Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles ensured media that he and former Bucs OC Liam Coen have maintained a strong relationship. How will the two fare against each other during Friday's preseason bout?
With just one more session of joint practices before final roster cuts, the Jacksonville Jaguars are getting closer and closer to the regular season.
This week, the team will face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in joint practice before taking the field against their Floridian foes on Friday night.
This will not only be a good opportunity for the Jags to practice and play against a high-level opponent, but also marks a reunion for head coach Liam Coen and multiple members of Tampa's roster and staff.
Coen was the Bucs' offensive coordinator during the 2024 season, helping starting quarterback Baker Mayfield record his most-productive year as a starter, recording 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and a franchise-record 71.4% completion percentage.
Following the season, Coen was in line to return to his role as OC, but eventually opted to become Jacksonville's head coach.
While his departure may have left a sour taste in some Tampa Bay fans' mouths, multiple members of the staff have praised Coen and still communicate with him regularly.
"Me and Liam have always been great," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said on Sunday. "It’s been great the whole time. Our relationship hasn’t changed a bit. We talk. We text. We bounce things off each other."
Bowles went on to say he is looking forward to having the opportunity to clash with the Jaguars ahead of the season, adding that he is willing to use the "full gambit."
As a head coach, Coen produced one of the best turnarounds from a first-year bench boss in NFL history, flipping the Jaguars record from 4-13 to 13-4.
Starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence looked very dynamic, and the offense as a whole took a big step forward.
For Tampa, former offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard failed to replicate Coen's success last season, leading the front office to bring in Zac Robinson from the Atlanta Falcons.
Both Robinson and Coen stem from the Sean McVay coaching tree and possess similar schematics as a playcaller.
Back in mid-May, Roundtable's Joe Smeltzer highlighted the relationship between the two.
"For two seasons, Robinson and Coen worked together, and the two maintain a close relationship," Smeltzer wrote.
According to Robinson, he and Coen speak frequently and still help each other grow as playcallers.
Scheme-wise, both Robinson and Coen like to utilize heavy motion and pre-snap activity to give their skill position players advantages.
Coen compared Robinson's system to his own at the NFL Owners Meetings, saying that Mayfield will thrive in an offense more similar to his breakout 2024 season.
"Obviously their connection – they have a prior relationship, and again, that definitely helps with Baker," Coen said. "He’s going to probably be teed off – a little ticked off to have a better season, get back to the playoffs and do some of those things."
For Jacksonville, the focus has been similar, with Coen talking about Lawrence's breakout campaign and how it is just the beginning of what he believes they can accomplish.
With emerging talents like Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington showing growth throughout the preseason, Jacksonville's offense should once again be explosive.
