Embarrassing loss vs. Raiders shows Jaguars must fire Doug Pederson, clean house

The Jacksonville Jaguars have somehow managed to sink even lower this season with a 19-14 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16. Throughout the game, they've looked unprepared and uninspired. That's a reflection of Doug Pederson, who's failed to get the Jags back on track and progressively lost grasp of the team. This should give owner Shad Khan an easy decision to make.

The Jaguars were dreadful on both sides of the ball. On offense, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. became the first rookie receiver in team history to cross the 1,000-yard mark. However, the feat felt like a footnote in what was a discouraging performance.

Mac Jones had a chance to raise his stock but was instead underwhelming aside from the 62-yard throw to Thomas, going 25 of 39 for 247 yards with one touchdown. Although he didn't have an interception, he was nearly picked off by K'Lavon Chaisson.

The defense, on the other hand, had no answer for tight end Brock Bowers, who had no trouble moving the football. The rookie sensation finished the game with 11 catches for 99 yards.

Leaving aside the Jaguars' inability to put points on the scoreboard, they were undisciplined on both sides of the ball. Wide receiver Tim Jones was flagged twice for offensive pass interference while the trio of Arik Armstead, Josh Hines-Allen, and Travon Walker had a combined four offside penalties. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun also had a defensive holding. However you look at it, it shows that the team isn't well-coached.

What's frustrating is that Las Vegas is one of the worst teams in the league. They couldn't get much going on offense with Aidan O'Connell making his fifth start behind center, but Bowers made enough plays to help his team win.

On the other hand, former Jaguars edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson made sure to remind his old team that they made a mistake when they let him go in free agency earlier this year. After logging a combined five sacks in his four seasons in Duval, he's already got four — logging one of them in Week 16 — with the Silver & Black.

The Jaguars were running throught the motions vs. the Raiders

Doug Pederson has stated multiple times that he wants the Jacksonville Jaguars to finish strong, but you could make the case that they've been even worse after being eliminated from playoff contention. Since their Bye in Week 12, they're 1-4, and their only loss came against the lowly Tennessee Titans.

Sure, there have been a handful of individual performances that have stood out. Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. is probably the first one that comes to mind. However, the team as a whole has been going through the motions in recent weeks, and it was evident against the Raiders. This begs the question, how can Pederson say with a straight face that he deserves to keep his job?

Dating back to Week 13 of the 2023 season, Jacksonville has won four of 17 games, and Pederson has had more than enough talent, even when you take injuries into account, to win. Granted, general manager Trent Baalke failed to fill a few holes in the offseason, but not nearly enough to have a 3-12 record with two games left in the offseason.

The bottom line is that it's becoming harder every day for Doug Pederson to justify keeping his job. Whether it's in the upcoming days or after the offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars need to give him his pink slip.

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