The Jacksonville Jaguars lost two consecutive games before their BYE. They'll get a chance to get back into the winning column and start a potential playoff push when they face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9.
The Raiders are currently 2-5, but it won't matter if the Jaguars aren't able to fix the issues that plagued them in the first half of the season, whether it was drops, penalties, or simply subpar execution. Based on head coach Liam Coen's latest comments, though, it looks like Jacksonville took care of all of that during the BYE.
The Jaguars had a chance to fix their issues during their BYE
Liam Coen met the local media and said that the teams not only have to identify and show the issue to players but also apply the solution in practice and walkthroughs.
"You know, something I was talking to Trevor [Lawrence] about is like, I think maybe the teams that maybe identify, I guess you could say an issue, or somewhere where you're underperforming/ where you're what you're doing well," Coen responded when asked what a team can to improve after the BYE (8:08 mark). "And either coming into this week of your their next game, addressing those tangibly like, 'All right, we want to improve in this area?' Well, if you just say it might not get done."
Coen continued, "Usually, from players, you get what you emphasize very, very often. And so if there's areas where you're trying to show and improve, not just talking about it or getting the stats and showing it, well, going out, addressing it in the meeting, showing the examples, but then applying it to practice, applying it to the walkthroughs of, okay, guys, these are the tangible areas where we need to improve and what we want to improve upon and actually go attack it."
"I think maybe those are some ways where you can look at people having success off of the BYE. Are you addressing those areas tangibly with the way that you prepare, the way that you practice, and then obviously trying to go execute those things in a game?"
Hopefully, the Jaguars play a cleaner brand of football when they face Las Vegas. Before the BYE, they had a league-worst 25 drops. Similarly, they have the dubious distinction of having 65 penalties. Not surprisingly, Jacksonville has had trouble sustaining drives and preventing opponents from scoring.
The good news is that the Jags will have a chance to buck the trend when they face the Raiders. With this in mind, here are the early odds for the Week 9 game at Allegiant Stadium.
Jaguars odds vs. the Raiders for Week 9
The Jaguars are a 3-point favorite for Week 9, per Caesars Sportsbook. Their moneyline is set at -173. Place a wager of $173 and win $100 for a total payout of $273 if they beat Los Angeles. The Raiders' moneyline sits at $140. Bet $100 and win $140 if they beat Jacksonville.
The over/under is 45 points. The over is set at -120 and the under at -102.
Keep in mind that odds are periodically change, so they can change at any point before the game.
Bold prediction for the Jaguars game vs. the Raiders
Before the loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Liam Coen said the team would increase Travis Hunter's role. True to his word, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner had his breakout NFL game, hauling in eight receptions for 101 yards with one touchdown.
Following the BYE, Coen says Jacksonville will look at how much it can put on Hunter's plate. Expect him to once again get a big target share against a Raiders defense that's struggled to stop opposing teams.
With an even better grasp of the receiver position, another game with 100+ yards and two touchdowns feels like a realistic projection for Hunter.