Saints' firing of Dennis Allen should prompt Jaguars to dismiss Doug Pederson

Despite giving it their all, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. They took things to the wire but ultimately came up short. The Jags are now 2-7 and without a realistic chance to make the playoffs. This means that their season has ended for all intents and purposes, and they should start planning for next year. The New Orleans Saints have done precisely that.

The Saints won two games to start the season but have lost seven straight. Falling to the Carolina Panthers might've been the straw that broke the camel's back, as New Orleans dismissed head coach Dennis Allen one day later.

Following the loss, Allen told the press corps that he was going to continue working like he had in previous weeks. But after assessing the situation, management concluded that moving on from him was the best course of action.

Allen was in his third season and 18-25 as the head coach of the Saints. Prior to that, he had served as their defensive coordinator from 2015-2021. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi will now take over as the interim to finish the year.

Before Week 9, Carolina had just won one game this season and was generally seen as the worst team in the league. That makes the loss even more painful. Add the fact that the Panthers were boasting about the win, and it's easy to see why the Saints felt embarrassed.

On a related note, the Las Vegas Raiders dismissed offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg, and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello.

The Jaguars must follow suit, fire Doug Pederson and Press Taylor

Neither the Saints nor Las Vegas will suddenly start a playoff run, but at least they realize that they weren't going to get any better with Dennis Allen and Luke Getsy, respectively, in the fold. Why hold onto somebody if things aren't working? The Jacksonville Jaguars should follow suit and dismiss Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

The Jags made the playoffs and won the AFC South in Pederson's first year at the helm. However, things have gone sideways more recently. After an 8-3 start in 2023, they lost five of their last six games. It's only gotten worse this season. Sitting at 2-7, Jacksonville has nowhere to go. But leaving aside the win-loss record, the team looks uninspiring and unprepared more often than not.

The offense, in particular, has been plagued by drops and missed blocks on the offensive line. The scheme doesn't seem to be built around the players' strengths, whether it's Trevor Lawrence or rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr.

Heck, Thomas is the team's best receiver. Yet, he was only targeted four times in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The interception Lawrence threw to running back D'Ernest Johnson was certainly off target but the play wasn't well designed. Add the fact that Johnson, at 5'10", is one of the shortest players on the roster, and it was puzzling to see him trying to reel in a jump ball.

Why isn't Thomas getting the ball with the game on the line? Sure, Lawrence pulled the trigger, but the playcalling wasn't great. That falls on Pederson and Taylor.

The bottom line is that Pederson and Taylor aren't putting the players in a position to succeed, but Jaguars owner Shad Khan is seemingly keeping both of them for the remainder of the year. It's true that firing them won't quickly solve all the team issues, but the Jags could get a head start in the search for their replacements.

Ultimately, Khan has given Pederson, Taylor, and Trent Baalke plenty of time to turn the Jaguars into a contender. So far, they've not shown enough to make you think they will. That's why he needs to bring someone who will.

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