For the first time since 2022, the Jacksonville Jaguars clinched a playoff berth. This is yet another sign that the organization hit it out of the ballpark when it hired Liam Coen to replace Doug Pederson. But as encouraging as qualifying for the postseason is, the Jags still have plenty of work to do.
The last thing Jacksonville wants is to get to the playoffs only to be one-and-done. Of course, Coen and the team will want to take it one game at a time, but once they're in, they'll probably want to make a deep run. Dan Graziano of ESPN believes they'll have one huge thing going in their favor.
Trevor Larence will give the Jaguars a huge edge in the playoffs
Dan Graziano put together a list of things he's hearing about different teams ahead of Week 17. He touched on whether ther Jaguars are a league contender, noting that several people have told him Liam Coen should be NFL Coach of the Year.
This isn't necessarily shocking news when you take into account that several analysts have begun to talk about Coen as a legitimate candidate for the honor. And even if he ends up losing to either Mike Vrabel or Ben Johnson, he'll most definitely garner consideration.
What stands out about Graziano's notes is that he believes Jacksonville is well-equipped to navigate the playoffs because of Trevor Lawrence's presence, noting that he has valuable postseason experience. Here's the skinny.
"I think there is some skepticism -- as there would be with any contender new on the scene -- about how the Jaguars will perform in playoff games," Fowler wrote. "But Lawrence does have a playoff win on his resume, and the versatility of the Jaguars' offense combined with how tough they are up front on defense definitely has the attention of other teams."
Lawrence played a huge role in beating the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022. Although he made several mistakes early on, he flipped a switch and led a 27-point comeback to win 31-30. Then, the Jags went toe-to-toe with the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. They ultimately lost, but by then, they had far exceeded expectations in their first year under Doug Pederson's leadership.
Why the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence can be dangerous in the playoffs
As the Washington Commanders proved in 2024 and the Detroit Lions the year before, teams without prior playoff experience can make a deep run. The biggest difference is that the Jaguars have a rookie head coach, but if Liam Coen has proved anything is that he's up to the challenge. Right off the bat, he's changed the culture and raised expectations on and off the field.
In his brief stint in Jacksonville, Coen has shown an affinity for playing the disrespect card, and he'll most definitely be incentivized to prove that he can advance in the playoffs just to prove that he and the Jaguars belong.
Circling back to Trevor Lawrence, he was inconsistent early in the season, but he's been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the second half of the season. If he doesn't take his foot off the gas pedal, there's no doubt the Jaguars can achieve big things in 2025.
In light of their recent surge, more analysts are beginning to acknowledge that the Jaguars are a legitimate threat. And if they don't slow down, it will be hard not to give them the respect that's evaded them for years.