The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a funk. Both their offense and defense have regressed after an encouraging start to the 2023 season. While injuries have played a role, neither side has looked particularly sharp. This led Trevor Lawrence to say after the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that the Jags look like a team that doesn't practice.
Lawrence later clarified his comments, noting that he was talking about himself, rather than questioning the coaching staff. Regardless of who the remarks were directed to, he's not wrong. In particular, the offense has been held back by drops, miscommunication, and overall execution.
It hasn't helped that the offensive line cannot block but the buck ultimately stops with Press Taylor, Doug Pederson's handpicked choice for offensive coordinator. Since his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pederson wanted Taylor to be his coordinator. It was reportedly one of the reasons he was given the boot after the 2020 season.
When Pederson became the head coach in Jacksonville, he appointed Taylor as the offensive coordinator. This season, he began to call the offense full-time. While his playcalling hasn't been awful, the offense's overall execution has been less than ideal.
There are no reports indicating that the Jaguars want to move on from Taylor but if they chose to part ways with him in the offseason, here are five potential replacements.
5. Chris O'Hara, Vikings QB coach
Here's a familiar face. Chris O'Hara started his coaching career in the NFL as an offensive coaching associate with the Jaguars in 2014. He became an offensive quality control coach for the Washington Commanders in 2017 and returned to Jacksonville in Doug Marrone's last year with the team in 2020. O'Hara then spent time with the Los Angeles Rams as an offensive assistant before becoming the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings in 2022.
While O'Hara isn't on the short list of ascending stars in the coaching ranks, he's had a solid run in Minnesota. Kirk Cousins had a highly productive year in 2022 and an arguably better 2023 before a torn Achilles ended his season prematurely.
On top of that, O'Hara helped Josh Dobbs, aka the passtronaut get ready to start on short notice. Dobbs has since been benched, and Nick Mullens isn't faring much better. However, that's what O'Hara was given, and he made the most of it.
4. Thaddeus Lewis, Buccaneers QB coach
The Tom Brady era finally came to an end after the 2022 season and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opted for a soft reboot instead of a full rebuild. This made sense because there were still plenty of talented, albeit aging players, on the roster.
That said, the Bucs' post-Brady quarterback room didn't look particularly enticing in the offseason. Led by backup Kyle Trask, and Baker Mayfield, not much was expected from Tampa Bay heading into the 2023 season. But then, Mayfield showed signs of the quarterback he was early in his career.
Heading into Week 17, and following a win over the Jags, Tampa Bay has a strong chance of qualifying for the postseason, giving head coach Todd Bowles and the rest of his staff plenty of security ahead of the offseason. While Bowles deserves lots of credit for keeping the team focused and getting the most out of his players in 2023, quarterbacks coach Thaddeus Lewis should also get lots of praise for helping Mayfield resurrect his NFL career.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, displayed potential in his first three NFL seasons. But then, a shoulder injury hampered his performance in 2021. By 2022, he had fallen out of grace with the Cleveland Browns, who traded for Deshaun Watson. Mayfield spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams that year. He became a free agent in the offseason and chose to sign with the Buccaneers.
Looking back, Mayfield landed in the best possible situation, and his resurgence wouldn't have been possible without Lewis, who's previously been an assistant wide receivers coach. His ample knowledge of other areas of the offense besides quarterback could make him an enticing choice for coordinator in Jacksonville, or any team with an opening.
3. Zach Robinson, Rams QB coach
The Sean McVay coaching tree features some pretty good coaches and coordinators — on both sides of the ball — in the NFL. Brandon Staley was dismissed as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers but he earned his chops as McVay's defensive coordinator. Matt LaFleur is doing good for himself at the helm of the Green Bay Packers while Ejiro Evero could be on the shortlist of candidates for head coaching positions in the 2024 hiring cycle.
Mike LeFleur, who spent two underwhelming seasons with the New York Jets, has fared much better as McVay's right-hand man with the Rams. Teams in the look for a head coach whose expertise is on offense should have LeFleur on speed dial. Under LaFleur and McVay, rookie wide receiver Puka Nakua is on pace for a historic season. Matthew Stafford is playing like a top-10 quarterback, and Kyren Williams is one of the top non-Christian McCaffrey running backs in the NFL.
It wouldn't be shocking to see LeFleur leave in 2024, and if he does, quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson could get promoted. Then again, LeFleur could choose to stay, and if that's the case, the Jaguars should then consider poaching Robinson from their coaching staff.
As the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Robinson guided Baker Mayfield in the win over the Los Angeles Rams. The pair didn't spend much time together but Mayfield responded well to Robinson's coaching. Perhaps Trevor Lawrence could also benefit from his tutelage.
2. Eric Bieniemy, Commanders offensive coordinator
Both Eric Bieniemy and Doug Pederson are protegees of Andy Reid. Whereas Pederson has already gotten a couple of head-coaching gigs, Bieniemy has settled on coordinator positions. He joined the Washington Commanders' staff this season and was the Chiefs offensive coordinator from 2018-2022.
Before that, Bieniemy was the Kansas City running backs coach for five years. Although he's earned consideration for head coaching jobs, he's not interviewed well. One reason has reportedly been his brash personality and his no-nonsense style. In Washington, players took to head coach Ron Rivera to complain about Bieniemy's tough coaching approach. He's never shied away from being a demanding head coach.
In fact, Bieniemy says he's tough on his players because he wants to get the most out of them. That kind of approach isn't necessarily bad. Bill Belichick thrived under the do-your-job mantra, and many of the most successful head coaches will ask their players to give their all at all times. Having said that, there must be a balance between pushing your players and running them to the ground.
Maybe that's why Bieniemy hasn't been able to get a head-coaching job. On the other hand, Patrick Mahomes has vouched for his former offensive coordinator, and the Commanders' offense has flashed at times in 2023. They currently rank 23rd in the league in points scored and 19 in total yards, but the dearth of talent across the offensive line has most definitely affected the team's ability to score points.
In Jacksonville, Bieniemy would work under someone with a similar offensive philosophy. Moreover, he would have way more talent than he currently has with the Commanders. Last but not least, he would get a chance to boost his stock and finally get that elusive head-coaching job.
1. Frank Reich, former Panthers head coach
If the Jaguars decided to move on from Press Taylors in 2024, they would have no shortage of options to replace him, and a handful of them would be familiar faces. The aforementioned Eric Bieniemy is one of them. He was the Chiefs running backs coach when Doug Pederson was their offensive coordinator. Another one is Frank Reich, who was Pederson's second in command during the Eagles' Super Bowl run in 2017.
Reich's successful stint in Philly led him to become the head coach for the Indianapolis Colts. He was given the boot after the 2022 season but quickly landed his feet with the Carolina Panthers. Surprisingly, owner David Tepper chose to give him the boot less than a year after hiring him, so Reich is officially a free agent.
It's hard to see Reich getting a head-coaching job in the NFL again, at least any time soon. However, he would be a solid choice for clubs in need of an offensive coordinator. Besides having experience coaching quarterbacks, arguably his fortè, he's also been a wide receivers coach.
Maybe Reich decides to take a year off and recharge batteries, but if the Jaguars came calling, he would be reunited in Jacksonville with Doug Pederson. You could argue that they found the most success in their respective careers when they worked together. And if the formula worked once, it can work twice, right?
Again, there are no indications that the Jaguars are moving on from Press Taylor, but if they do, Frank Reich should be among the top candidates to replace him.