Another Jacksonville Jaguars win over Titans feels too little, too late for Pederson, Baalke

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Another Jacksonville Jaguars win over Titans feels too little, too late for Pederson, Baalke

Gene Frenette, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union · The Florida Times-Union

Mon, Dec 30, 2024 ·

9 min read

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For a three-hour period Sunday in mostly wet, dreary conditions, the Jacksonville Jaguars ' fans who showed up at EverBank Stadium got a sliver of post-Christmas cheer.

Beating the Tennessee Titans is always a welcome gift. Still, let's not pretend that escaping with a 20-13 victory over the Jaguars' hated AFC South rival should change anything, at least not with what owner Shad Khan should do in the coming week about his leadership structure of head coach Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke.

They still got to go.

Baalke, for sure, and Pederson maybe with a tiny bit less certainty, only because he's had a shorter time in the Jaguars' losing environment.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson talks with line judge Mark Steinkerchner (84) during the third quarter Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars held off the Titans 20-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

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As much as it might pain Khan to issue pink slips to a coach-GM combo that delivered the franchise's first back-to-back winning seasons since 2004-05, five wins in the last 22 games is an alarming trend for a roster that had reasonably high expectations entering the season.

It's by no means a guarantee that Khan will fire either Pederson or Baalke, especially since he would have to pay them and a few other coaches in 2025 if they're not working.

But when you consider the direction of this Jaguars' train, and how disenchanted its fan base would be without significant changes being made, it's going to be hard for Khan to justify maintaining the status quo.

No matter how close his 4-12 team was to turning nine one-score losses into wins, the record is the record.

Look, every NFL team with a pitiful win-loss ledger can play the what-if game. It's what losers do.

You can counter with how a dreadful season could have been far better had it not been for injuries or bad breaks, like a costly fumble nullifying a touchdown here ( Miami Dolphins , Week 1), an illegal shift penalty nullifying another TD there ( Cleveland Browns , Week 2).

The truth is, losing close games and failing to make game-winning plays in clutch moments — whether franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence and all his weapons were available or not — has been the Jaguars' identity for over a year now.

As nice as it felt for the Jaguars to earn a sweep of the Titans, it doesn't change the feeling that Jacksonville needs some new voices leading it in 2025.

We can only wait and see if Khan decides that his franchise must undergo a serious leadership makeover.

Thomas keeps delivering for his QB

The biggest reason why Mac Jones had his best game in a Jaguars uniform is the same reason why the Jaguars remain a mildly entertaining product: Brian Thomas Jr.

No matter how depleted this offense is from a weapons standpoint, or how much opposing defenses are aware of Thomas' potency, the rookie receiver keeps finding ways to energize the Jaguars' offense.

It's not like Thomas had a wild breakout game, but he consistently makes plays that helps this limited offense put points on the board.

"A couple of times today on different things, giving him the football in space, guys just did a great job blocking for him, too," said Pederson. "Any time you get Brian Thomas the ball, in his hands, it's pretty electric. He does some great things with it.

"So just want to continue to expand that role for him. But at the same time, be smart and if it helps the offense, then we're going to do it."

It was nice to see Pederson and maligned play-caller Press Taylor throw a different wrinkle on the Jaguars' first touchdown drive. After Thomas took a short pass for 17 yards, they came back to him on the next play with a reverse (taking a flip handoff from Jones) that netted 18 more yards.

Every Jaguars score had Thomas' fingerprints all over it, including the 11-yard TD floater from Jones when No. 7 beat Jarvis Brownlee Jr. , the same Titans cornerback he toasted earlier on a 31-yard reception.

As usual, Thomas downplayed adding to his collection of rookie records, including him joining Randy Moss, Odell Beckham Jr., and Ja'Marr Chase as the only receivers in NFL history with 1,100-plus yards and 10 touchdowns.

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: Brian Thomas Jr. #7 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs against the Tennessee Titans during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium on December 29, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)

"I wouldn't say I don't care about them," said Thomas, "but it's definitely a great feeling to be able to do some of the things that I did."

Nothing has been greater than seeing the LSU product, the fourth receiver taken in the 2024 draft, emerge as the most productive rookie at his position.

"He is special," said Jaguars receiver Parker Washington , who also caught a 2-yard TD. "He is a first-round receiver. You expect big things and he is owning it. He's been doing a great job.

"It's been exciting to see him grow. I am very grateful to be his teammate and it's been fun this season. I'm excited to keep seeing what he is going to do."

