JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars have turned the corner under Liam Coen, but they’re not even close to where they want to be.
The Jaguars (10-4) visit Denver (12-2) in Week 16 (4:05 p.m.) with more at stake in a late season game than there’s been in more than a year. The Broncos are atop the AFC West and hold the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Jaguars lead the AFC South and are currently the No. 3 seed in the conference.
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“That’s a good football team. I’ve been following them and had a lot of crossover tape with those guys, have watched them execute at a high level from afar and defensively, do a really nice job,” Coen said. “So, we know this is darn good opponent. Going on the road, I think Mile High is a really cool place to play and compete at.”
Denver gets to the quarterback very well. Its 58 sacks are the most in the league by a good margin over the Falcons (48). That’s 30 more sacks than the Jaguars. And like Jacksonville, the Broncos are red-hot. They’ve won an NFL-high 11 straight games after a 1-2 start. They’re resilient, too. Of Denver’s 12 wins, 10 have been by eight points or less. They’re 10-2 in one-score games this year.
“You think about football, you think about going and playing a game like this,” Coen said. “So, this is going to be a really good challenge for us. As you mentioned, there’s a lot of similarities right now in some ways and being explosive.”
Jacksonville has been in a zone. The Jaguars have won five straight games, including a romp over the Chargers (35-6) and dominant win over Indianapolis to knock the Colts out of the top spot in the AFC South. Can they keep that success going against a team that it isn’t favored to beat when the pressure is on?
“It’s been great. We all came here with a job to do and so we’re executing that to the best of our ability and that’s why we’re in the position we’re in,” said safety Eric Murray. “So, it’s definitely encouraging to see the pieces that we brought in and the people that we brought into gel like this.”
Offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland said that Coen and the coaching staff has brought an energy has made all the difference this season.
“I’ve been impressed with the way he carries himself. His offense is really fun to be a part of. The way he calls it is great and the juice he brings around the building,” Cleveland said.
“I think a lot of people can feel that along with Grant [Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski] and all those guys, all the new coaches, all the young guys. It’s a lot of fun playing for them because they bring good juice and you want to play for those guys. It’s really fun.”
The last time Jacksonville faced a regular season game this late in the year came in the finale against Tennessee two years ago. All the Jaguars needed to do was beat the Titans to clinch the AFC South. Instead, six-win Tennessee beat the Jaguars 28-20 to oust them from the playoff race. It’s not that dire this week (win or else) but it’s a different type of game than the Jaguars have had in recent seasons.
Trevor Lawrence has 13 touchdown passes and five interceptions in Jacksonville’s current winning streak. He’s added two rushing touchdowns in that stretch. As Lawrence has dialed into playing some of the best football since the second half of 2022, the Jaguars have clicked. Sure, playing the Jets, Titans and Cardinals in that stretch isn’t exactly a gauntlet, but the consistency is what Lawrence has lacked during large swaths of his career. Being able to perform, even against struggling teams, is a sign of significant growth for both Lawrence and the Jaguars.
Cleveland said that Lawrence’s play may have improved but he hasn’t seen any difference in the quarterback’s demeanor.
“I’m going to be honest. It feels pretty close to the same. He is always pretty poised and confident in the huddle at all times, even if stuff’s going bad. And I think that is being a pro,” Cleveland said. “No matter what happens, you’ve got to play the next play. I think we’re all doing a really good job of that. Even with the throw he made yesterday, he was hyped, but we came back in the huddle and it’s time for the next play.”