Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen talks with the back judge before the first preseason game where the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday Aug. 9, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Jaguars Take Ownership of Penalty Issues?

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars showed a lot of encouraging signs in their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While they came up just short on a potential game-winning drive to lose, 25-31, the final result pales in comparison to the takeaways they were able to draw from the night.

Second-overall pick Travis Hunter Jr. got his first taste of NFL action. As advertised, he played on both offense and defense, garnering a handful of snaps at both wide receiver and cornerback. He had a decent night alongside quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the starters, catching both of his targets for nine yards.

The first-team offense looked to be well on their way to a touchdown, but had to settle for a Cam Little field goal after a 44-yard drive. Unfortunately, it wasn't just the Steelers defense that got in their way. It also came down to unforced errors, with Jacksonville's offense committing two penalties in 13 snaps.

Liam Coen wants Jaguars to learn from their penalties moving forward

At his media availability on Monday, August 11, Head Coach Liam Coen spoke about the penalties the Jacksonville Jaguars committed on their first drive against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was blunt about it being an opportunity for improvement within his team. When asked if his players should take flags to heart, he said:

"I'd hope so. Ultimately, we're not playing the game as coaches. We can only say so much at some point; the players do need to take the ownership of being out there. So much of what we talked about is until we kind of don't beat ourselves, then we're not going to probably be able to consistently beat anybody."

Those words at training camp echoed the statements he made immediately following their loss in preseason Week 1. He didn't sugarcoat things about how he's been preaching discipline to the Jags:

"I think that ultimately it's something that takes no talent to do... This is something we've been preaching for a long time... We cannot start to beat people until we stop beating ourselves."

Jacksonville is hoping to improve upon their worst offensive season since the dawn of the Trevor Lawrence era. Liam Coen was brought in to revive the Jaguars quarterback's stagnated development after his stellar work with Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' attack in 2024.

The talent is there for Jacksonville, and it was on display in their first drive against Pittsburgh. However, they'll find it difficult to consistently put the ball in the end zone if they keep shooting themselves in the foot.

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

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