The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled to win games dating back to the second half of the 2023 season. That's why they're expected to part ways with head coach Doug Pederson sooner rather than later. But even though he doesn't have a particularly strong case, he thinks he has a legitimate reason to keep his job next year.
One day after the 20-13 win over the Tennessee Titans, Pederson met with the local media and said that continuity is key to building a successful team.
"I believe that continuity is the only way you kind of get it fixed," Pederson said. "Sometimes you learn even as a player, go back to like when I, when I was a player, even players today. You got to think when you're a free agent, you have an opportunity to stay with your current team or go somewhere else. You gotta weigh the pros and cons of both, right? Am I going into a better situation than what I currently have?"
Pederson continued, "You look at where we are and the type of players that we have and the pieces that we have. Look, do we need to improve in all areas, coaches? Yeah, we need to improve, and we need to continually enhance this football team, and again, that's coaches and players. That's not just all on players, that's coaches as well, but at the same time, in order to kind of work out of tough situations, the consistency, the continuity, you're in it together."
"Exactly how people operate, the communication level, all of that, all of that is positive in a direction that you're trying to go. It'd be different too, if, if you saw people throw in the towel A month ago, right? Or say, you always hear coaches losing a locker room, right? Then, that's a different situation. That's a different story. That's a different set of circumstances. I just don't feel that's the case here. It was evident yesterday, by the way the guys fought and battled right to the end."
Pederson goes on to say that the Jaguars proved in Week 17 that they're not a team that's quitting but rather one that's "trying to work its way out of a hole that they've dug."
So basically, Pederson is saying that the team is still playing hard even if it doesn't show in the standings and they can potentially turn the corner if he remains in place and build off of this year.
For context, the Jags made the playoffs and won the AFC South in Pederson's first season at the helm. They then went 8-3 to start 2023 but only won one of their last six games. Expected to bounce back this season, they instead kept sinking lower, going 4-12 up until Week 17. That's not the kind of record that will help a head coach keep his job.
Doug Pederson needs more than continuity to stay with the Jaguars beyond 2024
There were many reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row. Questionable offseason moves and injuries certainly played a role, but Doug Pederson isn't free of blame.
For instance, his loyalty to offensive coordinator Press Taylor, while admirable, has held the offense back. Granted, the Jags lost several key players to injury, but Pederson and his right-hand man weren't able to adjust to their personnel.
Moreover, Pederson is making the case that having continuity will lead to better results in 2024. The issue is that continuity for its own sake won't necessarily help the Jags get out of the hole they themselves dug. Sure, they swept the Titans, but their only wins this season came against teams with losing records. What's there to build off?
Even with all their roster holes, the Jags had enough talent to go toe to toe with the best teams in the league but came up short every single time they faced contenders. What good would it be to keep things the same way?
You could make the case that Pederson has only had one losing season. Conversely, the Jags have gotten progressively worse since 2022. If anything he has shown the past two years that he cannot adjust. Then again, the ball is on owner Shad Khan's court.
Khan will ultimately make a decision on Pederson's fate, and if he ends up keeping him, which is a legitimate possibility, he'll need to make major concessions. Otherwise, continuity won't help his case to remain with the Jaguars beyond 2024.