Jaguars' Liam Coen must learn a harsh lesson after Eagles stun Chiefs in Super Bowl

The Jacksonville Jaguars, along with other 29 NFL teams, had to watch Super Bowl 59 from home. Like most observers, they surely expected a close game but instead watched the Philadephia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-14. Make no mistake, Philly dominated the game, and there's a big reason why, one the Jags need to pay close attention to.

Clichés become clichés for a reason, and the Eagles proved one right when they demolished Kansas City: You win football games in the trenches, and Philadelphia has done a heck of a job beefing up their offensive line, sparing no expense to get the best possible players and coaches.

For starters, Nick Sirianni retained offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland when he took over in 2021. This is noteworthy because he outlasted Chip Kelly, the man who hired him in 2012, and later Doug Pederson in Philadelphia.

Based on how dominant the offensive trenches have been and how much of a factor they played in the win over the Chiefs, it's easy to see why Stoutland has stuck around for so long. Then again, great coaching alone will only get you so far.

You also need to get the players, and the Eagles gave their offensive line coach ample talent to work with: A former seventh-round pick in left tackle Jordan Mailata, a dependable starting center in Cam Jurgens, a Hall-of-Fame caliber big in right tackle Lane Johnson right guard, Mekhi Becton who's enjoyed a career revival in the City of Brotherly Love.

In 2024, the Eagles allowed a respectable 45 sacks. Not great, not bad either, but they surely did Keep Jalen Hurts protected on Championship Sunday, giving up just two sacks and routinely giving him enough time to throw the football.

Look at the amazing throw below and the protection Hurts got when he connected with DeVonta Smith to make it 34-0. He wouldn't have pulled it off without a clean pocket.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs couldn't contain the Philadelphia pass rush, giving up six sacks, four of them in the first half. You can make the case that Patrick Mahomes wasn't at his best but it's hard to throw the football when you have the opposing defensive line on your face just a couple of seconds after snapping the football. Similarly, they couldn't get the run going. Heck, they had only made attempts by halftime and didn't even try to run the ball in the second half.

Like the Eagles, the Jaguars and Liam Coen must beef up the offensive line

When Liam Coen became the head coach, he took over a team with lots of talent and not many roster needs. That said, he'll need to fix many of the issues that led to a 4-13 finish last year. Culture is a big one, but if you want to talk about a tangible one, the Jacksonville Jaguars must rebuild the trenches.

As Michael DiRocco of ESPN pointed out near the end of the 2024 season, the Jags ranked near the cellar in the NFL in yards per rush before first contact at 2.13 but their 2.18 yards per rush after first contact was the second-best figure in the league.

Given that there were a few games left when DiRocco shared the stat, the final stat might've changed a bit. But one of the reasons the Jags struggled to get yards before contact despite having a dynamic backfield tandem in Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne is that they couldn't block up front. Sure, the Jags averaged a not-so-bad 4.2 yards per carry, but their offense became one-dimensional because they couldn't run the ball consistently.

Working in their favor is that Coen is aware that the offensive line needs work and it will be a point of emphasis. Although it took him a while to find an offensive line coach, the Jaguars managed to land Shaun Sarrett.

While Sarrett has his work cut out, he has prior experience at the position, holding the title of offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. Another thing that could ease his workload is that Liam Coen's blocking scheme worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year. If that wasn't enough, Jacksonville has a pair of talented booking offensive tackles in Anton Harrison and Walker Little.

Granted, the team's brass will need to reinforce the interior offensive line. Right guard Brandon Scherff is set to become a free agent in March, and Mitch Morse has one year left on his current deal. It would be a good idea to replenish the line of scrimmage.

The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars must fortify the offensive line to establish the running game and give Trevor Lawrence plenty of time to throw the football. If they do, maybe, just maybe, they'll be hosting the Lombardi Trophy the way the Philadelphia Eagles did when they dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59.

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