Jaguars Have More Than One Killer Offensive Issue to Fix

Despite their encouraging 2-1 start to the 2025 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been far from perfect. They've yet to meet the expectations on offense that were cast upon them after they hired Head Coach Liam Coen. He earned the reputation as one of the top play-callers in the NFL after a stellar showing as offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.

Equipped with some promising talent between Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., and second-overall pick Travis Hunter Jr., there were high hopes that Coen could engineer an elite attack in Jacksonville. So far, that hasn't been the case, as the Jaguars rank eighth in yards and 14th in points.

The potential is there, but some glaring issues have kept them from greatness. The most discussed one has been the drops. The Jaguars currently lead the league with 13, and these missed opportunities have kept them from capitalizing on some would-be fruitful drives. However, it's not the only backbreaking problem that this offense has suffered from.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Trevor Lawrence, Houston Texans — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) calls the count during the first quarter between the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday September 21, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars' offense has to clean up the illegal-shift penalties

Before the 2025 NFL season, many Jacksonville Jaguars fans likely didn't even know what an illegal shift was. They've quickly had to familiarize themselves with the call, as it's been a recurring plague on this team's offense. The premise is simple. The NFL's rulebook defines it:

"The offensive team must present a legal formation before and after a shift. It is permitted to shift and have two or more players in motion multiple times before the snap. However, after the last shift, all players must come to a complete stop and be in a set position simultaneously for at least one full second."

lol on yahoo pod.c @Nate_Tice said jags have already tied nfl record for most illegal shift penalties
— whirlybird (@HashTaguars) September 23, 2025

The Jaguars have been using a lot of pre-snap motion in Head Coach Liam Coen's system. Unfortunately, they haven't been as crisp getting set properly, leading to far too many illegal shift penalties, costing them five yards apiece. Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski was asked what's causing them:

"Well, each one is a little bit different. They’re not all the same mistake happening every single time. At the same time, we’ve got to address those mistakes as coaches and try to put guys in position where they can go out there, play fast, execute, line up without having to think about those things, and worry about some of those shifts and motions that have caused those illegal shifts."

"Then the preparation from the guys and the coaches included throughout the week to master the plan and understand those different things we do. So, each one has been different. Some of them have been guys lining up and moving late. Some of them guys have been lining up wrong. Some of them have been guys breaking the huddle wrong. Some of them have been an adjustment that we don't get communicated correctly. So, it just takes one guy off to cause that issue. So, we have to all be on the same page and really emphasize clear communication and execution.”

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