The Jacksonville Jaguars’ remarkable ascent from the NFL’s basement to the league’s upper echelon has become one of the most talked-about stories of the 2025-26 football season. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Liam Coen, the Jaguars have transformed from a team eyeing a top-five draft pick last winter to AFC South champions riding an eight-game winning streak into the postseason. The latest chapter of this turnaround unfolded on January 11, 2026, as Jacksonville battled the Buffalo Bills in a tense Wild Card playoff showdown, putting Coen’s impact and philosophy on full display.
It’s hard to overstate just how much has changed in Jacksonville in a single year. In 2024, the Jaguars stumbled to a dismal 4-13 record, their season ending with hopes pinned on another high draft selection. Fast forward to January 2026, and the Jaguars, now boasting a 13-4 record, have not only claimed the AFC South division crown but also entered the playoffs with the franchise’s longest winning streak in nearly two decades. The catalyst for this turnaround? According to kicker Cam Little, it all comes back to the new man on the sidelines. “Liam has harped on taking it 1-0 each week and that mindset is a tough one to beat,” Little told TMZ Sports. “Whoever we play next week, that’s all we’re focused on. We’re not focused on the second round, third round, AFC, Super Bowl, we’re not focused on anything besides who we play on the weekend. When you have that 1-0 mindset, it builds for a good culture because you’re playing for everything the next week.”
Little’s words echo throughout the Jaguars’ locker room. The shift in mentality has been evident all season, manifesting not just in the win column but in the way the team approaches every snap. And nowhere was that more apparent than in the closing moments of the first half against Buffalo. With just 65 seconds left before halftime and the ball pinned deep at their own three-yard line, most teams might have opted for caution. But Coen, true to his aggressive and calculated style, dialed up a play that saw quarterback Trevor Lawrence scramble for 18 yards, setting the tone for a daring drive. Moments later, wide receiver Parker Washington hauled in a spectacular 34-yard reception between three defenders, suddenly putting Jacksonville in field goal range.
The clock ticked down mercilessly as Washington fought for extra yards, forcing Lawrence and the offense to sprint to the line and spike the ball just before time expired. The sequence, which included a debatable call by the officials, allowed Cam Little to attempt a 54-yard field goal—though the kick sailed wide, the drive itself was a testament to the new Jaguars’ identity. “The fact that the Jags were in the position to give Little a chance is a testament to Coen,” noted one observer. “His football IQ and attention to detail are evidently rubbing off on the locker room.”
Coen’s fingerprints are everywhere in Jacksonville’s resurgence. Hired on January 24, 2025, after a dramatic coaching carousel that saw him initially agree to an extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Coen ultimately chose Jacksonville following a persuasive pitch from owner Shad Khan. The five-year contract, reportedly worth an average of $12 million per year according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, made Coen the youngest head coach in Jaguars history at just 40 years old, and the fifth youngest currently in the NFL.
But Coen’s football journey began long before he ever donned Jaguars teal. A Rhode Island native, he was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and a standout quarterback at UMass, where he threw for 30 touchdowns in 2007—second-most in program history. Though he never played in the NFL, Coen spent time in the Arena Football League’s af2, suiting up for the Manchester Wolves and serving as a backup for the Alabama Vipers. His coaching path took him from college posts at Brown, Rhode Island, UMass, and Maine, to offensive roles with the Los Angeles Rams, Kentucky, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before landing in Jacksonville.
It’s on offense where Coen’s influence has been most keenly felt. He calls the plays himself and has turned the Jaguars into one of the league’s most dynamic units. In 2025, Jacksonville finished sixth in the NFL in points scored and eleventh in total yards. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the former No. 1 overall pick, enjoyed one of his best professional seasons, orchestrating an attack that balanced explosive passing with a resurgent running game. The Jaguars’ 2025 campaign included emphatic, double-digit wins over playoff teams such as the Denver Broncos (34-20 in Week 16) and the Los Angeles Chargers (35-6 in Week 11), underscoring their ability to compete with the league’s elite.
The transformation hasn’t been limited to offense. The Jaguars’ defense, which ranked 27th in points allowed just a season ago, finished the year as the NFL’s top run defense and second in turnovers forced—a staggering improvement that’s made Jacksonville a legitimate threat in the AFC for the first time since their 2017 playoff run. Team leaders like Trevor Lawrence and linebacker Josh Hines-Allen have been instrumental in fostering the new culture, with Cam Little noting, “the Jags are the most tight-knit team he’s even been around.”
Little himself has been a revelation, setting NFL records for the longest indoor field goal (68 yards) and outdoor field goal (67 yards) during the 2025 season. His big leg and calm under pressure have given the Jaguars a weapon in close games, and his perspective on the team’s transformation is telling: “Doing that has flipped the Jags record from 4-13 to 13-4 ... easy enough, right?!”
As the Jaguars continue their playoff journey, the focus remains on the present. The “1-0 mindset” that Coen preaches is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation of a team that believes it can beat anyone, any week. The Wild Card clash with Buffalo is ongoing, with Jacksonville’s resilience and newfound confidence on full display. Whether or not this season ends with a Super Bowl appearance, one thing is certain: the Jaguars, under Liam Coen, are no longer a team to overlook.
With a young, innovative head coach, a revitalized roster, and a culture built on unity and relentless focus, Jacksonville’s future looks brighter than ever. The city is buzzing, the fans are hopeful, and the Jaguars’ improbable turnaround has become the talk of the NFL. All eyes are on what comes next for this surging squad as their postseason adventure continues.
