Jaguars HC Doug Pederson reacts to getting game ball following Colts win

Game balls are reserved for players that play an important role in a team’s win. But it’s not uncommon to see coaches or staff members get the honor. In fact, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. presented Doug Pederson with a game ball following their 24-0 win over the Colts in Week 2. Pederson met with the media Monday and said that it was great to be part of the celebration.

“It’s great to celebrate with your team and the teammates“, Pederson said. “I was honored that they did that and Marv presented that. To get the first one here in Jacksonville for me. But listen, like I told the team it’s a group effort. We win and lose as a football team. That was my message to them but special time”.

This was Pederson’s first victory as the head coach of the Jaguars. An NFL quarterback in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, the Washinton native joined Andy Reid’s coaching staff as a quality control coach in 2009. He moved his way up and followed Reid to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he became their offensive coordinator.

Pederson was then hired as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016. In just his second season at the helm, he led Philly to the Super Bowl and made the playoffs three times during his five-year tenure in the City of Brotherly Love.

After the 2020 season, Pederson was given the boot and spent a year away from the gridiron. He was the first candidate to interview for the Jaguars’ head-coach vacancy following the dismissal of Urban Meyer. And after a lengthy search, Pederson got the job. Here’s Jones giving Pederson the game ball, one of those can’t-miss moments after a win.

https://twitter.com/Jaguars/status/1571619470174453761?s=20&t=vl1sFB-51W4zRthE5_dFrA

Doug Pederson has the Jaguars trending in the right direction

It’s easy to see why the Jags ended up choosing Pederson as their head coach. Besides his ability to develop quarterbacks and helping Philly win their first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history, he’s the kind of head coach that can relate to his players and get the most out of them.

Pederson doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach and knows which buttons he needs to press when talking to every player. He can be tough with some players and a bit more emphatic with others. As a matter of fact, when you hear Jaguars players talk about their head coach, they have nothing but good things to say about him.

Also, if you pay attention to Pederson’s reaction to getting a game ball, he doesn’t talk much about him. Instead, he puts an emphasis on ‘We’ or ‘The Team’. The head coach is aware he’s just a cog in the machine and without the players, he can’t do much.

Pederson will keep the Jaguars focused, and won’t let the Colts win over their head. So far his approach has worked, and it won’t be shocking to see Jacksonville get their second victory of the 2022 season soon.