After claiming a 34-10 victory against the Browns, the Jacksonville Jaguars are getting ready for the Week 2 face-off against the Denver Broncos on September 20. But before the teams could collide on the battlefield, their coaches, Sean Payton and Liam Coen, engaged in an exchange that made Payton issue a warning to the Jaguars.
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“I talked to Sean at the owners’ meetings, and he gave me a little love for it,” Coen said during a recent press conference. “But he said, ‘I’m coming for you this year.’ It’s great. I mean, it’s all in competition.”
After losing to the Kansas City Chiefs by a difference of 21 points in Week 1, Payton and the Broncos will enter Empower Field at Mile High to redeem themselves. That feeling will likely keep their energy high.
But the Broncos also gave the Jaguars a blueprint to beat them. The Broncos’ pass-heavy approach against Kansas City exposed vulnerabilities. It seemed like their quarterback, Bo Nix, was still struggling with his rehabilitated ankle that he broke back in the previous postseason. Even though he dropped back 32 times, the Broncos gained only 115 net yards. And it was all because Nix got sacked on four occasions.
Eight defenders missed 28 tackles, allowing 247 yards – the most in eight years. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have demonstrated a strong defense in their battle against Deshaun Watson’s offense.
In Week 1, the Jaguars ranked first in the entire league in sacks and second in pressures. Additionally, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker aced the pass-rush metrics. Moreover, their quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, completed 18 of his 23 passes for 245 yards and scored four touchdowns. And unlike Bo Nix, Lawrence even added a couple of rushing plays.
A day after their game against the Browns, Coen told the media he was pleased with the team’s energy and the way they “executed some situations, and jumped out to a fast start.” That’s something that the Jaguars have been harping on. With a better outlook on their discipline and penalties, the Jaguars can certainly take a stand against the Broncos. To make things worse for the Broncos, Coen has a brief idea of Payton’s schemes.
“I’ve learned so much football from Sean Payton. And he’s allowed me in his building in New Orleans,” Liam Coen further noted. “I got to talk to him a ton. Like, when we’re at the owners’ meetings, and you just listen to the stories. A lot of it is insightful in ways you can learn something from every conversation with him because of the experience, and a lot of the ways that I’ve typically modeled calling plays.
“A lot of it stemmed from what I learned from him and what I watched from him, and how it affects and attacks a defense, not just with scheme, but with personnel change and being able to mix it in. I’ve always had a ton of respect. So, I can’t anticipate much this week.”
Coen seems to be holding a distinct edge heading into Mile High, considering the Broncos’ Week 1 blowout. Payton’s fiery words won’t matter much if the Broncos cannot fix their foundational flaws in the trenches.
The Broncos and Jaguars have faced each other 16 times in NFL history, including two postseason matchups, with both teams winning eight games apiece.