Doug Pederson's seat somehow gets even hotter after ugly loss to Texans

The Jacksonville Jaguars came close to beating the Houston Texans in Week 4. Ultimately, though, they couldn't seal the deal. Up by three points in the fourth quarter, they allowed their dreaded divisional foes to score a touchdown to make it 24-20 and win. You could argue that they lost by a whisker but a loss is a loss regardless of how bad or close it was. now, the Jags are 0-4, and Doug Pederson is most definitely feeling the heat.

The Jaguars were coming off an embarrassing 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. Heading into the divisional contest, Pederson and Lawrence talked about potentially finding a spark that would help them turn things around. For a moment, it looked like they were going to pull off the upset, with a massive assist from a defense that gave up yards in chunks but prevented Houston from reaching the end zone for most of the second half.

Unfortunately, the defense didn't get help from the offense in the fourth quarter and gave up the game-winning touchdown. Sure, they played a role in the loss, but they also forced the Texans to punt on six consecutive drives in the second half. Heck, they limited them to a measly field goal just before the second quarter.

Meanwhile, the offense showed signs of life in the second half but eventually ran out of steam. Once wide receiver Christian Kirk scored with six minutes left in the third quarter, they punted twice on two drives and turned the ball over on another.

Whether it was drops or overthrown passes, the Jaguars simply couldn't dispose of Houston. And that falls on head coach Doug Pederson. Granted, some individual players will rightly get flak, but the buck stops with the head coach.

The Jaguars must make a decision with Doug Pederson

The Jaguars entered Week 4 with plenty of questions and left with many more. The biggest one is probably whether head coach Doug Pederson will survive the season.

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported before the loss to the Houston Texans that observers around the league expect changes to take place in Jacksonville. However, giving Pederson or right-hand offensive coordinator Press Taylor the boot during the season may not be feasible when you take into account that there won't be anyone to run the team.

Maybe the Jags could promote quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy, who has head-coaching experience in the NFL and has been an offensive coordinator. Giving defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen the interim tag could be another option. Based on how things have unfolded, it's worth considering.

Owner Shad Khan said before the start of the season that this was the most talented Jaguars team ever assembled. But expectations haven't met reality and they're currently one of the worst clubs in the NFL. The pressure won't go away after the loss to the Texans.

It's true that firing Pederson would be just a band-aid solution, a measure that would stop the bleeding only temporarily. Having said that, perhaps that's what the team needs. Besides making the embattled head coach and his offensive coordinator accountable, the move could incentivize players to give their best knowing that they could be next.

In the end, though, Doug Pederson is quickly losing grip of his job and has not done enough to prove he deserves to keep it. The Jaguars could still get out of the hole they dug themselves in, but it's becoming incrementally difficult every week. That's on the head coach.

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