The Jacksonville Jaguars often don't get the national spotlight, and understandably so. They've failed to win games on a consistent basis, and when they are expected to come through, they come up short. Fortunately, Liam Coen is slowly bucking the trend.
In his first season at the helm, Coen has turned the Jags into a gritty team that is unfazed by adversity. 13 games into his stint, they're 9-4 and in the front seat to win the AFC South. Heck, analyst J.J. Watt just threw his support behind his candidacy for NFL Coach of the Year.
And following the resounding win over the Indianapolis Colts, Coen just talked about what makes this Jacksonville team so dangerous.
The Jaguars aren't waiting to earn respect from the NFL
Liam Coen met with the local media after the Colts game and said that the Jaguars aren't waiting to get respect, noting that they have an increased sense of urgency following their loss to the Houston Texans.
"Never really get it. So that's the beauty of it. I ain't coming. You know that, it's not," Coen responded when asked how the team can stay motivated even if they get the respect they deserve. "And that's the beauty of it, and that's totally fine. And it's one of those things that I think the group right now, Houston was good for us. I do believe that."
Coen continued, "The end of Houston was good for us, and to know that each game is going to be a 60-minute football game, and our mindset, mentality has to be that way. And when you get into December, and you're going to go play some really difficult games on the schedule coming up, and everyone counts, Trevor just said it, everyone is exactly the same right now, moving forward for us, and very proud of these guys getting the nine wins, but lot of work to be done."
You cannot blame Coen for taking that approach. Before the season, plenty of analysts doubted his ability to lead the Jags. Heck, he unjustly became a meme when he did his first Duval chant, and talking heads began to rip him apart for a silly moment rather than judge him by his football accomplishments.
Fast forward to December, and Coen is now generally getting praise for the job he's done. Of course, he needed to prove himself, and Jacksonville had to win games to earn recognition. Having said that, he's right not to pay attention to what external sources are saying about him and the team.
Below is Coen's full exchange with the local media after the loss to the Colts, in case you want to give it a look.
Related: 4 critical observations from the Jags' win vs. the Colts
Liam Coen is quickly leaving his mark with the Jaguars
As the old adage says, you are what your record is. And at 9-4, the Jaguars are the third-best team in the AFC. That's in great part due to Liam Coen's coaching and ability to keep his players focused. As he said, Jacksonville looked at itself in the mirror and found ways to improve after the humbling loss to Houston instead of throwing in the towel.
Now, the Jaguars have won as many games as they did in the first year of the Doug Pederson era with four weeks to spare. At this point, nobody would bat an eye if the Jaguars finish 11-6 or better this season.
Of course, Liam Coen is aware that there's a lot of work left, but based on how things have played out, don't expect the Jaguars to slow down any time soon. If anything, other teams need to start to keep close tabs on them.