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The Jacksonville Jaguars are on a mission for an improved showing after missing the 2023-24 postseason. Jacksonville added some new contributors during the offseason, including former New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. Jones seems to be getting accustomed to his new home with the Jaguars, but head coach Doug Pederson made sure to remind him he is no longer in New England.
Mac Jones has seen a fair amount of action to start the NFL Preseason. During the Jaguars' first matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 10, Jones went 9-for-11 and threw 98 yards. Then, he amassed amassed 210 yards in a 20-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He comes off another promising showing of 113 yards and one TD in a commanding 31-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 23.
Jones' performances so far earned this honest take from Doug Pederson amid the QB's arrival from the Patriots:
“Mac has played extremely well the last couple of weeks and really has bought into what we do,” Pederson said after Friday's Falcons win, per NFL.com. “He'll still revert back to his Patriot ways every now and then and we got to remind him he's in Jacksonville, but he's done a good job. He's done a good job managing and running the offense, getting everybody involved. He sees the field well, throws a good ball, so he's done a good job.”
Jaguars look for big jump in 2024
Mac Jones' early performances are a positive sign for a Jacksonville team looking to improve during the 2024 season. The Jaguars finished the 2023 season with a 9-8 record, which saw them narrowly miss the playoffs. Jacksonville's cold stretch toward the end of the season left a bad taste in Trevor Lawrence's mouth.
After the Jaguars' 30-12 loss to the Buccaneers on Dec. 24, Lawrence said his team looked “lost.” The rising star QB was not pleased with the unraveling of his team's season. Thus, he will enter 2024 with a vengeance.
Lawrence amassed 4,016 yards and 21 TDs in 2023. One year prior, he threw for a career-high 4,113 yards and 25 TDs. Doug Pederson displayed full confidence in Lawrence during the offseason as the Jaguars' QB of the future.
“The decision was easy. We all feel in the building that he's our guy, and he's obviously the face of the franchise. He was drafted two years ago, a first-round pick, to be that guy, and we have all the confidence in the world [in him]. We're just excited and thrilled for he and his family to get this contract behind him as we head into the 24′ season,” Doug Pederson said, via NFL Network.
It will be exciting to watch Lawrence and the Jaguars continue to grow together as they start a new campaign.
