An 8-3 start to the season for the Jacksonville Jaguars cratered into a 9-8 finish and no playoffs. After blowing their last chance to qualify for the postseason, head coach Doug Pederson couldn't argue about what his team has become.
“I think today’s game is our season in a nutshell,” Pederson told reporters after his team lost 28-20 to the Tennessee Titans, courtesy of NFL Network's James Palmer. A Week 18 victory would've given the Jaguars a second AFC South title. Instead, their season ended on Sunday in shocking fashion.
Pederson specifically cited his team's missed tackling on defense, turnovers on offense, and other self-inflicted issues as being representative of who Jacksonville has been over the last month and a half of the season.
Everything changed over the last six weeks for Jacksonville, who endured a nightmare December en route to falling out of the AFC's playoff picture entirely. The team entered the home stretch with a better than 98 percent chance to make the playoffs.
Pederson, Jaguars complete free fall
Facing a Joe Burrow-less Cincinnnati Bengals team on Monday Night Football, the Jags lost in an overtime thriller on December 4 that saw QB Trevor Lawrence suffer a high ankle sprain. The Jaguars would go on to lose their next three games.
Despite limping into their regular season finale, Jacksonville still controlled its own destiny. Facing a Titans squad that had nothing to play for and was starting their backup quarterback, Pederson's team fumbled chance after chance.
Lawrence was picked off twice and three drives ended on downs, including a goal line stand by Tennessee halfway through the fourth quarter. A sneak by Lawrence on fourth and one was stuffed, preventing the Jaguars from tying the game.
It perfectly summed up the Jaguars' inability to close out a golden opportunity. Now, their season is over.
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