Jaguars coach Liam Coen said his sideline spat with quarterback Trevor Lawrence was nothing “personal” in the team’s crushing 31-27 defeat to the Bengals Sunday.
With less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter and the Jaguars holding a 27-24 lead, Lawrence tossed a pass on a second-and-14 to wide receiver Dyami Brown, a throw too high to pull in.
The broadcast then panned to Coen — in his second regular-season game as Jaguars coach — animatedly signaling to his chest, indicating where Lawrence should put the ball, to which the quarterback waved off.
“That 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.”
Lawrence, now in his fifth season in Jacksonville, finished the day by completing 24-of-42 attempts for 271 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Although the heated scene between the quarterback and coach raised eyebrows on social media, Coen touted Lawrence’s “competitive nature” in the same breath.
“He threw a dime in the back of the endzone, and we don’t make the play,” Coen said. “I was very pleased with his competitive nature and the way he stayed calm on the sidelines. He’s pretty even-keeled, which is good for me. I need that.”
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Lawrence stated the communication is “really high,” and that Coen’s liveliness has ignited a spark in him.
“He’s honestly brought a little bit more of that out of me,” he said.
The Jaguars (1-1) host the Texans (0-1) next Sunday.