Liam Coen Takes Blame for Jaguars Delay Penalties

Trouble with the Play Clock

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen says the blame for three delay of game penalties against the Philadelphia Eagles sits on his shoulders.

Coen told his players that the mistakes were directly on him. He explained that he must send play calls in faster and might shorten the wording so the offense avoids repeats when playing the Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium.

Sunday was technically a home game for Jacksonville at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the crowd was full of Philadelphia fans. Coen noted it was one of the louder atmospheres he had experienced in a while. Because of that noise, he plans to simplify calls near the end zone on high pressure downs.

Mistakes Near the Goal Line

The flags were unusual for Jacksonville. Across Coen's three seasons, the Jaguars had never received more than one delay of game penalty in a single match, recording only four across that entire period.

The problems began on Jacksonville's opening possession. A delay penalty followed a holding call and a sack, pushing the team into a second and 40 situation.

The worst breakdowns occurred in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville moved the ball to first and goal at the Philadelphia 1 yard line, but two delay of game flags hit the offense in a span of three plays. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was clearly upset, throwing the football into the turf after the second penalty. The drive stalled completely, ending at the 5 yard line when Lawrence threw an incomplete pass to Jakobi Meyers.

What it means for the next game

The Jaguars remain in London to face Houston on Sunday. Fixing the huddle communication will be vital for Coen and Lawrence if they want to finish drives in the end zone.

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, Sun, 18 Oct): Jacksonville Jaguars win 53%, Houston Texans win 47%; projected score Jacksonville Jaguars 22, Houston Texans 19. Our safest pick: Under 49.5 points.