The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Buffalo Bills 27-24 on Sunday, ending their 13-win season. While the future is bright in Duval County, it was a disastrous loss on Sunday. The Jaguars have their head coach, Liam Coen, and their defense to blame for the loss. Fans should also be frustrated with the performance of one player who no one was concerned about coming in.
While his interception sealed the game for Buffalo, Trevor Lawrence cannot be blamed for the loss. He went punch-for-punch with Josh Allen in the second half, nearly pulling it out in the final quarter. Travis Etienne was also spectacular, with over 100 total yards and a touchdown. The offense did enough in the second half and should have had more points if not for the coaching decisions.
Liam Coen ends his first Jaguars year with a dud
The first questionable decision from Coen came in the second quarter after a Ray Davis fumble. A Brian Thomas Jr touchdown gave the Jaguars the lead, and then Davis fumbled the ensuing kickoff. After picking up a first down, the Jags were stopped on third down with two yards to go. Coen decided to go for it instead of banking three easy points. It backfired and gave Buffalo a ton of momentum.
But the sequence that will live in Jaguars infamy came at the end of the game. Coen burned all three timeouts in an effort to stop the Bills from scoring a touchdown on the final drive. Had the Jaguars allowed Allen to score one play earlier, they would have had more time on the final drive and a timeout to spare. Instead, they had no timeouts, had to force a pass, and it was intercepted.
There is no reason for Jaguars fans to panic about Coen. Did they lose by three points after he passed up a 25-yard field goal? Yes, but a rookie head coach could not smash expectations any more than Coen did this year. Without Travis Hunter for much of the season, Jacksonville won its division. But there is room to grow for the coach after this season.
No turnovers for the Jacksonville defense
All season long, the Jaguars were great at forcing turnovers on defense. The one turnover they forced on Sunday was a special teams fumble, and it resulted in zero points. They were second in the league with 31 takeaways in the regular season. But one of Josh Allen's many superpowers is a lack of turnovers. Jacksonville did not get enough big plays on defense on Sunday, costing them the game.
The Jaguars were hoping to have Travis Hunter on the field for a playoff game when they traded up to take him last year. With no pick in the upcoming draft because of the trade, Hunter has to step up to help this defense next season. He won the Heisman Trophy for playing on both sides, something Jacksonville may need next season.
The Jaguars have a great edge-rushing duo in Josh Hines-Allen and Trevon Walker, both former top-ten picks. Walker was held without a sack, while Hines-Allen had just one. The defense as a whole had just three quarterback hits, which is not enough to rattle Allen and get a win. They'll have plenty to build for next year, even with Hunter coming back.
Cam Little misses a kick
There is no reason to blame Cam Little for anything involved with the Jaguars this year. He hit a 67-yard field goal and a 68-yarder in the regular season, setting the NFL record. Little is a key piece of the puzzle moving forward and could easily hit the first 70-yarder in NFL history. But on Sunday, he missed a kick in a game his team lost by three points.
Little lined up for a 54-yard try with one second left on the clock in the second quarter. For the first time since Week 7, he missed a three-point try. There was some controversy as to whether or not there should have been time left for the kick. So it could have been a Ball Don't Lie situation. But regardless, that kick will ring in his head all summer long.
The Bills are headed to the Divisional Round again, while the Jaguars will wait for Trevor Lawrence's second playoff win.
