Where Is Liam Coen's Confidence in Jaguars' Running Game?

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has a big focus on the running game entering 2025.

Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) runs against New Orleans Saints safety Ugo Amadi (0) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of questions in the first year of the Liam Coen era.

How will Trevor Lawrence look under his third head coach? Will the offensive line hold up? Will Travis Hunter exceed expectations at both cornerback and wide receiver?

But one question will impact every single other aspect of the offense, and it deserves to be right in the mix with the others: will the running game finally improve?

The Jaguars have been unable to field a consistent and productive rushing attack for the bulk of Lawrence's career to this point. And while Coen is a quarterback maestro whose background is in the signal-caller position, he has also shown serious talent as a running game rejuvenator.

Coen helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers revive their long-miserable rushing attack last season, with Tampa Bay fielding one of the best ground games in the entire NFL in Coen's lone season at the helm of the Buccaneers' offense.

So, where does Coen think the Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby-led rushing offense is through the bulk of training camp, and where does it have to truly still improve?

“I think it's definitely taken a step in the right direction. The thing that you're still not hesitant on, but you still have to wait and see, we have not played against an opponent's one defense yet. We've only gone against their twos. So that is something we have to take into consideration for sure, but I do like where they're headed," Coen said on Tuesday.

"We haven't necessarily in the preseason games run a ton of our full offense, but I do think that we're hitting blocks in the zone game the way we want to for the most part. The backs are getting a better feel for it and the receivers, that's kind of the next step in the run game production is, it takes all 11. Our wideouts have to take that personally and know that the more that they get on safeties and block in the run game, now the better our play action is because it looks and feels the same, and now it's more physical. So, that's the next step in that progression.”

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