After beating the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14, the Jackonville Jaguars are in a favorable position to make the playoffs and win the AFC South for the first time since 2022. While Liam Coen has routinely credited players for the team's recent success, he's the main reason the Jags are 9-4.
Think about it, many of the same players were around last year, and Jacksonville went 4-13. With Coen at the helm, though, the team is overcoming adversity and finding ways to win.
Former NFL player and current CBS Sports analyst J.J. Watt has most definitely noticed the work Coen has done in his first season in Duval and has made the case for him to earn the most prestigious accolade a coach can get.
JJ Watt argues Liam Coen deserves NFL Coach of the Year for his work with the Jaguars
Following the dominant win over the Colts, J.J. Watt took to social media to argue Liam Coen's case for NFL Coach of the Year, pointing out that he's overseen a stunning turnaround in Jacksonville. Here's the skinny.
"They're playing some damn football, on both sides of the ball," Watt wrote on Twitter. "Liam Coen should definitely be in the Coach of the Year conversation with Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel. Anthony Campanile has that defense humming #1 run defense in the NFL and taking the ball away."
Watt continued, "The thing I like the most about them is that they're consistently evaluating themselves and figuring out how to be most successful with the tools they have. They don't care what it looks like or how it gets done, they just want to find the best possible path to wins."
Later in his post, Watt notes that after the collapse to the Houston Texans, the Jags had conversations that were highly beneficial for the team. He isn't wrong.
Following the loss to Houston, it looked like the Jaguars had stalled. At 5-4, they looked like a long shot to make the playoffs and keep up with the Colts. Since then, though, they've won four in a row and are in control of the top spot in the division. While there's no doubt that players rose to the challenge, it's Coen who deserves credit for keeping everyone focused.
But as impressive as the first-time head coach has been, there's something Watt mentioned that cannot be overlooked.
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Ben Johnson, and Mike Vrabel have a better shot at winning Coach of the Year
Nobody can deny that Liam Coen has done a fantastic job with the Jaguars, but as J.J. Watt points out, Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel are at the top of the conversation for NFL Coach of the Year honors. In fact, both of them are the favorites to take the award home.
This isn't to say that Coen doesn't have a shot, and with four games to go, he could most definitely strengthen his candidacy. However, Vrabel and Johnson have been equally impressive with the New England Patriots and the Chicago Bears, respectively. Both clubs were among the worst in the league last year, and they're leading their respective conference.
Ultimately, there's a strong chance that Liam Coen won't earn Coach of the Year honors. But even if that's the case, it won't take anything away from how much the Jaguars have improved under his watch.