Maligned defense shows a pulse

It's impossible to sugarcoat how pathetic the Jaguars have been most of this season, giving up big play after big play in so many game-deciding moments.

Last week, Ryan Nielsen's unit couldn't even hold a fourth quarter lead against the score-challenged Las Vegas Raiders , allowing quarterback Aiden O'Connell to complete five passes in six plays during a game-winning, 70-yard TD drive.

For a few seconds late in the fourth quarter against Tennessee, it appeared the defense might crumble again and allow a game-tying TD with backup Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph at the controls.

Luckily, after a Josh Hines-Allen offsides penalty gave Tennessee a fresh set of downs at the Jaguars' 26, the defense stood its ground for a change.

The next sequence went as follows: a pass broken up by linebacker Foye Oluokun , a hit by Arik Armstead on Rudolph forcing an incompletion, a near-sack by blitzing safety Andrew Wingard forcing a throw-away, then Antonio Johnson reaching in to deflect a potential TD catch in the end zone by Nick Westbrook-Ikhine .

Just as the Jaguars did three weeks ago at Tennessee, denying QB Will Levis on two potential game-winning drives, the defense showed — albeit against the NFL's 27th-ranked offense — it doesn't always have to be an eyesore.

"Man, it felt good," said pass-rusher Josh Hines-Allen, who had his eighth sack of the season. "We kind of finished like we finished the last game [against the Titans]."

Tough to see leaders sticking around

Say this much for Pederson in his most disappointing season of an eight-year head coaching career: his players are mostly balling out in tough circumstances.

The Jaguars could have easily let go of the rope after getting cakewalked by the Detroit Lions 52-6 in mid-November, but they've put themselves in position to win every game since then.

Despite his coaching staff knowing the gravity of their job security — and players realizing big changes could be on the horizon — Pederson keeping everybody engaged shows how much he respects the game by not letting the Jaguars mail in the season.

That includes keeping all his assistant coaches focused on the job at hand, not a likely future employment change.

"For me, it's more about just having some one-off conversations," Pederson said. "I don't get them together and say, 'Hey, this is what needs,' ... we're adults and we understand. We see what is being written, being said. Listen, we put ourselves in — I'm the leader of that ship or captain of that ship and obviously we've put ourselves in this situation.

"Just having one-off conversations and trying to, for me, still to encourage them as well and get them to understand that, hey, we've got a lot to play for and coach for. ... and you put your best foot forward and you give it everything you have during the week. When you're rewarded like we were today, just makes it sweeter."

Say what you will about the underachieving Jaguars, there's no sign of surrender at closing time.

"The thing is the guys aren't, they're not waving the white flag," said Pederson. "Look, whatever happens at the end of the season is going to happen. We've still got one game left. For us to finish the way we want to finish, whatever happens, regardless, we want to finish this thing the right way."

While Jones was complimentary of Pederson's organization and preparation for the offense, it's clear players are hesitant to make any declarations about the leadership's future.

"That's not my decision," said Thomas. "I don't have anything to do with that."

Oluokun wanted no part of being immersed in a discussion about Pederson and Baalke coming back, replying: "I think what you're asking is above our heads. All we can do is control what our calls and schemes are. If somebody feels like we got to go a different way, that's up to them."

Pederson and Baalke cannot deny the 5-17 record since the start of December 2023, when the Jaguars' epic collapse began. Plus, all the offseason money investments in free agents Armstead, receiver Gabe Davis , cornerback Ronald Darby and safety Darnell Savage are like a scarlet letter attached to Baalke that drafting Thomas can't wash away.

However, there remains one sliver of consolation on Pederson's body of work. A win next week in the season finale against the Indianapolis would give the Jaguars a winning AFC South record at 4-2 for the third consecutive year.

The Jaguars haven't done that since Tom Coughlin's teams went 25-9 in the old AFC Central from 1996-99.

Unfortunately, the downside is Pederson's team has gone 11-22 in non-division games. Maybe if the Jaguars had just beaten the Titans in Week 18 last year to win another AFC South title, it wouldn't feel like Khan's two primary leaders currently have one foot out the door.

Satisfying as it may be for Pederson and Baalke to have swept Tennessee, it feels like too little, too late.

Of course, given Shad Khan's patience and unpredictability, it wouldn't be a total shock that one or both survive.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com : (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Savoring victory over Titans does little to help Pederson, Baalke job status

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