3 biggest reasons for Jaguars succcesful 2022 turnaround

1. The Jaguars decision to go with Doug Pederson as their head coach

The Jaguars’ search to for a new head coach to fill the void left by Urban Meyer took nearly two months and Byron Leftwich seemed like the front-runner to get the job. However, Leftwich made it clear that he didn’t feel comfortable working with Trent Baalke and ultimately ended up withdrawing his name from consideration.

Once Leftwich became a non-viable choice, the Jags quickly zeroed in on Doug Pederson, who coincidentally was the first candidate that interviewed for the opening. Looking back, Shad Khan got it right. Two of Pederson’s biggest appeals as a head coach were his ability to develop quarterback and win in the NFL and he’s put both of them on display in 2022.

In his first season with the team, Pederson managed to squeeze every ounce of talent out of Trevor Lawrence. You could argue that Lawrence could have improved regardless of whom the Jags had hired as head coach but that’s not necessarily true. Nathaniel Hackett, who also got an interview, had an offensive background but he failed mightily with the Denver Broncos and lasted less than a year on the job.

Similarly, the Las Vegas Raiders regressed under Josh McDaniels and Derek Carr is no longer their quarterback, so it’s not 100 percent guaranteed Lawrence would have made the leap without Pederson.

Another reason the Jags hit out of the ballpark with Pederson was his leadership skills. They needed someone to help them heal following the Meyer debacle and Pederson has shown that he was up to the challenge. You will often hear players speak glowingly of him, which wasn’t the case under Meyer or his predecessor, Doug Marrone.

One year after finishing last not only in the NFL but the division, Pederson has helped the Jags get a ticket to the playoffs and their first AFC South title since 2017.