3 Jaguars games that became more relevant with Doug Pederson’s arrival

No. 3 Jaguars relevant game in 2022 – @ Philadelphia Eagles.

Once the NFL releases the schedule, you must circle this one in your calendar. The Eagles gave Doug Pederson his walking papers after the 2020 season even though he was three years removed from winning a Super Bowl ring. Sure, Philly went 4-11-1 that year but their head coach did what he could with the hand he got. The fact that Carson Wentz played at a subpar level that year didn’t help matters.

Once the 2020 season concluded, Pederson wanted to make changes to his coaching staff but the top brass wasn’t having any of it. More specifically, owner Jeff Lurie didn’t want Pederson to promote quarterbacks coach Press Taylor to offensive coordinator. You could make the case that the head coach should have followed through his boss’ imperative but if you’re going to cook, you might as well be the one buying the ingredients, right?

Pederson comes across as too classy to hold grudges, so even if he’s eventually asked how big this matchup will be for him, there’s a good chance he will downplay the importance of it and will instead talk about how it’s just a game and will treat it as such, “I’m just looking for another win… this is bigger than me”, or something along those lines. On a lesser note, Gardner Minshew is now on the Eagles’ roster and although he might not play, he would surely like to beat his former team.

Nevertheless, beating the Eagles would be a huge statement for Pederson. It would show that he can win anywhere he goes and not just with his former employer.