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Doug Pederson says OC Press Taylor will call plays in preseason for Jacksonville Jaguars
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- Doug Pederson says OC Press Taylor will call plays in preseason for Jacksonville Jaguars
There won't be a definitive answer as to who will call plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular season until Week 1 rolls around, but Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson did share who will perform the duties for the first preseason game.
"For preseason, [offensive coordinator] Press [Taylor] will do it for preseason," Pederson said Thursday morning before the final practice ahead of Saturday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs .
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As for who will be the team's play-caller for the regular season? That's to be determined, Pederson said.
Jaguars camp report Day 13: Trevor Lawrence goes deep to Brian Thomas, again
Taylor called all of the team's plays during the regular season last year after calling plays during the second half of games a season prior.
Pederson has been asked about play-calling in nearly every press conference since opening the floodgates in February at the NFL Scouting Combine this year . Though attempts by reporters to ascertain whether or not Pederson would be changing his mind on play-calling have been plentiful, Pederson has never given a direct answer .
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Pederson says Press Taylor will call plays from the field in preseason
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, right, fist bumps offensive coordinator Press Taylor before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Though Taylor's play-calling duties aren't changing just yet, where he calls from will be different than last season.
Last year, Taylor called plays from the booth, but this year he's taking his talents to the field level. It's a mixed bag around the league of coordinators or calling plays from the booth.
"Press is going to try it on the field. I know that. I told him he'll like it. He'll like it down there," Pederson said. Pederson has called plays from both in the booth and on the field level as a coordinator and head coach throughout his career.
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Pederson explained the benefits of Taylor being down on the field.
"Well, one is you get to feel the game. Two, you're with the players. And three, you get to make the corrections right now, communication-wise," said Pederson. "You feel connected to the football game a little bit more. I've been in, early my career, I was in the box as well, and you're kind of removed, and it's a little more challenging up there."
Trevor Lawrence doesn't care where Taylor is on game day
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and offensive coordinator Press Taylor talk during the third day of an NFL football training camp practice Friday, July 26, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
While it could be advantageous for Taylor's sake to get a different feel for the game, there won't be much of a difference from quarterback Trevor Lawrence's perspective.
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"I mean, to be honest, I don't really care that much where he is at. I think it cuts down some of the communication time, I guess that would be accurate. But either way, I can get on the headset [real] quick or I can tell [quarterbacks coach] Mike [McCoy] if I'm thinking [of] something to tell [Taylor]," Lawrence said when asked about Taylor's switch to the field in the preseason.
"So that communication's always been good so it doesn't change much. It'll be cool to see him down there and interact with him. I think it'll be good for him to get a feel for the team. Some games are just different and the feel at the beginning you feel it as players and coaches on the field, but I'm sure it's different from the press box or the coach's booth."
Taylor's move downstairs could offer the young offensive coordinator a different perspective than he's not had in the past, allowing for better communication and insight that he wouldn't typically be able to gather. For an individual player, including Lawrence, the difference might not be much, but for Taylor, it could give him another layer of understanding.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor will call plays in preseason
