The Jacksonville Jaguars 31-25 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers wasn’t about the scoreboard (preseason rarely is) but about the flashes, both incredible and frustrating, that hinted at what Liam Coen’s first year as head coach might look like.
Liam Coen called self-inflicted wounds the “theme of the day,” a fitting label for a game where efficiency and sloppiness fought for control. And yet, even with the penalties and missed chances, the Jaguars treated the EverBank Stadium crowd to one of the wildest moments in preseason history: a kick so long it would have rewritten the NFL record book if it had counted.
The Good: Cam Little’s Leg, Sharp QB Play, and a Two-Way Rookie
GettyCam Little goes 4/4 on field goals.
Let’s start with the moment fans will still be talking about in December: Cam Little’s 70 yard field goal to close the first half. It sailed with distance to spare, and had it come in the regular season, it would have topped Justin Tucker’s 66 yarder for the longest in NFL history by 4 yards.
The Jaguars opening drive also gave fans their first taste of Trevor Lawrence in Coen’s offense. The fourth year quarterback looked sharp, completing six of seven passes for 43 yards in a 12 play march that stalled inside Pittsburgh’s 25. The possession ended with Little’s first field goal, but Lawrence’s rhythm and quick decision making hinted at a smoother passing game design.
“I thought he was accurate with the ball,” I thought he operated at a good clip.” Coen said. “It was some good stuff, but we want to finish with a touchdown,”
And then there was Travis Hunter, the No. 2 pick whose two way workload is almost unheard of in the modern NFL. The rookie admitted he felt “a little nervous at first,” but he settled in after the opening snap. Hunter logged 18 total plays. 10 on offense with the first team, where he caught two passes for nine yards (with a third wiped out by penalty), and eight on defense at cornerback.
The Bad: Penalties, Missed Opportunities, and a Defense Without Turnovers
GettyDawuane Smoot records his first sack of the year.
But for all the fireworks, there was plenty to clean up. Jacksonville committed eight penalties for 49 yards, most of them the drive stalling, momentum killing variety that Coen has warned about since his arrival.
“We can’t start to beat people until we stop beating ourselves,” Coen said.
Against a Steelers team playing its own mix of starters and reserves, the Jaguars defense gave up three passing touchdowns and failed to generate a single takeaway. The pass rush was inconsistent outside of sacks from veteran Dawuane Smoot and undrafted rookie Danny Striggow, and missed tackles turned manageable plays into chain movers.
The offensive execution past the first quarter also sagged. Lawrence’s one series was productive but touchdown less, and backup drives struggled to sustain momentum outside of a third quarter score from reserve running back Bhayshul Tuten.
The Jaguars were missing multiple key starters, including Arik Armstead and Maason Smith, and Coen was still installing his scheme. But the underlying message was clear: there’s plenty of firepower here, if Jacksonville can clean up its mistakes.
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