The Jacksonville Jaguars missed the playoffs in 2023 but thought that they could bounce back if they made a few tweaks to their roster and coaching staff. It turned out that they weren't nearly as good as they thought and went 4-13 last year. Not surprisingly, they got a pretty low grade for their underwhelming play.
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report assigned grades to each team's 2024 season and gave Jacksonville a D, pointing out that Trevor Lawrence regressed, Travis Etienne temporarily lost grip of his starting job, and the defense was outright dreadful.
On the other hand, Moton brings up Brian Thomas Jr.'s impressive rookie season as a bright spot in what otherwise was a disappointing year.
"Quarterback Trevor Lawrence regressed further in an injury-riddled campaign. Running back Travis Etienne temporarily lost a handle on the starting job to Tank Bigsby. The Jaguars defense ranked 27th in scoring and gave up the second-most yards.
Wideout Brian Thomas Jr. was the brightest spot on this team. He led all rookies in receiving yards (1,282) and touchdown receptions (10). If not for his emergence, the Jaguars would've deserved a failing grade."
Moton goes on to say that new head coach Liam Coan has a low bar to clear based on how things played out in Jacksonville last season. He isn't wrong.
The Jags went 8-3 to start 2023 and were on pace to potentially clinch the No. 1 seed. However, they lost five of their last six games and missed the playoffs altogether. Still, they believed that reloading in the offseason would be enough to rebound in 2024, but they were wrong.
Doug Pederson's offense grew stall and his fealty toward Press Taylor might've hurt his relationship with players. It didn't help that most of the signings general manager Trent Baalke made last year didn't pan out. To make matters worse, Trevor Lawrence took a step back and eventually had his season cut short by a shoulder injury. Put everything together, and it's no surprise that Jacksonville came undone.
Rightly, the Jaguars dismissed Pederson and Trent Baalke after the season, although they held the latter until they realized he was hurting their search for a new head coach.
The Jaguars deserve their 2024 grade and have nowhere to go but up next season
Disappointing is the best way to describe the 2024 Jacksonville Jaguars. Maybe they weren't the best team in franchise history but they weren't the worst either. They had enough talent on both sides of the ball, but a series of mistakes led to their downfall.
Doug Pederson should've gotten out of his comfort zone and fired Press Taylor while Trent Baalke should've been given the boot two or three years ago. Another mistake was hiring Ryan Nielsen thinking he would turn the defense around (guilty as charged). In the end, everything was too much to overcome.
The bright side is that the Jaguars' collapse led to the first real rebuild in years. This might be the first time the Jaguars will start over with a new head coach and tentatively a general manager without promoting an interim in more than 10 years.
Sure, there's still a chance interim general manager Ethan Waugh gets promoted, but the Jaguars are better off bringing in a new voice to their front office. Circling back to the rebuild, Jacksonville hired Liam Coen as the head coach for his leadership skills and his expertise on offense.
Coen has quickly filled his staff and expects a quick turnaround. Even though he acknowledges that the roster has a few holes, he knows he has ample talent to work with, and he's bringing in the best coaches to get the most out of his players.
The bottom line is that expectations are deservedly low in Duval following the underwhelming 2024, but don't be surprised if the Jaguars turn heads next season.
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