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It’s likely going to be an awful finish to the 2024 season for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as Trevor Lawrence has opted for shoulder surgery. Lawrence took a dirty hit from a Texans player, and Rex Ryan piled on as if Lawrence should be blamed. Are you shaking your head with me? Anyway, here are two Jaguars most to blame for the miserable 2024 campaign.
The Jaguars started 0-4 before winning two of their next three games. Three straight one-score losses set the stage for a late-season free fall that has them 2-10 and little hope of anything but a high draft pick in 2025.
Yes, he’s a Super Bowl-winning coach. But Doug Pederson is at the forefront of the Jaguars-to-blame list.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson hasn’t gotten the job done
Many people seem to think Pederson is a coaching whiz. After all, his team went 13-3 in his second season with the Eagles and stormed through the playoffs to win the Super Bowl.
But let’s look at Pederson’s record in other seasons: 7-9, 9-7, 9-7, 4-11-1, 9-8, 9-8, 2-10. He has a losing record overall at 62-63-1. So what’s all the fuss about?
It seems like Pederson is a guy who caught the tailwind with the Eagles in 2017. It could be described as the right place at the right time, but nothing else about his career suggests he’s a great coach. And the failure in Jacksonville has been massive.
In his three years with $275 million quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Pederson guided Lawrence from 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions in year one to 21-14 in year two and a dismal 11-7 in 2024.
To his credit, Pederson hasn’t gone head hunting on his staff, telling nfl.com a few weeks ago he didn’t want to go that direction.
“I think you got to be really, really careful when you start pointing fingers at certain people,” Pederson said when asked about defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen's job status. “That's a dangerous thing, and I'm not going to do that. Not doing it. Not right now. As a head coach in this league that's going through what we're going through, you're pointing a finger. And if it needs to be pointed, it needs to be pointed it at me. Start with me. That's enough on that.”
Jaguars won't go in the thank, according to Doug Pederson
And in another credit to Pederson, he said his team will still fight in its final five games, according to jaguars.com. He said they won’t quit.
“I won't let that happen,” Doug Pederson said. “That's up to me to make sure that these guys don't throw in the towel or wave the white flag. That's on me to make sure that that doesn't happen, and I won't let that happen. We have great leadership in that locker room, and I'll lean on those guys to help me in that.”
Tight end Evan Engram added, “We all need to be able to put in perspective what our situation is and what we have left, what our responsibility is for what we have left. I don't have any doubts that that's understood, but I think it's right to have those conversations and make sure everybody's on the same page and committed. I firmly believe we are.”
And Travis Etienne Jr. said, “You have to tap into why you started playing the game, why you want to be in the NFL. No one wants to go out there and just lose games. My mom's watching me. My brother's watching me. I have to put my best foot forward, (and) I want to be an inspiration to somebody every time I step on the field.
“I don't take any Sunday for granted. I'm going to treat this as if it's the first game of the season because I do love the game of football. It's easy to give your all when things are going your way. Who are you when things aren't going your way?”
QB Trevor Lawrence hasn’t earned his pay
It’s quite simple in the NFL. If you get paid the big bucks, you have to play like you deserve that kind of money. Lawrence ranks among players like Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. But his numbers have trailed off dramatically this season.
Lawrence has completed only 60.6% of his passes for 2,045 yards. He’s nowhere near the player he showed he could in 2022.
Trade talk surfaced before Lawrence’s season-ending surgery, which shows how far Lawrence has slipped. Franchise quarterbacks don’t get caught up in trade rumors very often. Tiki Barber wanted his former team, the New York Giants, to go after Lawrence, according to thespun.com.
“The guys running the Giants need to consider that as an option,” Barber said. “Figure out the package it’s going to take and trade for Trevor Lawrence. He's got all the talent you want. The challenge for him is he hasn't had consistency in his coaching staff. If you’re worried about the turnovers, what was Brian Daboll’s greatest accomplishment with Daniel Jones? He led the league in turnover percentage.
“I think this is an interesting scenario and option. If you're the Giants making a decision on a head coach, how many years are you going to give them to draft a quarterback and hope that he develops? It gives them a chance to find success quicker. They need success. they can’t keep throwing losing records on their résumé.”
There’s always 2025 for Lawrence, and perhaps a new coach and new system could get his career back on track.
