The Jaguars' 31-27 loss to the Bengals in Week 2 was bad for all sorts of reasons. Cincinnati beat Jacksonville despite losing Joe Burrow in the early going to a toe injury. The Jags had a 27-24 lead and the ball in the red zone with fewer than four minutes remaining. Travis Hunter was flagged for a questionable pass interference penalty to put the Bengals in position to take the lead. The list goes on; there were not many positives to take away from the defeat for rookie head coach Liam Coen.
To add insult to injury, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Coen got into a tense exchange while the QB was on the field late in the defeat. Lawrence missed a throw high and Coen seemed very frustrated, yelling at his quarterback while slamming his chest. Lawrence then literally waved Coen off, and it was all captured by the broadcast cameras.
Liam Coen screams at Trevor Lawrence to hit his guys in the chest. pic.twitter.com/vEsgwPJLNz
— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) September 14, 2025
It was not ideal, and Coen predictably was asked about it during his postgame press conference. He gave his side of the story, chalking it up to "emotion" and nothing more before going on to praise Lawrence.
"It was just one throw, I was pissed," Coen said. "It is what it is. That's emotion. It's not personal, ever. That's just kind of me getting worked up. He threw a dime in the back of the end zone and we don't make a play. I was very pleased with his competitive nature, the way he stayed calm on the sideline, he's pretty even-keeled. Which is good for me. I need that."
Emotions get stoked in the fire of NFL battles, and to hear Coen tell it that's all this was. It didn't look great, to be sure, but NFL fans have seen plenty of fiery exchanges between coach and quarterback on the sideline.
Coen and the Jags will attempt to bounce back next week against the Texans.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jaguars Coach Gives His Side of Tense Exchange With Trevor Lawrence During Bengals Loss.
