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Why Jaguars rushing attack perfectly embodies Liam Coen's vision
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- Why Jaguars rushing attack perfectly embodies Liam Coen's vision
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen hasn't been shy about what he wants his football team to be.
Coen's mantra has been to be "F.A.S.T.," meaning Fundamentally sound, Attacking, Situational masters and Tough, both mentally and physically.
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A group that has epitomized that mantra has been the running backs room. A room consisting of now-veteran Travis Etienne , and two rookies with low expectations.
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That's especially true for seventh-round rookie RB LeQuint Allen . Yet, Allen and fourth-round pick Bhayshul Tuten have shown they belong, showing continuing growth throughout the season.
"They study their [butts] off. They work hard in practice. They both deserve an opportunity. Tuten's been outstanding, just getting him to develop more habits of being a pro," running backs coach Chad Morton told the Times-Union in a phone interview this week.
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"You have no idea all the things that we do to help improve these guys, and they've stepped up and done exactly what we've asked of them."
The Jaguars rank fourth in rushes per game (29.5), eighth in rushing yards per game (127.5) and fourth in rushing touchdowns per game (1.4). Last week, the team totaled four rushing touchdowns in a game for the first time since 2009. They ran for 192 total yards (4.1 yards per carry) in a 35-6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers .
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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) thanks his team after a play during the second quarter in an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, November 16, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
While he credits Coen for the messaging and plan, Morton's experience and coaching style fit like a glove.
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"It's carrying out Liam's vision of just playing with an edge. I think that's just what we try to do, really, every practice, let alone the game," Morton said.
The Jaguars have preached physicality since Coen joined the franchise in January . It's why the team spends so much time working through physical drills. For the running backs, specifically, they're training with what's called a "Blaster" or PowerBlast.
Morton first saw the equipment years ago when watching YouTube, he says, when the University of Georgia was running the drill.
The "blaster" is a running back equipment designed to improve a ball carrier's aggressiveness, ball security and ability to power through contact. It often features multiple adjustable arms that simulate pressure and can be adjusted by weight.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen Jr. (36) runs through a gauntlet during the Jaguars 14th NFL training camp session at Miller Electric Center Tuesday August 12, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars travel to New Orleans to play the Saints this Sunday in their second preseason game. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
"It might have been back in Nick Chubb 's [era] or even before that, running through this thing. And I'm like, 'Oh my God, that thing is brutal.' And I saw those guys running through it, I'm like, well, those guys run hard," Morton said with a laugh.
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Morton says the drill can toughen up a running back, allowing them to duplicate the effort on the grass.
"It's a game changer for these guys and they all run through it. I think they all have the same running style of, running straight, running physical, trying to run people over, breaking arm tackles," Morton explained of the Blaster.
"So I think when you see the group as a whole, it just shows a testament to listening to what we expect from them, being coached and just running through that blaster all the time. Have an aggressive mindset."
Morton was quick to buy into Coen's ideas when he was hired.
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Morton played seven years in the NFL after being drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of USC. Morton was much smaller than the average back at 5-foot-8, 191 pounds.
Nov. 27, 2005; Seattle, WA, USA; New York Giants running back (29) Chad Morton against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports © 2005 Mark J. Rebilas
"Growing up, just having a chip on my shoulder, being a smaller running back, being told you can't do something," Morton explained. He added that he felt he had to be "over the top" with toughness, something to prove.
"I think that's always worked for everybody. Look at the greatest players in the world of any sport, you know, the Jordans, the Kobes, they always have something to prove, or they always [are] trying to earn that respect, show that they're the best and they're the most competitive," Morton said.
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Morton says what he's looking to instill in his players is that they're at their best when they're the most competitive.
"If I can make it, and I'm 4-foot-8 or whatever, to these guys who are bigger and faster, what could that look like? If I can make it to the NFL and these guys are just more physically gifted, and if I can help them with that mindset, [let's] see how far it could take them," he said.
September 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Chad Morton before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Coen appreciates that about Morton, and it's a big reason why he was hired.
"The energy, it's infectious, the personality, the mindset, the standards in that room on a day-to-day basis, on an hourly basis," Coen said in November.
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Coen mentioned Morton's relationship with his players, the fundamentals and getting players to do exactly what he asks are reasons why the group has had so much success, and that he does it at an "elite level."
"You can definitely see improvement out of that room from all three of these backs, really, since they got here. And that's a testament and a credit to those guys for listening, but also going out and executing it and doing it and having the mindset to go do it," Coen added.
