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Jacksonville Jaguars' Liam Coen gives glimpse of how he approaches adversity on the field
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- Jacksonville Jaguars' Liam Coen gives glimpse of how he approaches adversity on the field
The Jacksonville Jaguars had their fair share of adversity in 2024.
The team went through separate losing streaks of four and five games during the season and finished with a 4-13 overall record.
The result was the firing of head coach Doug Pederson at the conclusion of the season and general manager Trent Baalke last week.
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But the team is set in a new direction, announcing the hiring of head coach Liam Coen last week and conducting a search for the next general manager .
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Shortly after his introductory press conference , Coen met with reporters and discussed topics like his first impressions on Brian Thomas Jr. , what he wants the culture of the Jaguars to be and what he's learned from his early meetings with players .
But he also discussed the way he overcame adversity while he was with Tampa Bay.
Coen talks overcoming early season loss to Falcons while with Bucs
TAMPA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 27: Offensive coordinator Liam Coen of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on during pregame warmups prior to facing the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Coen referenced the Buccaneers' early season loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, and how the team rallied after that.
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"We had some really brutal losses in Tampa this past year," he said. "We lose on Thursday night to Atlanta in a four-minute drill where our rookie running back (Bucky Irving), who was a stud for us this year, fumbles the ball right in a moment, that man, like that's such a learning moment."
The Buccaneers led the Falcons 30-27 with under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and handed the ball off to Irving.
Irving danced his way past several defenders before Atlanta safety Jessie Bates III punched the ball out and forced a turnover.
The Falcons went on to win the game 36-30 in overtime, giving the Buccaneers their second loss of the season. It was part of a slide where Tampa went 1-5, struggling to put together wins before their bye week.
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"And then we had a couple more hard ones that we didn't get right," Coen continued. "But then we go on the bye [week]. We make a real effort to truly practice and teach so much situational football throughout the week that, 'Hey, at least we know, we could win, we could lose, but our preparation was right.'"
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New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks as Jaguars owner Shad Khan looks on during a press conference Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
The Buccaneers won six of their remaining seven games out of the bye week and secured the NFC South and a playoff spot. Their lone loss was a two-point defeat at Dallas.
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And Irving became one of the most consistent running backs in the NFL. The rookie recorded 1,122 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per attempt.
He also had 47 catches for 392 yards and became the fourth rookie since 2018 with more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage.
And it all could've been derailed if not for the coaching of Coen and his staff in Tampa.
"The teaching to Bucky in that moment," Coen said referencing the fumble from earlier in the season. "How do we teach before that happens? How do we just teach it and prepare them for those moments to now start to win those moments."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: How does Liam Coen overcome football adversity? 2024 Bucs shed light
