Tom Coughlin wants to see more ‘toughness’ from Jaguars

Tom Coughlin watches the game

Tom Coughlin has presumably binge-watched the Jaguars’ 2016 season, and he says he wants to see more toughness than what he saw on tape.

The Jaguars’ new vice president of football operations will try to turn around a team that finished 3-13 last season, and it sounds like he believes it starts with toughness.

“This league can benefit from more of (a tough) attitude. This team can,” Coughlin told NFL.com. “You’ve got to play through some things.”

New Jaguars receivers coach Keenan McCardell played for Coughlin from 1996-2001 when Coughlin was the coach. Coughlin held up McCardell as an example for the current Jaguars. A 12th-round draft pick, McCardell played in the NFL for 16 years and made two Pro Bowls.

“To look at Keenan, to look at his background, where he came from and what he was able to accomplish, you better believe he can share information to the players in that room on how to be successful in this league. It starts with toughness.”

Another aspect of Coughlin’s brand of toughness is running the ball more. The Jaguars ran the ball 62.74 percent of the time last season, seventh in the league, according to Team Rankings. A lot of that is because they were behind much of the time, but Coughlin said “I don’t think you’re helping the quarterback at all when you don’t rush the football.”

That quarterback, Blake Bortles, is a whole other can of worms that Coughlin will need to address.

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