The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network
Press Pass | Coen on Containing Josh Allen, Big Matchup for Front Four
07 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What motivated Liam Coen to hire Coach Hamm?
Hey, Liam, when you think back to when you first hired Coach Hamm, just what sort of stood out to you and why you wanted to hire him? How has that sort of been borne out by how impressive the defense has been this year?
Yeah. You know, I think I mentioned it before where I was at Maine and he was at Boston College. We didn't know each other, but his brother was a UMass alum. But I didn't really know them that well. I'd heard of his family. More so because of his brothers that were high school coaches in Jersey. And then I went down to watch a practice at Boston College for staff development.
And I just, you know, was watching their practice and saw his style and the way that his players kind of responded to him.
Chapter 2: How has Coach Hamm's defensive strategy impacted the Jaguars this season?
Watch their meetings. I was like, oh, dude's pretty impressive, you know, and just kind of kept his name and then linked up a few times randomly. And then he worked for Don Brown at Michigan, which was my college head coach. And so then there was a natural connection.
connection that was made and so we kind of just stayed in touch followed them over the years and then when you looked at Green Bay last year their run defense specifically and how they played the run how they played as a group I really respected and he made it hard coming here he made it really hard but It was very clear.
I know some of his players in Green Bay at the time were hurt when he left, and that was a huge reason why he didn't really want to leave was because of the relationship with the players. So his personality shows, right, in our defense and in the staff and the way that they kind of prepare, go through things, you know,
the people that he's worked with, you can see so much of what he's taken from those people and made his own. You know, when you see a player walk in to the stadium with his face on his shirt, as Antonio did, it's kind of cool.
Chapter 3: What are the strengths of Jordan Poirier and Cole Bishop as safeties?
You know, he shows you that there's a relationship there. And, you know, he's done a great, he's a very passionate person. So it shows in his work. He pours into it, and the relationship piece is the main part that I've always respected and appreciated about camp, and you want the majority of your coaches to be that way, to be relational.
And when you work in college a lot, you get that because you have them at your house a lot. You have them over. You're with recruits. You're with families, and you're able to relate in that way, and I think that's what you're seeing.
Yeah.
Practicing pads this week where that's TBD TBD.
Chapter 4: What makes James Cook a standout player on film?
Yeah, walk through today. Normal Thursday practice tomorrow, which will that'll be our potential pads day will be tomorrow. We're going to kind of see how things go today and where we are.
Cole Bishop and Jordan Poirier, the safeties from Buffalo. Have you seen the veteran in Jordan help Cole?
I mean, shoot, Jordan Poirier, man, I remember 2020, I think he was there when we were playing there and they were damn good defense. Look, they've been running this similar defense since Coach McDermott's been there. They see all the quarters beaters. They see all the 3D beaters. They see all the quarter quarter half beaters and Jordan Poyer seen a lot of football and he's played a ton of ball.
Chapter 5: How is the Jaguars' defense preparing for Josh Allen?
I know he's a leader. He's communicator back there and then you see Bishop getting his hands on the ball, making plays, anticipating some of those concepts that they're used to seeing, and you can tell. They do a lot of pass-offs and coverages, and the back end is pretty tied together, you can tell.
I mean, they're, what, number one in pass defense for a reason, and I think those two guys are a big reason why.
James Cook, what stands out to you on film when you watch his abilities?
Elusive. Slippery, elusive, smooth. He's just a ā has a great feel for mid-zone, you know, for the zone game. And, you know, the press combinations and then just like he has such a great feel.
Chapter 6: What challenges does Josh Allen present to opposing defenses?
And then duo, like if you collapse it all, He's fast enough to bounce it and go one-on-one with a corner that's got a crack replace. And he's fast enough to run around the edge and make that guy miss. The run against the Browns, that has been all over the place. I mean, it was ridiculous. They had two guys unblocked in the hole. And he just makes them both miss, and he's off to the races.
And they use him a lot in the pass game as well. So he's a dual threat. He's one of those guys that fits in the same mold as your Bijans, your McCaffreys, those kind of guys.
Chapter 7: How has the Bills' personnel evolved over the years?
You've got to be on the screws with the matchup in the pass game, and we've got to be at our best clamp tackling this week.
But Carter Bradley is going to be a scout quarterback, bigger quarterback. How can we help you prepare for Josh Allen?
Yeah, just making sure that we extend some plays and just giving those guys a look of like, all right, Carter's got a big arm. I mean, that ball can go. anywhere on the field in some ways. So it's, it's a great representation of, um, there'll be examples of throwing on time and in rhythm and practice.
And there'll also be some examples of, Hey Carter, you know, hang on to this one, move around, find some lanes, run around and try to try to throw it somewhere down the field. And, um, Just trying to give those guys as realistic of a look as you can.
Chapter 8: What mindset does Liam Coen emphasize for playoff preparation?
I mean, Nick will still get some reps and do what he's always done and done a great job, but Carter can do some of those things and be able to create a little bit off schedule that can help give those guys. I mean, I showed the team this morning some of those plays from Josh where he's got people draped all over him, stiff-arming him, pump-faking him, and he's a football player, man.
is what Josh Allen can do on a defense.
Yeah, I think it's. Yeah, the the ultimate strain is what it is, right? Because you're your dual three. You have to defend the run in the past every time the ball is snapped, right? It's not as if you can just tee off on a guy like that. No one man really can't really move. So you can just go play two-man or go do these things. Your rush plan has to be extremely dialed in.
Your spy game has to be dialed in if you're going to do any of that stuff. Your zone coverage has got to make sure that you're giving eyes, obviously, on the quarterback at all times. Look, you have to account for the quarterback every play. You know, we have a luxury of that as well in ways where a quarterback can take off on you. It's hard to defend every blade of grass.
Their tight ends, what they can do, but also defense, how they defend the tight ends.
Yeah, both Kincaid and Knox were very good football players. Great in the past. They...
do they work their tails off in the run game and they do a nice job of putting them in advantageous matchups in the run game and um they'll get heavy they'll go jumbo and but still have those tight ends out there so now you've got bigger people on the grass defensively but they like to maybe spread it out and throw it so they do a nice job of creating matchups for the tight ends and they're good players and there's a trust level you can tell between josh and those guys and um
You know, obviously we struggled a little bit against Bowers, who is, you know, obviously a lot of people have struggled against him.
But I do think that, you know, some of where we're at now, you know, with Antonio and with some of these different packages can help us continue to, you know, defend bigger sets that way, but still have athleticism on the grass and be able to feel comfortable about stopping the run still. That's the...
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