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Etienne has looked different this season. In years past, he was known as a player who made people miss and countered that with blazing speed.
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He's always had the look of a multi-purpose back, not necessarily fitting in a mold of a pass-catching/scat back only, but also not a bruiser like Leonard Fournette .
This year, though, he's bought into the tough, physical mindset.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) finds a hole during the first quarter in an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, November 16, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Etienne currently ranks tied for fifth in yards after contact per attempt. For context, he has finished 34th, 36th, and 26th in the last three years of his career, respectively.
But that doesn't mean he can't make players miss. According to Next Gen Stats, Etienne has forced a missed tackle on 29.2% of his runs, ranking 12th among all running backs. That means he forces nearly three out of every 10 defenders to miss.
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Morton said this Etienne is the back he's watched on tape for years, dating back to when he was being recruited for college.
"He's a straight-line runner and he's really physical; he could break a lot of arm tackles. He runs hard, is extremely strong in the weight room; he's got huge legs, lower body. So I just want him to play with more of an attacking style," said Morton.
Etienne has taken to that. Just a few weeks ago, Etienne said in the locker room that his and the team's mentality is to wear the defense down. "You just got to kind of impose your will," Etienne said.
"It was a little bit of a transition of just, get him to know that he can be that kind of runner, because a lot of guys, they see the highlights, they want to make guys miss, juke people and do all that," Morton explained.
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"But, I'm like, 'Bro, you're not even that kind of runner. Like, you run so fast, so straight. And he just runs through arm tackles. So, it's just constantly trying to remind him [of that]."
Etienne has rushed for 729 yards and five touchdowns this season. He's caught 21 passes for 130 yards and a score.
But Etienne's not the only back who's impressed this season. The team's two rookies have drawn plenty of praise from Jacksonville's coaches.
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Jacksonville has been fortunate in its offensive backfield.
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Tuten has 238 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 60 carries. He's caught eight passes for 61 yards and one touchdown.
"(Tuten's) a tough, low runner. There's somebody who's extremely strong in the weight room. We talk trash to each other all the time about who's stronger and lifting weights and stuff, and then he can block, too," Morton said.
For Allen, his stats aren't that impressive on the surface with just 13 carries for 68 yards and seven catches for 41 yards. But what he brings is toughness and an elite presence as a third-down pass protector.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen (36) and running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) look on during a rookie minicamp at Miller Electric Center Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Morton wants to see Allen get more opportunities, but he's done plenty on third down.
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"I think he's the best third-down pass protector in the league, by far. I mean, this guy has done some amazing stuff for us on third down," Morton said of Allen's contributions.
Jaguars backs, offensive line work in unison
Jacksonville's rushing attack would be nothing without the big men up front. For the Jaguars, that starts with guard Ezra Cleveland , the team's best run-blocking offensive lineman.
Cleveland has played in nine games this season and is 21st in run-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus. That ranks just behind Kansas City's Trey Smith , among guards with at least 153 run-block snaps.
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The Jaguars have been a different team with him on the field.
"He is one of our most explosive players on the team. He showed that in the offseason workouts. Ezra wants to play with a mean streak and kind of beat you in a phone booth and he has the opportunity to do that," Coen said this week when asked about Cleveland.
"He can beat you at the second level and he has some great finishes on some runs down the field, especially late in that game on the last drive, where he is finishing guys about five, seven yards down the field."
Cleveland takes pride in that, especially when the backs in Jacksonville make it easier on the offensive line, showcasing their ability to finish runs just as well as the OL finishes blocks.
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"I think all the running backs that we got are doing a fantastic job. But, when you have a guy that can ride the wave, like in mid zone and cut up and get those hard yards, it's fun to block for them, and it makes you want to block past the whistle," Cleveland said in the locker room this week.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) celebrates his touchdown with guard Ezra Cleveland (76), offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (55) and offensive tackle Patrick Mekari (65) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
"And when there's a pile, when they're just running their legs, it makes you want to get in there and try to drive for as long as you can. So, I think it makes it fun."
Jacksonville's offensive line and running backs work in unison. The position groups meet with each other, the team's coaches dictate plans based on the information the two games put together, whether that's in the run game, or with chips and other running back-centric blocks.
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"I think they've all taken it pretty personally when it comes to the communication, collaboration, understanding of what we're trying to get accomplished in the run game, first and foremost, what schemes might be best this week against that opponent and being on the same page about how we want to maybe attack those front structures," Coen said Friday.
They'll get their next opportunity on Sunday against the Cardinals.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars rushing attack has defined the Liam Coen era
