Prominent NFL voice explains why Liam Coen is what Jaguars offense needs

The Jacksonville Jaguars are out of luck in their pursuit of Ben Johnson, as the crown jewel of this hiring cycle chose the Chicago Bears. Fortunately for the Jags, the cupboard isn't bare. There are still several intriguing options to fill their coaching vacancy. In fact, they're slated to meet with three candidates in the upcoming days.

Of the bunch, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is probably the best, and a trusted NFL voice recently explained why he's precisely what the Jacksonville offense needs.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports recently made an appearance on 1010 XL and explained that the Buccaneers' running game experienced a noticeable improvement with Coen at the helm.

"I think what he does is, if you look at his offense, he marries the pass and the run. That was the big knock on [Dave] Canales at Tampa last year was, talking to people over there that a year ago that the run game was inconsistent," Prisco said. "He didn't stand by it, they changed up things in the middle of the year, and then Coen goes in there, and then they run the ball a lot better. "

Prisco continued, "Baker [Mayfield] still puts up big numbers throwing it but you look at their run numbers. Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, they really ran the ball. They were the only team in the league. I think that was top-five in both rushing and passing. I mean they they did a really good job."

Under Coen, the Bucs ranked fourth in the league in rushing yards and 14th in rushing touchdowns scored in 2024. For context, they were dead last in rushing yards and 28th in touchdowns scored with Dave Canales leading the offense the year prior.

Granted, Canales didn't have Bucky Irving, who crossed the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie. Nevertheless, there's a day and night difference, and Coen deserves praise for the uptick.

Meanwhile, the Jags were 26th in rushing yards and 20th in rushing touchdowns last year despite the fact that they had two talented backs in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby.

Liam Coen can turn the Jaguars offense into one of the best in the NFL

Liam Coen hit it out of the ballpark in his first interview with the Jaguars. He impressed the top brass with his football knowledge and leadership skills. Not surprisingly, Jacksonville has arranged a second meeting with him.

Ben Johnson is no longer an option for the Jags, but Coen is no consolation prize. Apart from getting the most out of Trevor Lawrence, like he did for Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay last year, he could also fix a running game that is in dire need of a boost.

Last year, the Jags ranked 31st in yards per rush before contact but had the second-best mark in yards after first contact. That had to do with their blocking scheme up front.

Here's how Coen could help the Jaguars.

Here's another clip of Coen's blocking scheme.

Now, Coen isn't the only candidate scheduled to meet with the Jags. Patrick Graham and Robert Saleh will also interview again for the opening. Having said that, the top brass should most definitely intrigued with what the Buccaneers offensive coordinator brings to the table.

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