Just before their game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Jacksonville Jaguars were accused of legally stealing signals. This was odd when you take into account that most clubs pay attention to their opponent's tendencies in an effort to get an edge.
Just before the game, Jags head coach Liam Coen said that he had no comments about the accusation. Instead, he let the team's play show the Niners how he felt about the whole ordeal.
Liam Coen exchanged words with Kyle Shanahan after the Jaguars win
Robert Saleh raised eyebrows across the league when he said the Jags were good at legally stealing signals. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan tried to downplay the issue by saying that his coordinator was just trying to heap praise on Jacksonville.
However, you could make the case that there are other ways to praise opponents, especially when you take into account that advanced scouting is highly common in the NFL. To nobody's surprise, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen exchanged words with Shanahan after his team's 26-21 win in Week 4.
Video: #49ers DC Robert Saleh and #Jaguars HC Liam Coen exchanging words after the game and a #Jags win.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 28, 2025
Earlier in the week Saleh said this about the #Jaguars staff this week, "Liam (Coen) and his staff, a couple guys coming from Minnesota, they've got a -- legally -- a really… pic.twitter.com/tFjDR20L4r
As you can see in the clip, the interaction didn't appear to be pleasant. When asked about it, Coen just said that it wasn't a big deal and would instead keep it between him and Saleh. On the other hand, Shanahan said that Coen shouldn't be so sensitive.
Kyle Shanahan on Robert Saleh and Liam Coen having words after the game:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) September 28, 2025
“I didn’t see what happened so I’m not sure, but he [Liam] shouldn’t be so sensitive.” pic.twitter.com/fbrgICdAyX
The Jaguars just vindicated themselves with the win over the 49ers
Aside from making the 49ers look silly for the signal-stealing accusation, the Jags ended a five-game losing skid, defeating the NFC West foe for the first time in 20 years. That makes the win even more satisfying.
And make no mistake, nobody would have blamed Coen if he had been boastful after the win. After all, Robert Saleh's comments were classless, as they undermined all the work the Jags put in in preparation for game day. Instead, he showed them that his process works.
Even though Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh knew the Jags were going to "steal their signals", it wasn't enough to stop them. And that's the thing, even if the accusations were true, they still need to show up and play.
It doesn't matter if you know what play the opposing team is running if your players don't deliver. You have to make a tackle, execute your assignment, and be in a position to make plays. The Jaguars made plenty of them in the win.
Travis Etienne racked up 124 yards on 19 carries, Parker Washington had an 87-yard return, and the defense generated a head-turning four takeaways.
Simply, the Jaguars were too much for the 49ers to handle. Maybe Kyle Shanahan should start to "legally steal signals" instead of taking shots at their opponents.