The Jacksonville Jaguars experienced some infighting during the team’s 31-27 Week 2 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. Late in Sunday’s contest, Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence appeared to wave off head coach Liam Coen after throwing an inaccurate pass.
The exchange occurred on a second-down play with 4:14 left in the game. With the Jaguars up by three and looking to extend their lead, Lawrence tried to hit wideout Dyami Brown to give them a shorter field on third down.
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Lawrence’s pass hit Brown in the hands, but the receiver dropped the ball. After the play, Coen could be seen yelling at Lawrence from the sideline. The coach appeared to tell Lawrence to hit his receivers on the body, not up high.
Lawrence responded by waving off the coach.
After the game, Coen was asked about the exchange. While he did not acknowledge Lawrence waving him off, Coen downplayed the situation.
“It was just one throw. I was pissed. It is what it is. That’s emotion. It’s not personal, ever. That’s just kinda me getting worked up.
I was very pleased with [Lawrence’s] competitive nature. The way he stayed calm on the sidelines. He’s pretty even-keel, which is good for me. I need that.”
The Jaguars opted to run the ball on third down to shorten the field. On a fourth and five with Jags up by three points, Jacksonville decided to go for it. This time, Lawrence’s pass hit Brian Thomas Jr. right in the hands and on the body. Thomas couldn’t hold on, forcing a turnover on downs.
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That set up the Bengals for a possible game-ending drive. Despite losing quarterback Joe Burrow to a toe injury, backup Jake Browning led Cincinnati down the field.
With just 18 seconds to play, Browning plunged into the end zone on a quarterback sneak to give the Bengals the 31-27 lead.
Lawrence was sacked on the next play. The Jaguars couldn’t gather up the ball fast enough to get off another snap in time. They went on to lose the contest 31-27.
Lawrence turned in a solid performance during the loss. He completed 25 of 43 attempts for 294 yards and three touchdowns. But Lawrence also tossed two interceptions, including one in the end zone early in the game. Lawrence got a bit unlucky at least once in the game, as Brown dropped a pass in the end zone earlier in the game. That ball wasn’t on Brown’s body, but hit him right in the hands.
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While the Jaguars’ decision to go for it on fourth down late was questioned by the announcers, it didn’t wind up mattering in the end. A field goal would not have saved Jacksonville. It would have put the team up by only six. Browning’s touchdown plunge would have given Cincinnati the win either way. Also, the fourth-down play should have been converted, as Thomas should have snagged the ball.
Because of that, Lawrence waving off Coen could be the biggest story to come out of the game on the Jaguars’ side. While it’s tough to blame Lawrence for the Jaguars’ loss, the interaction suggests some discord between new head coach and franchise quarterback. That’s not exactly an encouraging sign just two games into the regular season.
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