3 reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars ultimately fell short of the postseason this year

2. Lack of discipline

Trevor Lawrence raised eyebrows when he said the Jaguars looked like a team that didn't practice. He later revisited his comments to clarify that he was talking about himself. Then again, the criticism — as harsh as it might've been — wasn't off base. The offense was marred by miscommunication, drops, and unnecessary penalties. The defense wasn't much better down the stretch. After a good start to the season, missed tackles and blown assignments became a weekly occurrence.

While players are responsible for executing on the football field, the coaching staff needs to make sure they're ready to go during practice. Outside linebacker Josh Allen echoed that thought heading into the matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. Just before the game, he told the media he felt the team had had their best week of practice, and it showed in the final 26-0 score. But that was an exception, not the norm.

Throughout the year, the Jaguars seemed sloppy and unprepared on both sides of the ball. Especially in the second half of the season, the defense failed tackles at an alarming rate. At least, they would miss 12 per game, sometimes more. The offense, on the other hand, struggled with drops. Trevor Lawrence, who played through injuries most of the year, generally delivered the ball but his receivers couldn't come make plays.

Lawrence wasn't exempt from making mistakes. He made his fair share, but he routinely put the team in a position to succeed. But other players failed to execute. Hence, the team's 9-7 record. Not surprisingly, the Jaguars moved on from defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and most of the defensive staff.

You could argue that they should've also cut ties with Press Taylor, but Doug Pederson went to bat for him, arguing that he can be better but overall did a good job. Whether Taylor deserved to stay or not, he'll need to prove that keeping him around was the right call. If not, Pederson should be under scrutiny.

The same is true about the Mike Caldwell decision. While warranted, whoever takes his place will be under pressure to get the most out of the current personnel. On the bright side, the Jaguars know the issues they need to address. It will up to Pederson and his coordinators to address them to avoid a repeat of 2023.