This Week 9 matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars features two teams that have new head coaches—Pete Carroll for the Raiders and Liam Coen for the Jaguars—and are coming off byes after blowout losses two weeks ago. To preview the contest, Silver and Black Pride reached out to our friends at Big Cat Country, and Gus Logue was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Jags for Raider Nation.
Q: Liam Coen was hired in the offseason and, like any new head coach, has the challenge of changing the Jaguars’ culture. About a half a season into the job, how would you say he’s done in that regard? Generally speaking, what are the noticeable differences between this year’s team and last year’s?
A: Coen has implemented a culture of physicality and resiliency that has shown up on the field more often than not. Multiple times during the offseason, he used the acronym F.A.S.T. (Fundamentally sound, Attacking, Situational masters, and Toughness) to describe what he looks for from his team.
You can probably check the boxes for “Attacking” and “Toughness” — especially for the defensive side of the ball — but the Jaguars haven’t been “Fundamentally sound” or “Situational masters” on a consistent basis. The offense has had multiple redzone turnovers, the defense has allowed multiple game-winning/clinching drives, and pre-snap penalties have been a recurring issue.
The Jaguars also had similar issues last season. I’d say the biggest difference in the team’s culture compared to last year is accountability, especially from the head coach. While Doug Pederson didn’t throw players under the bus, he didn’t always stand up for them, either. Coen seems to already have much better relationships with his players and staff.
Q: Building on that, how has Trevor Lawrence fit into Coen’s offense? And can you compare Lawrence from this season to last season?
A: It hasn’t been a clean fit so far, which is to be expected for any new scheme. And this is Lawrence’s third in five years. But he’s done a commendable job of commanding the offense by making checks and audibles at the line of scrimmage. He has far more pre-snap autonomy than previously, and it’s paying off. His 46-yard pass to Brian Thomas Jr. to seal a win in Week 3 is a good example.
One area that Lawrence can grow in, as it relates to him fitting in Coen’s offense, is play-action dropbacks from under center. That’s how Coen wants to generate explosive passes. Lawrence is much more comfortable operating from shotgun, though, where he can diagnose defenses without having to turn his back.
He’s generally been the same player as always this season. His incredible highlights are far too often drowned out by backbreaking lowlights. That said, I think the performances of quarterbacks like Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones this season show how much work Jacksonville still has to do to elevate the environment around Lawrence. Coen is cool and all, but the offensive line and pass-catchers remain far from dependable.
Q: Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had an excellent rookie year, catching 87 passes for 1,282 yards (75.4 yards per game) and 10 touchdowns. However, he has just 27 catches, 365 yards (52.1 ypg) and one TD through seven games in 2025. What has led to his dip in production? Are you buying any of the recent trade rumors surrounding Thomas?
A: I buy that the Jaguars were answering their phones, as every team does at this time of year, but I doubt they had any real intentions of making a deal. Thomas will only be traded if Jacksonville receives an offer they can’t refuse. Coen said Monday that they “have no plans on moving Brian Thomas Jr. at all.”
His dip in production is related to his mental state. Thomas has 6 drops this season, more than any other wideout except for Jerry Jeudy, per PFF. The guy is still getting open, but he can’t seem to finish plays. He’s also been dealing with wrist and shoulder injuries, so perhaps those issues are more serious than we realize. Thomas’ campaign has been the most disappointing aspect of the Jaguars’ season so far. Hopefully, he can gain some confidence and turn the ship around.
Q: Jacksonville traded up for and drafted the most unique player in the 2025 draft class, wide receiver-cornerback combo Travis Hunter. Is he more of a receiver or a corner with the Jags? How does the team split up Hunter’s workload on each side of the ball?
[Editor’s note: The Jaguars placed Hunter on injured reserve Friday, after this was written. So, he will not be playing in Sunday’s game.]
A: It has fluctuated on both sides of the ball each week, but I expect Hunter to be a near-full-time receiver and a part-time cornerback going forward. He set season-highs across the board with 67 offensive snaps (87% of the team’s total), 8 receptions, 101 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown in Week 7, before the Jaguars had a Week 8 bye.
Thomas is amid a sophomore slump, Dyami Brown has underwhelmed as a free agent pickup, and Brenton Strange is on injured reserve. Jacksonville is desperate for juice in its pass-catching core. The defensive secondary could use some playmaking as well, but the team has a $275 million quarterback and an offensive-minded head coach. Hunter will primarily play offense for the remainder of the season. Send some trade offers for him in your fantasy football leagues.
Q: Can you give us one player on each side of the ball who you think will make a big impact in this game for the Jaguars?
A: Travis Etienne is a name to watch on offense. He rushed for 50+ yards in each of the first four games of the season, but he failed to reach that mark in Weeks 5-7. I think Coen will want to reinvigorate the rushing attack on Sunday.
On defense, I’ll go with a lesser-known name in Montaric Brown. He’s forced an incompletion on 30% of passes thrown his way. That’s the second-best rate among 120 CBs this season, per PFF. With Hunter and recent trade acquisition Greg Newsome still getting their feet wet, Brown has provided quality snaps at cornerback.
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