After suffering a demoralizing defeat against the Houston Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars managed to get on track when they dismantled the Los Angeles Chargers. But as impressive as the 35-6 win, they still have their work cut out if they want to qualify for the postseason in Year 1 of the Liam Coen era.
Working in Jacksonville's favor is that its upcoming slate of games is relatively easy, and nobody would bat an eye if it keeps racking up wins. Heck, Jeffri Chadlha of NFL Media believes they'll go 3-1 the next four weeks. For that to happen, though, the Jags need to prove that the win over the Bolts wasn't a one-time thing and they can play at a high level week in and week out. Liam Coen believes they can and will.
The Jaguars must play pissed off when they face the Cardinals
Following the Chargers game, Liam Coen said that the Jaguars play better when they're pissed. One day later, he said that they owe it to each other to keep playing like that the rest of the way. Here's the skinny.
"I mean, I think ultimately, we now owe it to each other to play that way for the rest of the year, as much as possible, right?" Coen told the local media. "And we'll see what the result is. That's got to be our mindset as a team is like, we owe it to each other now to put that on tape as much as possible for the remainder of the season, and let the results be what they may."
Coen continued, "And if we can approach it that way and find the inner mindset every week that you have to get yourself in a position to go compete like that every week as a team, and each player has to get it, get themselves there, and it's our jobs to get the units there. So hopefully we can understand that moving forward."
Playing angry led to one of the Jags' most dominant performances this season and arguably the last couple years. They only committed one penalty, and the offensive line did a great job of blocking up front, the running game was clicking, and the pass rush routinely got after Justin Herbert. As Coen noted, Jacksonville must strive for that kind of performance on a weekly basis.
Below is Coen's full exchange with the local media. His remarks about playing pissed off start at the 1:34 mark:
Jaguars odds vs. the Cardinals in Week 12
The Jaguars are a 2.5-favorite on the road against the Cardinals in Week 12, per DraftKings SportsBook. Their moneyline stands at -148. Place a wager of $148 and win $100 for a total payout of $248 if they beat Arizona. The Cards' money line is +124. Bet $100 and win $124 for a total payout of $224 if they trounce Jacksonville. The over/under for the game is set at 47.5. The over is -108 and the under is -112.
Keep in mind that odds are periodically refreshed, so they're subject to change at any moment.
Bold Parker Washington prediction for the Jaguars game vs. the Cardinals
Parker Washington did enough in 2024 to prove he deserved a bigger role when he stepped in an injured Christian Kirk's place. The former Penn State Nittany Lion has most definitely gotten a bigger workload both on offense and special teams.
With injuries piling up at receiver, the Jags have leaned on Washington to make plays, and he hasn't disappointed, hauling in 30 receptions for 350 yards with two receiving touchdowns. On top of that, he's taken a pair of returns to the house. Simply put, great things happen when the Sugar Land, Texas native has the football in his hands.
Brian Thomas Jr. has been dealing with an ankle injury. Although he could return to the lineup in Week 12, the Jags need to keep feeding Washington the ball. That will result in a pair of electrifying scores against the Cards. He's already done it once this season. Why not a second time?
Bold prediction: 5 receptions for 45 yards with one TD, one return for a TD