Hiring Doug Pederson last year was one of the best decisions the Jacksonville Jaguars have made in recent years. This is more impressive when you consider how close they were to hiring Byron Leftwich as their head coach before he pulled out of consideration for the job due to a disagreement over the team’s power structure.
Looking back, things worked out pretty well for the Jags, as they finished with a winning record and made the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Even though Trevor Lawrence and general manager Trent Baalke also played a huge role in the team’s turnaround last season but you could make the case that they wouldn’t have been as successful without Pederson leading the way.
It’s been precisely one year since the Jags made their head coach and here are three reasons why it was a home run.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars HC Pederson won’t sugarcoat things
As soon as Doug Pederson became the head coach of the Jaguars, he warned everyone it would take time to turn things around. Instead of hyping up fans and creating false expectations, he was upfront about the challenges he faced.
Whenever the Jags lost, Pederson would hold himself accountable and talk about the positives he saw. Similarly, he would acknowledge whatever issues the team had last year and would look for ways to fix them. While that sounds like something every head coach should do, many fail to put it into practice.
Following the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, Pederson said that he believed the Jaguars could get hot in the second half and make a run. Jacksonville ended up winning six of its last seven games. Looking back, it wasn’t just talking. He sincerely believed the team was capable of turning things around. That’s the mindset you want from your head coach.
When things aren’t going great, you want him to keep fighting and leading by example, which is what Pederson did when the Jags were 3-7 and on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention.
3. Doug Pederson immediately clicked with Jacksonville Jaguars players
More often than not, NFL clubs look for hot offensive minds to fill their vacancies but they usually overlook their ability to connect with football players and manage a whole team. That’s why you’ll see many successful offensive coordinators flopping when they become head coaches. Nathaniel Hackett is one of the most recent examples.
Nathaniel Hackett was pretty good at crafting offensive game plans but wasn’t qualified to be a head coach, which is why he lasted less than a year with the Denver Broncos. In retrospect, failing to relate to his players was one of the many reasons behind Urban Meyer’s downfall in Jacksonville.
Speaking of Meyer, another reason he failed in Jacksonville was that he immensely underestimated the work he would need to put in to coach an NFL team. Make no mistake, head coaches need to delegate but they still need to be heavily involved to make sure the team is running smoothly.
Going back to Pederson, you will be hard-pressed to find a single Jaguars player that doesn’t love playing for him. Having played in the NFL helps him put himself in his players’ shoes but he knows how to approach his players and staff. He knows there’s a wide array of personalities in a locker room and can’t talk to them the same way.
Some players embrace tough love and won’t mind being pushed but there are others that might benefit more from a more technical approach. This doesn’t mean Pederson pampers his players. Simply, he’s aware that everyone reacts differently to various coaching styles and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all. This is one of the many reasons why he’s been so successful with the Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles before that.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars HC Doug Pederson helped Trevor Lawrence
One of the things that made the Jaguars’ head-coaching opening appealing was the chance to work with Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In spite of talent, the former Clemson Tiger struggled in his rookie campaign, throwing just 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, tied with Matthew Stafford for the most in the league.
Surrounding Lawrence with a better-supporting cast was important and one of the Jaguars’ priorities last offseason. Besides wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. and running back James Robinson, the Jacksonville offense lacked weapons. However, the young quarterback also needed the right coach to help him improve. Pederson seemed to be the right man for the job.
Back with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pederson helped Carson Wentz play at an MVP level in 2017. Unfortunately, Wentz went down with a torn ACL but Philly managed to win the Super Bowl and they did it with Nick Foles at the helm. That’s a reflection of Pederson’s work with quarterbacks.
Lawrence showed immense growth in his first season with Pederson. He completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,113 yards with 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions (only two in the last eight games of the season). On top of that, he had five rushing touchdowns, making him the first quarterback in franchise history to register 25 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns.
Furthermore, Lawrence put his comeback skills on display. He led the winning drive against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12 and helped the Jaguars overcome a 17-point deficit on three different occasions, against the Dallas Cowboys, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lawrence was poised to improve in Year 2 regardless of who the Jaguars’ head coach was. However, it’s hard to see him getting so much better without Pederson’s tutelage.