Is the Jaguars Offense in a Crisis After a Loss to the Bengals?

Jacksonville’s offense shone over their win in Week One over the Carolina Panthers, but Week Two against Cincinnati felt like this was a whole different team. It was more of the same for longtime Jaguars fans who are used to the same old habits that have hindered their offense for decades. Costly penalties and mistakes by the play callers targeting Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. went the Bengals’ way and resulted in a critical loss for Jacksonville early in the season. A chance to start 2-0 quickly turned into what is really the plan for this team. Defensively, the team looked solid for the majority of the game, intercepting backup quarterback Jake Browning three times. However, the offense struggled to create an identity and gain chemistry for the majority of the game.

Lawrence started the game with a solid drive that ended in a touchdown, but he went back to his old ways throughout the game. This included bobbling a snap, a fumble, and two interceptions, with one thrown while the Jaguars were in the red zone. In Week One, head coach Liam Coen made it apparent that this Jacksonville offense would be dynamic, creating a heavy run presence to take some pressure off Lawrence and allow him to make throws that count when it mattered. In Cincinnati, Jacksonville continued to be dynamic but had mental blunders that have plagued these players for years, something that it seems coaching can’t fix. Coen made it apparent in his press conferences early in the year that the Jaguars’ offense was entering a new era, but it seems like he’s just more of the same that these fans have dreaded. At one point in the game, Lawrence threw an illegal forward pass while he was four yards past the line of scrimmage, something that should’ve been left in his college days. At some level, it looks like Lawrence is still getting used to the NFL style of play. 

Is this Jacksonville coaching staff really changing the culture, or are fans just stuck with more of the same? Is this offense really different, or are we just labeling it something else to make it look better when really these players are making the same mistakes from previous coaching staffs? From Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson to Liam Coen, Lawrence, and other offensive pieces haven’t taken the strides that they should be making. If Jacksonville wants to win more in 2025 than last season, the offense needs to determine its identity as a unit, as well as eliminate the little mistakes that can hinder its entire performance.