Liam Coen walked out of Wembley Stadium with a loss and the same plan he brought in. After the Jacksonville Jaguars fell 34-31 to the Houston Texans in London on Sunday, October 18, the head coach told reporters he would not overhaul anything. “We’re not going to change a thing about our process,” Coen said.
The defeat, decided when Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 49-yarder as time ran out, ended a three-game winning streak and left Jacksonville at 4-2. The Jaguars still lead the AFC South by two games over the 2-4 Texans, and Coen said he was proud of his locker room and confident in the group going forward.
"I've got a lot of confidence in this team… We're not going to change a thing about our process."
Coach Coen on being proud of our locker room despite today's result. pic.twitter.com/bq4JCb2jxt
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 18, 2026
The mistakes he owned
Coen was just as direct about what went wrong. The most expensive error came on a Houston punt early in the third quarter. Jacksonville was in its punt-safe look on fourth-and-1 when it tried to change personnel, and the Jaguars were flagged for having 12 men on the field. Coen said there should have been no substitution at all in that spot and took responsibility for the mix-up. The Texans kept the ball and finished the drive with Jaylin Noel’s 13-yard touchdown for a 24-14 lead.
It was one of several self-inflicted wounds. Two pass interference calls set up Houston touchdowns, a Bhayshul Tuten touchdown run was erased by a holding penalty, and Trevor Lawrence threw an interception in the red zone. In all, the Jaguars were penalized six times for 66 yards.
A defense that gave up 426 yards
Jacksonville arrived in London with the league’s second-best scoring defense and left having allowed 426 yards. C.J. Stroud threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, and Noel caught four passes for 107 yards. Coen did not soften his verdict on that side of the ball: “It wasn’t good enough, for sure.” He said the Texans simply made too many plays through the air.
What gave him confidence was the response. The Jaguars twice trailed by 10 points and twice came back. Travis Hunter caught a 7-yard touchdown pass and then intercepted Stroud in the end zone, and Cam Little’s 60-yard field goal tied the game with 1:55 left before Houston drove for the winner. Lawrence, who threw four touchdown passes, said afterward the team had no need for soul-searching.
What comes next
The Jaguars fly home for their Week 7 bye. The Indianapolis Colts visit next, with kickoff set for Sunday, November 1 (1 p.m. EST). Preview and live updates: Colts at Jaguars Game Center.
No published comments yet. Start the conversation.