The Jacksonville Jaguars had a chance to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 but ultimately squandered it. Although they were mostly ahead throughout most of the game, they couldn't seal the deal and ended up losing 31-27 following quarterback Jake Browning's impressive touchdown drive.
One of the many reasons the Jags came out empty-handed was Trevor Lawrence's inconsistent play. He wasn't outright bad but missed several throws that could've put the Jags up on the scoreboard.
Head coach Liam Coen, for his part, appeared to be frustrated with Lawrence's performance. That was evident in a clip that's making the rounds on social media.
Jaguars HC Liam Coen getes desperate with Trevor Lawrence
Late in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars were marching toward the Bengals' end zone, and that's where you can see Liam Coen pledging with Trevor Lawrence to hit his receiver on the chest.
Trevor Lawrence just waived off his head coach Liam Coen… WOW? pic.twitter.com/AgQM0g2mll
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) September 14, 2025
If you watch the clip, you can't deny Coen is frustrated with Lawrence's failure to his his receivers. In case you were wondering, the pass (intended for wide receiver Dyami Brown) was catchable, but off target nonetheless.
In the end, Lawrence went 24-of-42 for 271 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. One of the picks was in the end zone and would've put the Jags up 14-0. Instead, Cincinnati capitalized on the takeaway and proceeded to tie the game 7-7.
Related:4 critical observations from the heartbreaking loss to the Bengals
Trevor Lawrence brushed off the interaction with Jaguars HC Liam Coen
To nobody's surprise, Trevor Lawrence was asked after the game how his communication with his head coach was. He said that it's great, pointing out that Liam Coen is passionate and brings more out of him. Here's the skinny.
"It's really good. The communication is really high. I think coach is really passionate, which is something that I've noticed ever since he's been here, Lawrence told reporters (6:50 mark). "And I love that about him. And we'll get fired up, so it's been cool seeing our, and there's times where I'm not always that way, I'm kind of a little more like this. But he's honestly brought a little bit more of that out of me, which I think has been good for our offense, and I kind of feed off of him."
Lawrence continued, "And there's times we get excited and get fired up, and there's a sense of urgency, though, too, when things aren't going great, where I feel like he does hold us accountable and not afraid to rip into us a little bit. So I think that's good. There's a sense of urgency for us. So we need to, we need to get better, and we can improve."
The Jaguars must help Trevor Lawrence (but he must also played better)
There's no doubt that Trevor Lawrence has left much to be desired in the first two games of the season. Again, he hasn't been dreadful, but his turnovers have turned out to be costly. This wouldn't be an issue if he were a rookie, but he's already a fifth-year veteran. By now, you would expect No. 16 to be playing at a high level. It would be great to see him come up clutch. However, he's failed to build consistency dating back to 2023.
On the other hand, and as underwhelming as the fifth-year quarterback was, the loss wasn't solely on him. For instance, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. struggled, hauling in a measly four targets for 52 yards on 12 targets. That's not the kind of production you expect from a bona fide No. 1 receiver.
On the other hand, the defense forced two turnovers and consistently brought the heat. Similarly, the backfield tandem of Bhayshul Tuten and Travis Etienne combined for more than 100 yards on the ground, so you cannot blame them for the loss.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars made several plays in Week 2, but not enough to win. That's why you can't blame Liam Coen for being exasperated.
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