Why Bengals Game Holds High Stakes For Jaguars, Coen

Liam Coen was able to get the win in his first-ever game as an NFL head coach. He led his Jaguars to a comfortable 26-10 beatdown of the Carolina Panthers, getting plenty of encouraging signs on both sides of the ball along the way. There were, of course, areas of opportunity for the new coach to use to better his team moving forward, but overall, it was a promising start for the regime.

Jacksonville and Coen face a much tougher test in their next game, though. In Week 2, they go on the road to take on Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. On defense, they'll have their hands full trying to slow down Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and the rest of Cincy's attack. On offense, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the Jaguars will have to ensure that they can keep up if this clash turns into a firefight.

Liam Coen takes Jaguars on the road for first time in Week 2

Home-field advantage is crucial in the NFL. It's become increasingly more negligible in the NBA, as players grow more accustomed to playing in front of hostile crowds, but it's much more effective in football. Most NFL athletes will appear in fewer road games in their career than an NBA hooper will see in a single season.

Furthermore, the crowd is larger, louder, and better able to affect a team's ability to verbally communicate, which is also more important in football than in basketball. Then, there's the weather to worry about, too. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has to play half the season in the heat and humidity of Duval, while also having to show up in literal blizzards at times.

Head Coach Liam Coen recognizes that trying to win on the road is a whole different animal than playing at home, but he's actually excited about the new challenge:

"I think that obviously going into New Orleans was a good deal and the same thing with Miami in terms of just handling it the right way and coming together a little bit more as a team. Smaller group, obviously, now going up to Cincinnati. So, great opportunity for us as a team to continue to come together and get to know each other more and go through things together as a team more. So, I'm actually looking forward to it.”

If Coen can start his head coaching career 2-0, including a road win against another potential playoff team, he can expect a boisterous welcome in his homecoming. He's embracing the opportunity with open arms.