Subscribe
Follow Us
It’s hard to get lower than the current level of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Head coach Doug Pederson sits on a very hot seat, so much so that fans would like to leave him in London. And here are the Jaguars most to blame for the Week 6 loss Bears.
The epic fail for the Jaguars this week came in the form of a 35-16 beatdown. There’s plenty of blame to share in the locker room, but it starts at the top. And that’s with Pederson.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson no longer captain of ship
The Jaguars don’t look like a good football team. Even worse, they don’t look like an engaged squad. That falls on the once-respected shoulders of Pederson, whether he wants to accept it or not. Pederson acknowledged changes need to be made, according to espn.com
“We play a 17-game schedule, so we've got a few more games left,” Pederson said. “Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to change. I say we. It's all of us, coaches, players, everybody. We've got to change right now that culture.
“Otherwise, it just gets out of control. We're on a slippery slope, or right on the cusp of that slope. At some point we've got to (say) enough is enough, and you've got to have enough pride and figure out a way.”
Apparently the players aren’t standing behind Pederson. Safety Andre Cisco said he saw teammates quit in the game against the Bears.
“It was really bad,” Cisco said. “I just … I feel like it was … how should I say this … a lot of quit. Last line of defense in a situation like that you could feel when we're playing as one and when we're not. It felt very early in the game, maybe at halftime, that we weren't playing as one. Guys got to understand, when you're out there, you're really playing for your brother.
“You're putting guys in vulnerable positions whether that's physically or just from a career aspect. Sunday, when it counts, we understand that's the hardest part, but there's no excuse for lack of effort. That's literally the least you can do, is come out and give effort. I'm saying that to myself, too.”
Did the Saints slack off, or not?
Oddly, Pederson saw the same game with a different reaction.
“I feel like the guys are — they don't quit,” Pederson said. “They keep fighting. We've got to figure out how to just get out of our way and just play football.”
The 1-5 start likely means the Jaguars won’t be involved in the playoff picture. Considering where the team landed just two short years ago, it’s hard to imagine how quickly it has fallen. In 2022, the Jaguars won a playoff game, a dramatic 31-30 decision over the Chargers before pushing the Chiefs to the limit in the divisional round with a 27-20 loss.
They finished 9-8 last season, but the wheels are coming off just six games into this year.
Yes, there are organizational issues that may be beyond Pederson’s control. But this type of loss against the Bears shows there’s a good chance Pederson has lost the locker room.
However, quarterback Trevor Lawrence said the team has not quit on Pederson, according to jaguars.com.
“That’s our head coach,” Lawrence said. “We’re a team. Losing is hard. But it has nothing to do with that relationship and how we feel about Coach.”
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence didn’t get it done
His numbers didn’t look awful, but Lawrence has to do a better job of keeping his team within striking distance. He completed 23 of 35 passes for 234 yards with a pair of touchdown tosses. He also carried four times for 17 yards.
For a guy who is supposed to be a generational talent, Lawrence often comes up small for the Jaguars.
“I felt like we were ready to play,” Lawrence said. “I felt we had a good week. Obviously it didn’t go our way. Didn’t make enough plays. Didn’t execute. Had too many mistakes.”
Lawrence said there’s still time to get the season going in the right direction.
“We’ve got 11 games left,” he said. “There’s definitely a way back. We gotta take care of business on our end. I’ve seen us pull ourselves out of holes bigger than this.”
Pederson said Lawrence gave effort, according to jaguarswire.com.
“He played tough,” Pederson said. “I mean, he’s just one man obviously, and we’ve got to play better all-around, everybody, and he included. He knows that. There’s ownership in that. Coaches, the same way. I take full responsibility obviously, but we all need to be better.”
Pederson said the team can’t be overwhelmed by the current situation.
“I feel for the players and the coaches,” Pederson said. “We work extremely too hard to be in this position. I feel like the guys, they don’t quit. They keep fighting. We have to figure out how to just get out of our way and just play football. I say that, and it sounds easy, but it’s tough. It’s a tough game to play. We didn’t expect to be here in this spot, and, hey, now we have to find a way to get out of it.”
