The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting back to work. Head coach Liam Coen was brought in to change their fate. And so far, they are sitting 2nd in the AFC South with a 1-1 win-loss record. Now, the coach is preparing for the Week 3 game against the Texans, who are currently at a 0-2 record. But ahead of the matchup, he is sending a message to his locker room.

When asked about the upcoming challenge from Houston, Coen admitted on September 19, “It’s a challenge for sure.” He further added, “Those guys are aggressive in the teams….They obviously have a good rush. They’ve got physical athletic players…So, it’s something that we have to work through.” Besides this, on team preparation, the HC said, “It’s a huge one about communication, our how many are in the box as a punt unit in terms of being on the same page and communicating those things. And obviously, the operation needs to be really clean for us to make sure that we don’t have any issues.”

We have seen plenty of emotional moments from the coach himself. Jacksonville’s last drive against Cincinnati was pure tension, raw and unfiltered. Cameras caught Liam Coen pounding his chest, fire in his eyes, telling Trevor Lawrence exactly where to place a ball to Dyami Brown. Lawrence, cool as ever, brushed it off – a clash of intensity and poise in real time. Later, Coen explained the scene.

“I was pissed,” Coen admitted. “It is what it is. That’s emotion. It’s not personal ever.” Additionally, a nine-yard run by LeQuint Allen, 4th-and-5, and Coen goes bold instead of settling for a field goal. Lawrence throws to Brian Thomas Jr., incomplete. The Bengals responded with a 92-yard, 15-play march to snatch a last-second win. It was heartbreaking. Still, Lawrence shrugged it off with respect, feeding off Coen’s fire.

“He’s honestly brought a little bit more of that (energy) out of me, which I think has been good for our offense.” The lesson? Jaguars have talent, poise, and spark. But the margin between clutch and collapse is razor-thin. Coen’s passion, Lawrence’s calm. They’re learning from each other, and Jacksonville’s season hangs in the balance. But besides communication, Coen and his team must follow to get a win in Week 3.

The Jaguars have a shot at a statement win Sunday, but they’ll need to be sharp in every phase. Their run game has been the heartbeat of this offense, and it has to stay that way. Etienne is rolling, but Tuten’s burst makes him too dangerous to keep quiet, so he needs the ball. On defense, turnovers are the difference-maker.

Stroud hasn’t thrown a pick against them yet, but that streak can’t continue. And on offense, the drops have to stop, as chances to win won’t keep coming back. Parker Washington, who is considered the fourth receiver, is playing like a sparkplug, and he deserves more targets. Lawrence has shown flashes, but those head-scratching mistakes need to be cut out. And yes, they need to reduce pre-snap penalties. Moreover, up front, the line has to protect Lawrence against a nasty Texans pass rush. In the end, it’s going to come down to clutch moments. They let those slip away in Cincinnati. They can’t afford to do it again.

Liam Coen is moving ahead with Travis Hunter confidently

The coach also discussed their talented yet double-edged rookie, Travis Hunter. When asked if there is any specific number of snaps for him, Coen replied, “We haven’t quite gone there, but we’ve talked about it. He had the 80 this past week, correct? And saying, okay, that’s probably a pretty good start. It’s like, all right, we hit that number early in the season, and now it’s like, okay, is that something we want to strive to be around right now? Probably, I’d say so.”

Travis Hunter is quietly turning heads in Jacksonville. Through two games, he’s been on 61% of offensive snaps and 37% on defense. That’s not just numbers, that’s a guy playing two roles in a league that barely tolerates one. He’s catching passes, making tackles, and wearing down defenses and opponents alike, all before halftime.

On offense, Hunter has 9 catches for 55 yards, averaging 6.1 per reception. Nothing explosive yet, but every short gain counts. He’s already converted a first down, and while the long plays haven’t shown up, he’s moving the chains when the Jaguars need him most.

Defensively, he’s recorded 3 tackles, 1 pass deflection, and no sack, showing flashes of the hybrid player scouts drooled over during draft season. This is a guy who can cover, can hit, can affect a game in more ways than most players can dream.

Liam Coen’s letting him loose, testing limits, and Hunter’s responding. The Jaguars have a two-way weapon in their hands, one that could tilt games if used wisely.