By Hays Carlyon
This first crisis of the Liam Coen Era has arrived.
The Jaguars are still in a good spot at 4-3.
However, Sunday’s embarrassing 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at London’s Wembley Stadium exposed the challenges the first-year coach faces heading into the team’s bye week.
I’m not going to rehash the game. You watched it. Drops, penalties and soft play doomed the Jaguars.
So, what is a legit concern? Frankly, a lot.
Here are the things Coen and company must figure out before a monumentally important game Nov. 2 at Las Vegas.
Which receivers can they trust?
Right now, it’s hard to look beyond rookie Travis Hunter, the lone bright spot Sunday.
Brian Thomas Jr. is so bad the term “Sophomore Slump” is too kind. He’s been terrible all season. The problems started in training camp and have never relented. The timid play and inability to catch the ball are all killing the offense. Thomas was hurt late in the game, and hopefully he will be OK. I’m resistant to criticize a player who just got hurt, but Thomas has been atrocious considering I believed he was heading to superstardom after a brilliant rookie year.
Dyami Brown joined Thomas’ timid party with lackluster effort on a drop against the Rams. Parker Washington has been a bright spot this season, but had a brutal drop Sunday that would’ve converted a third-and-15 situation.
The receiving corps simply doesn’t look like a professional outfit right now.
Jaguars general manager James Gladstone has to be thinking about a trade to revitalize and stabilize the room.
The penalties are out of control
The Jaguars were called for 13 penalties for 119 yards on Sunday. That’s the kind of lack of focus you just can’t have. The team spent the whole week in London. There was no evidence that helped in the team’s preparation.
After last week’s loss to Seattle, Coen told the team in the postgame locker room the penalties and self-inflicted wounds had to stop. The players responded by embarrassing Coen and owner Shad Khan on an international stage.
At this point, Coen has to start benching players for mental gaffes. At least for a few plays. There has to be some punishment related to the constant snafus.
The kicking game stinks
Like Thomas, kicker Cam Little is having a disastrous second season after a fantastic rookie campaign. Little missed another field goal early in Sunday’s loss. Coen never sent him back out for another one, instead opting for multiple fourth-down situations that the team didn’t convert.
The Jaguars have to apply pressure to Little in the form of competition. Gladstone has to bring a kicker in to compete with Little before the Raiders game.
Where do they go from here?
I still think the defense can improve and the takeaways will come back.
I still think the ground game will get back into form.
I believe Coen is the right coach.
The self-scout process during the bye will obviously be important, but this doesn’t feel like a schematic issue on either side of the ball. The Jags defense has been outstanding on third down in the last two losses. The Rams were just 3 of 15.
We know what Coen can do guiding an offense.
This is an execution problem. This is on the players.
Too many key Jaguars simply stink right now.
It’s time for those players to play with some pride.
They’ve got two weeks to shape up before a season making-or-breaking game in Las Vegas.
Beat the Raiders and you’re 5-3 with momentum back on your side as you head to Houston for the Texans rematch.
Lose to the Raiders and you’re 4-4 with a three-game losing streak and a season starting to evaporate.
This first crisis of the Liam Coen Era has arrived.
(You can email Hays at [email protected] and follow him on X/Twitter @HaysCarlyon).
