Jaguars Unlocked Lethal New Offensive Wrinkle in Win Over Jets

When the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Liam Coen, the prevailing hope was that he could revolutionize their offense and capitalize on the talent they already had on that side of the ball.

After all, this roster already had some high-profile prospects, including Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr., and Brian Thomas Jr. After the season he had as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, there was optimism that he could find the same level of success in Duval.

The Jags and Bucs actually had quite a few similarities. Both Trevor Lawrence and Baker Mayfield were promising former number-one picks who hadn't lived up to their potential before Coen's arrival. BTJ and Mike Evans are two physically imposing deep threats at wideout. ETN and Bucky Irving are shifty running backs who can run between the tackles and do damage in the passing game.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, New York Jets, Travis Etienne Jr. — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) leaps into the end zone for a fourth quarter touchdown during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Travis Etienne Jr. back to his usual antics

While Travis Etienne Jr. looked like the perfect player to replicate Bucky Irving's production with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, he looked more like Rachaad White for Head Coach Liam Coen and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had become Duval's workhorse back and was mostly invisible in the passing game.

That changed in Week 15's blowout win over the New York Jets, when he caught three balls for 73 yards and three touchdowns. Before this game, he'd never had more than one receiving score in a single game. His lack of presence in the air attack this season felt like a missed opportunity for this team. Coen spoke on that new wrinkle in the offense with ETN against the Jets:

Etienne vs Quincy Williams pic.twitter.com/RXAS8pAGkh
— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) December 14, 2025

"Yeah, we finally hit a screen for a big one there, a part of our offense that we've worked hard at and hasn't exactly been perfect by any means. Look, it's, again, the totality of your offense. You want to try to get all cylinders to, at some point, click, right? When you've got a guy like him that can make people miss in space, that's got great hands, vision out on the perimeter, just finding different ways to get him the ball."

"He ran a great route right before the half, where [he] kind of made it look like an option route. He just stuttered his feet, got the linebacker to stop, and beat him over the top... To have a back be able to do both for you is huge, and he just continues to ascend."

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