Bills 27, Jaguars 24
Q. Just take us through the last couple of series there and what your thoughts are on how it ended.
LIAM COEN: Yeah, just a tough way to end the season, obviously. We score to go ahead, couldn't really get them off the grass there on the last drive, converted, obviously, a few of those. We get hit on a little bit of a busted coverage there, and then the quarterback sneak that goes down to the 1-yard line is tough because you're still trying to hold them. They need a touchdown, so with where they were at, it's not like we were about to freeway it. We're competing to try to stop them, make them kick a field goal, but once you get it down to the 1-yard line, we decided to freeway it, let them score and try to get the ball back, and then we do, and ended up throwing an interception. It was just a tough ending.
Q. Can you go through the first half there and what was disjointed in the offensive passing game? Seemed like you had a lot of success when you did run it.
LIAM COEN: Yeah, we were running the ball well. Ran it well. Obviously it's a pretty solid pass defense. They were doing some stuff pre-snap, post-snap, changing the picture a little bit, and just didn't really get going. We had a couple busts, a couple poor calls, just a couple not executing in the pass game in the first half.
But we were fortunate enough to be still in a good position obviously at the half. Missed a field goal. But gave ourselves a chance. I thought we ran it better, though.
Q. On the run game, it seemed like you guys got away from it a little bit in the first half. What kind of happened there, and what sort of transpired for you to pass the ball more in the second half?
LIAM COEN: I'm not really sure exactly what you mean. But just called the game like the way I always call the game.
Q. Liam, obviously emotional way to end the season. How much time does it really take for you guys to process this and say, okay, where do we have to go from here now?
LIAM COEN: Yeah, I'll take a little bit of time. I wasn't 100 percent sure what to say to those guys in there because you don't really plan for what you're going to say after the season ends. We'll be fortunate to be able to get together tomorrow, get the guys in there, communicate, be able to swallow this one and keep it moving.
Q. Parker Washington, another outstanding day today. How much growth did he have this season for you?
LIAM COEN: Yeah, great season, especially towards the tail end. Just didn't -- he just continued to rise to the occasion. He's such a tough competitor, played his ass off. I appreciate Parker to the fullest and look forward to working with him in the future.
Q. Will you regret not taking the points, the field goal on 4th down?
LIAM COEN: Not at all.
Q. It wasn't even a decision --
LIAM COEN: Not even a close decision. It was all go for it on all the metrics. With where you're at down there that low, you've got to go for it. 4th down, that low, you at least feel like you're going to have to an opportunity to stop them and have a field position change, and very very worst you get the ball back with good field position, and it didn't end up working out.
Q. I know it's fresh, but in your first year being a head coach, how much has this year meant to you, and what will you take from this year?
LIAM COEN: Yeah, it's an honor to be the head coach of this football team. This group of guys, the organization, people that I'm fortunate enough to work with on a day-to-day basis has been it extremely gratifying to be in this role, obviously. You learn so much in your first year of doing it. To be able to self-scout and self-evaluate it in the off-season to give yourself a chance to win these type of games in the future. But putting ourselves in a position to compete like champions every day and see what that looks like next season.
Q. Reigning MVP was hell-bent on getting the ball out quickly. You guys put him in the blue tent twice. What does it say about his toughness that he just keeps coming back and coming back?
LIAM COEN: Yeah, such a competitor. He was spitting it out pretty good, obviously. Scrambled enough times, but he just kind of drifted away knowing he's going to get hit making a play. I thought he threw extremely accurately, as well, and they just made some plays in the pass game specifically. I don't know what the ran stats were or what we held them to or anything like that, but he definitely carried them.
Q. Can you expand on what you guys have established here in this first year?
LIAM COEN: I hope that we've established a standard of competing at a high level, of mental and physical toughness, of putting the team first, and that we're going to make every decision as an organization that puts the team and the grass first because that's what matters. That's what it's all about, trying to put your players in a position to be successful, both on the field and in the building as much as possible.
The details matter. Continuing to try to set those new standards and keep moving forward.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports