The Jaguars silenced any doubters they may have had on Sunday after defeating the AFC’s top-seeded Broncos on the road at Mile High Stadium, 34–20.

During the week leading up to the game, Sean Payton made some comments about Jacksonville that didn’t sit too well with the squad. Specifically, Payton referred to the Jaguars as a “smaller market” team. Although he was complimenting the franchise, his comments may have inadvertently become bulletin board material for the Jags.

After the statement win, Liam Coen had a sassy response to Payton’s comments, making clear that they didn’t go unnoticed.

“A small market team like us can come into Mile High and get it done,” Coen said during his postgame press conference.

The win sees Jacksonville improve to 11–4 on the year. They remain a game ahead of the Texans in the AFC South and are almost certain to make the playoffs, just one year after limping to a 4–13 season in 2024. Coen is clearly prideful about his team, and he wasn’t going to let Payton’s comments fly without a response.

In his initial remarks, Payton said, “We’ve got to be on point... as you look at (the Jaguars) and you watch the tape, you see a smaller market but you see a really good team.” In the end, the smaller market prevailed, and at one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, too.

Despite his comments, Payton’s team wasn’t prepared for the surge from Trevor Lawrence and the rest of Jacksonville’s offense. The 34 points the Jaguars scored are the most Denver has surrendered all season, and Jacksonville never took its foot off the gas during the rout.

Coen was certainly pleased with his team’s performance, and he got the last laugh after Payton’s comments earlier in the week.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liam Coen Had Perfectly Sassy Response to Sean Payton's 'Small Market' Comments.

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