Since Liam Coen became the head coach, you've probably heard him say countless times that he wanted to turn the Jacksonville Jaguars into a tough, physical team. While they had shown in past games that they're now a gritty team, they saved the best for their game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
Trailing 14-0, the Coen's team remained unfazed, got to work, and beat Kansas City 31-28. It was all possible because of a trait past Jags teams lacked, and the current one possesses in abundance.
The Jaguars beat the Chiefs because they're resilient
Liam Coen met with the local media after the game and praised his team for their effort and resilience, noting that they didn't throw in the towel in spite of their 14-point deficit at one point.
"That's the theme, I think, and that was what we talked about as a team. Although we would like to make things very interesting, and it wasn't perfect by any means, but the resiliency is really what I think this team has, and has continued to show," Coen said. "There was really no flinch or blank on your down 14-nothing. I think early on, we might have had a little bit of bright eyes, and in a big game that you can understand a little bit in some ways, but got down early, made an effort to come back."
Coen continued, "The guy stuck with it. Halftime, Devin Lloyd shows up again with a huge play. Really took all three phases. I thought all three phases really impacted the game. A ton of stuff to correct, but the toughness and resiliency is really something I'm proud of."
The Chiefs were 2-2 before the game. However, they were the Super Bowl runner-up last season, so they presented a great chance for the Jags to prove they're a serious contender this season. In previous years, past teams might've folded.
Heck, the last time the Jaguars mounted a notable comeback was probably when they beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2022 playoffs. Apart from that, how many back-from-behind wins do you recall from the past 10 years? This team is different under Coen, though. It never gave up and kept fighting until the end. The win made it all worth it.
Liam Coen and the Jaguars must build off the win vs. the Chiefs
As Liam Coen noted during his exchange with the media, it wasn't a flawless performance, but the Jaguars delivered in all three phases of the game to beat Kansas City. The interception notwithstanding, he made several critical plays with both his arm and his feet.
On the other hand, the defense, and especially linebacker Devin Lloyd, contained Patrick Mahomes and prevented the Chiefs from outscoring the Chiefs. And although the special teams didn't make any splash plays, they didn't make any baffling mistakes either.
When you add it all up, it's easy to understand why the Jaguars beat the Chiefs, and it all starts with Liam Coen, setting the tone from the sidelines. And while there are still plenty of games left on their schedule, opponents can no longer afford to overlook them.