Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen wait to see the result of a challenge during the second quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite Playoff Disappointment, Jaguars Accomplished Tons This Season

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Jan 12, 2026 9:00 AM ET

Thirteen wins, eight straight to close out the regular season, the AFC South title, MVP votes, All-Pro selections, Coach of the Year odds, all of it just went out the window for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The excitement and the momentum this team built going into the postseason were expeditiously erased by the Buffalo Bills.

All the fears going into the playoffs came true for the Jaguars and their fans. For all of their efforts to clinch the division and climb the standings, they were rewarded with a first-round matchup with the franchise with more postseason wins than any team other than the Kansas City Chiefs and the reigning MVP, Josh Allen. He and the Bills ripped the hearts of the Jaguars out and stomped them into the turf of EverBank Stadium.

Melina Myers-Imagn Images

This is only the beginning for the Jaguars

The Buffalo Bills didn't dominate the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was almost worse. They allowed the Jags to hang around, even gave away the lead with just over four minutes left in the contest, before yanking it right back, 27-24, with a nine-play, 66-yard game-winning drive that left under 60 seconds for Trevor Lawrence and the offense to try to do something. Instead, safety Cole Bishop reeled in an interception on a tip-drill that officially pronounced the Jaguars' Super Bowl aspirations dead.

A calendar year ago, it would have been shocking to hear that Jacksonville went toe-to-toe with Allen and the Bills. To think that they nearly ousted Buffalo from the playoffs would have been unfathomable. And yet, all of Duval was left sorely disappointed by the result of Wild Card Weekend, a testament to how high Head Coach Liam Coen and his team raised the bar this past season. Jacksonville media asked Coen after the loss about the standard the Jaguars were able to set this year:

This is an awesome post-game exchange between a reporter and Jaguars HC Liam Coen: pic.twitter.com/FwE8aRFaaR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2026

"I hope that we've established a standard of competing at a high level, of mental and physical toughness, of putting the team first, and that we're going to make every decision as an organization that puts the team and ‘the grass’ first because that's what matters. That's what it's all about, trying to put your players in a position to be successful, both on the field and in the building as much as possible. The details matter. Continuing to try to set those new standards and keep moving forward."

It became easy to forget that this was supposed to be a retooling year for the Jaguars. Few predicted them to be in the playoffs preseason. It can be dangerous to assume that the future is bright in the NFL, but Liam Coen is truly just getting started with this team.

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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