Pete Carroll Praises Liam Coen Ahead of Raiders-Jaguars Showdown

Las Vegas, NV — Ahead of the Sunday matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll praised Jaguars head coach Liam Coen for coming from the NFL’s top coaching tree, that of Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay.

In comments made during a press conference, Carroll noted that Coen’s offensive scheme represents some of the league’s best innovations. “He’s got all of the good stuff that’s going around the league,” Carroll said. “The tree that he comes from is really the one I respect the most in terms of innovation and creativity and really good fundamental aspects of their offense.”

Coen began his NFL career as an assistant wide receivers coach under McVay before climbing the ranks to offensive coordinator at the Rams, and now head coach of the Jaguars. Under Coen, the Jaguars have shown diverse offensive strategies, focusing on a strong running game complemented by effective play-action passes.

Carroll continued, “They love to run the football, they’re willing to stay with it when they can. The perimeter stuff off the running game is there. And they really trust the quarterback.”

The impact of McVay’s coaching tree is evident, with four of his former assistants currently head coaches in the NFL, including Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers, Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.

Interestingly, Carroll did not select a coach from the McVay tree when he hired his offensive coordinator in Las Vegas, opting instead for Chip Kelly, who has his own distinct coaching style. Some speculate Carroll may reconsider his choice in light of the success of McVay’s protégés.

The game between the Raiders and Jaguars is a crucial one, particularly for both coaches as they seek to solidify their team’s playoff chances in the competitive landscape of the NFL.