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Shad Khan must act quickly when deciding Doug Pederson's fate with Jaguars | Commentary
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- Shad Khan must act quickly when deciding Doug Pederson's fate with Jaguars | Commentary
It can't keep happening.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are at a genuine crossroads, not just with their season but also with the franchise's direction for years to come.
No one would have batted an eye if you had said before the year that the Jaguars would be 0-3 to start after playing three teams that made the playoffs a season ago. The issue is how the team lost.
Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) attempts to recover a fumble along with Buffalo Bills defensive end Javon Solomon (56) during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Jacksonville Jaguars questions: Doug Pederson's hot seat and Trevor Lawrence's poor play
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Leading 17-7 heading into the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins , the Jaguars fumbled and instantly gave up an 80-yard touchdown to a player known for making 80-yard touchdowns with ease. Given running back Travis Etienne was set to score, it amounted to a 14-point swing.
The Dolphins' surge sucked the life out of the Jaguars. A loss felt inevitable — and it was.
Perhaps a loss to the Dolphins in dramatic let-down fashion can be excused.
After all, the first week of an NFL season is weird.
But the next two weeks were disasters, and after losing to a bad Cleveland team , the result against a very sharp Buffalo team punctuated that.
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In year three under head coach Doug Pederson, that wasn't just an unacceptable performance. If Jaguars owner Shad Khan was serious about his pre-season mandate — to begin winning "now" — it's a fireable performance.
"I was not misquoted," Khan told players in the team meeting room just before training camp opened. "And let me just repeat, winning now is the expectation."
Perhaps timing — early in the season, a Week 5 throwback showcase that includes inducting Jacksonville's inaugural head coach Tom Coughlin into the ring of honor — is the saving grace. I doubt it.
The expectations for Pederson's Jaguars were high from the get-go. Khan hasn't minced words since introducing Pederson on Feb. 5, 2022.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 05: Doug Pederson speaks to the media during a press conference introducing him as the new Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars alongside Shad Khan, Owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Trent Baalke, General Manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Stadium on February 05, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
"We wanted someone who knows exactly what it is to be the last team standing in February and is passionate about doing it and doing it again. That man is the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars , Doug Pederson," Khan said at the time.
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Jacksonville's offense is just above the worst in the league. They are ranked 27th or worse in the following categories: points per game (13.3, 30th), yards per game (276.3, 27th), third-down conversion rate (21.88%, 30th), red-zone scoring (36.36%, 27th), passing yards per game (160.7, 27th), sack rate (11.01%, 28th), completion percentage (53.61%, 31st).
Essentially, in any major category, besides rushing yards per game (115.7, 16th), the Jaguars are failing.
Read another quote from Khan when introducing Pederson in 2022. The words do not match what is happening, not at all. Full stop.
"He's a man who's accomplished a lot — top offensive coordinator, experienced head coach, won three division titles in five years, a man who just four years ago won the Super Bowl. And he did it for [the] Philadelphia Eagles , a city very much like Jacksonville, was looking for their first championship," Khan said.
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Here's the problem: the coach Khan is describing doesn't appear to be here in Jacksonville.
Pederson hasn't accomplished enough. He hasn't been able to put his finger on what is going wrong with Jacksonville's offense, one that, during his first year with the team, ranked seventh in the league in points per game and had massive success late in the year. A team on the rise, or so we thought.
Instead, he's a story. He's a historical figure like George Washington. What's happened in Jacksonville, particularly over the last nine games dating back to the 2023 campaign, is the book. There's no need to go back and read the prequel.
This isn't conjecture. Pederson said it after the disaster on Monday night : "This is who we are right now, and we're not a very good football team."
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It's been nearly 1,000 days since Pederson has been in charge and 2,426 days since he won the Super Bowl for the Eagles. For perspective, only defensive lineman Brandon Graham , tackle Lane Johnson , kicker Jake Elliott and long snapper Rick Lovato remain in Philadephia from that Super Bowl-winning team.
That book has dust on it.
"So in the end, I mean, we have someone who's been there, a head coach, developer of quarterbacks, a man who creates a culture for players and coaches alike, a culture they'll thrive in, and a leader who commands respect and inspires those around him. And a man who wins," said Khan .
The issue is they haven't won. They haven't won a game since Dec. 31, 2023, against the hapless Carolina Panthers , who, less than a year later have benched their first overall pick quarterback Bryce Young . And the winning QB was CJ Beathard, not Trevor Lawrence . Before the victory over the Panthers, the Jaguars hadn't won a game since Nov. 26 against the Houston Texans , who they'll play on the road this weekend.
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Has Trevor Lawrence developed? Of course, and he's even shown flashes of brilliance. But four years in, he is without a doubt playing the worst football of his career right now. A quarterback once touted as a generational talent, and who seemed to be living up to the hype heading into last season's game against the Bengals , is now under a microscope and facing withering scrutiny.
His Expected Points Added (EPA) plus Completion Percentage Over Expectation (CPOE) is at -0.014 over the last two weeks. That ranks 33rd out of 34 ( Colts QB Anthony Richardson ) among quarterbacks who have played at least 20 snaps in that span.
There is blame enough to be handed out like Halloween candy, but the crux of the issue lies with one man: Doug Pederson.
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He simply hasn't delivered. Pederson was hired because he was an affable Super Bowl veteran and a steady hand, but he just hasn't turned the Jaguars into a consistently winning franchise. Has he always had the right players? If not, he should say so. Instead, he's always preached that personnel is a collaborative effort between himself and Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke.
Khan must decide Pederson's future quickly, otherwise, the Jaguars will fall into a status quo that has become too recognizable over the past three decades: a pit of despair.
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: Should the Jaguars fire head coach Doug Pederson? Shad Khan must decide
