Doug Pederson’s hiring could change Jaguars forever, will it?
By Jack McCoy
Mark Brunell is widely regarded as the best quarterback in Jacksonville Jaguars Jaguars history. He led the team to a franchise-best 14-2 record in 1999, multiple playoff wins — including a 62-7 rout of Dan Marino’s Miami Dolphins. Moreover, he played in multiple Pro Bowls. His benching in 2003 for rookie quarterback Byron Leftwich, along with the firing of coach Tom Coughlin in favor of Jack Del Rio changed everything for the Jaguars, and not necessarily for good. Doug Pederson could restore some of the order the franchise has lacked over the last ten years.
Changes in regime offer an opportunity for teams to start fresh, addressing the issues that held them back previously. Look at the Buffalo Bills. Following years of mediocrity, the team hired Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane. They also drafted a couple of building blocks in cornerback Tre’Davious White and Josh Allen in the span of a few seasons.
Since McDermott’s regime was put in place, the Bills have been on a nonstop upward trajectory and recently went punch-for-punch with the juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. Gone are the days of quarterback EJ Manuel and running back CJ Spiller dragging the team to six wins.
Teams that go through foundational changes can experience varied results. The Bills are the attractive example, but an equal number of new regimes end the way that Del Rio’s went in Jacksonville 20 years ago. He was clearly not the right coach for Byron Leftwich, and poor salary management and positional prioritization derailed the quarterbacks’ career. The one season that the Jaguars stayed healthy during Leftwich’s starting window, they finished 12-4 but injuries plagued them in both the playoffs and Leftwich’s subsequent seasons in Jacksonville.