As good as the 2026 season was for the Jacksonville Jaguars, there was still “meat left on the bone,” as head coach Liam Coen put it recently.
In Year 1 under Coen, the Jaguars won 13 games, were AFC South champs, and hosted a playoff game. The offense finished the season as one of the most productive units in football during the second half of the year, while the defense was among the stingiest, thriving against the run and generating takeaways at a high rate.
However, to ensure that what we saw in 2025 becomes the norm and not the outlier, there is work to be done.
“This team understands that there was meat left on the bone, I think,” Coen said Monday, via NFL.com. “And the way they’ve attacked this offseason, I think, is representative of that hunger and wanting to try to put ourselves in the best position to go earn those [opportunities] next year.”
Areas of improvement for the Jaguars that Coen has specifically brought up are in the run game, after Jacksonville ranked 27th in yards per rush last season.
Coen has also mentioned the pass rush and the need to get after the quarterback more consistently. Jacksonville finished 27th in sacks last season.
Also mentioned were the need to limit explosive plays on defense on third downs, while pushing the ball downfield more on offense.
Beyond any on-field improvements, Coen’s theme for the Jaguars this offseason has been on urgency and finding an edge. As Coen has said, Year 2 is the most important year.
“There have been a lot of one-hit wonders,” said Coen this offseason. “That’s the reality. And so, what are we doing to separate ourselves to make sure that never happens? So that we take the next step as a team.”
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: How Jaguars can make sure no ‘meat left on the bone’ in 2026
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
