You can number several reasons why the Jacksonville Jaguars failed to meet expectations in 2024 but the biggest one without a doubt is Doug Pederson. Sure, they suffered several major injuries, and general manager Trent Baalke failed to adequately fortify the roster. However, the buck stops with the head coach, and it's fair to say that he needs to go.
Granted, Pederson played a huge role in helping the Jags heal after the Urban Meyer debacle, and they made the playoffs in his first season at the helm. On the other hand, Jacksonville is 4-17 dating back to Week 13 of the 2023 season. Simply put, the team is getting worse and not better, and here are three things that have contributed to his downfall.
Doug Pederson's inability to adjust to injuries
Back in 2016, Doug Pederson was in his second season as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. That year, quarterback Carson Wentz was having an MVP-like season before he suffered an ACL injury. But despite losing one of its best players, Philly didn't flinch.
The Eagles rallied behind backup Nick Foles and went on to win the Super Bowl. That said, Wentz wasn't the only notable player they had to do without. All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters and running back Darren Sproles were unavailable for a significant part of the regular season and the playoffs. Yet, Pederson was able to adjust to their absence. You would think that he was going to work his magic in Jacksonville but that hasn't been the case.
For two straight years, the Jags have suffered major injuries, and Pederson hasn't been able to adjust. This season alone, they lost wide receiver Gabe Davis, tight end Evan Engram, wide receiver Christian Kirk, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
You could argue that it's not fair to judge Pederson based on his results with a decimated roster, but injuries are an inherent part of football, and as much as you can do to prevent them, they're bound to happen. The best teams (and their head coaches) find a way to overcome them. The bad ones don't, and you surely have an idea which category Pederson falls into.
Doug Pederson cannot get the most out of Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones
One of the biggest reasons the Jaguars hired Doug Pederson in 2022 was to untap Trevor Lawrence's untapped potential. Dubbed a generational talent coming out of college, the former Clemson Tiger was underwhelming under Urban Meyer.
To nobody's surprise, Lawrence showed improvement with Pederson at the helm. However, he stopped getting better at one point, and some of it has to do with the head coach delegated protegee Press Taylor to oversee his development.
This is certainly an odd decision when you take into account that Pederson enjoyed success in Philly because of his involvement in his quarterbacks' development. That hasn't been the case with the Jaguars and it shows.
Lawrence was inconsistent this season before he suffered a season-ending injury. Mac Jones, a first-round pick in 2022, has also struggled. You know things are bad when two high-profile quarterbacks are struggling to put it all together.
Doug Pederson's devotion to Press Taylor
Doug Pederson posted his first losing season with Philadelphia in 2020. He was given a chance to stay but would need to make tweaks to his staff. He proposed to promote then-quarterbacks coach Press Taylor to offensive coordinator. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was less than enthused by the proposed changes and rejected them. Pederson would end up walking on his own, and Lurie would later say that their visions didn't fit.
Fast forward to 2022, and those who followed Pederson's stint with the Eagles weren't surprised that he appointed Taylor as his offensive coordinator when he became the head coach of the Jaguars. And after enjoying success in their first season, he promoted him to playcaller full-time in 2023.
Under Taylor's first season dialing up plays, the offense showed potential but also struggled at times. After 2023, Pederson dismissed defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell but kept Taylor, pointing out that he could improve but overall was pleased with his performance.
Nevertheless, there were questions about Taylor's performance on the job, and Pederson didn't help matters by choosing not to reveal who would be the offensive playcaller in 2024. This was odd because one of his biggest strengths as a head coach was calling plays, but he chose to delegate.
After months of speculation, Pederson at last confirmed that Taylor was the one calling plays and even went out of his way to protect him, throwing players under the bus along the way. To nobody's surprise, the offense has routinely struggled this season, and playcalling has played a role.
It's fair to say that history is repeating itself, and there's a strong chance that Taylor will be one of the reasons Pederson will once again be given the boot.