Lannon has done this year? Yeah, pretty impressive. Um, you know, the guy’s just he doesn’t say a ton, but he cares a lot and and really prepares the right way. um doesn’t flinch when his when his numbers called and and has really helped us get to the point of where we’re at right now. Um you know, I think he played pretty darn good on Sunday as well. So, um you know, he’s a guy that everybody trusts, uh believes in, and um really happy to have him right now. Trevor said this game on everything. Is that because it’s the next game up or because there’s different feel with this matchup? Yeah, I mean I I think that it’s we all kind of know what’s riding on these kind of games, right? Division games in December. Um you know, the season doesn’t end one way or the other on Sunday, right? And um it’s just it’s our next opportunity against a very quality opponent that just so also happens to be in our division. And we we’re all fighting for it, right? like we’re all fighting to uh stay up there and and to compete each week to give yourself a chance uh at the end of the year, but your ops are starting to get a little bit smaller, right? You just the window is starting to close in terms of opportunities on Sundays. Um our players work really hard from all year round for these opportunities on Sunday. and to know that as you get into December, well, you’re only getting so many more of these ops. We’re going to practice a whole heck of a lot more than we’re going to play ultimately. So, um, taking advantage of the ops that are here and, um, you know, hey, we got to go seize the moment as well. Little off topic, but what’s Florida getting with Brad like? Oh, yeah. Brad is um Brad’s one of the smarter guys, coaches I’ve been around at any level. um true teacher of the game. Uh I learned so much from Brad in terms of the way that he saw the game, the way that he would um he is one of the more detailed, organized coaches I’ve been around in terms of his process throughout the week, his checklist throughout the week, um and then his game plans to be able to go and and cause issues for people. It gave me problems every day in practice. it’s multiple um you know and he knows how to scheme people up. He does and so aside from that uh phenomenal person and human being um you know really adds to everything that summy’s going to be about and that place hopefully is going to be about and I’m really happy to have those guys as uh as neighbors. Our families were were very close and uh I mean Brad’s from Rhode Island like we’re high school rivals. So, it was crazy that two coordinators in the SEC were both from Rhode Island. And um you know, I was a couple years younger than Brad, but like I went and watched Brad play. I think I was in 8th grade. He was playing at Bishop Hendricken High School with Will Blackman. And my dad was the head coach at Salv. And we were going there to scout and watch those guys play. I still remember Brad uh with his big neck roll playing linebacker and fullback there. So, um we go way back and we’re very close. Thank you.

Jaguars HC Liam Coen speaks to the media before practice on Wednesday of Week 14 during the 2025 NFL Season.

✅ SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/4nCLsEt
🐆TICKETS: https://bit.ly/49FKR1h

FOLLOW US

INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/jaguars
X: http://www.x.com/jaguars
TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaguars?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
THREADS: https://www.threads.net/@jaguars?hl=en
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleJaguars

#DUUUVAL #JacksonvilleJaguars #Jaguars #NFL