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After a 0-3 start and a 47-10 embarrassment on Monday Night Football, the pressure is on for the Jacksonville Jaguars. There were sky-high expectations entering the season, including owner Shad Khan stating that “winning now” is expected, but the Jaguars are left with more questions than answers. Trevor Lawrence and the offense have been bad. The defense is equally underwhelming. All in all, everything is a mess in Jacksonville. But for Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, in his third season in Jacksonville, the answer to getting on track is simple: Return to basics.
“If you want to be an elite football team, it's led from within, it's led by the players,” Pederson said. “Listen: The speeches are done. The speeches are over. We don't need any more rah-rah stuff. It's just time to go play football, fix the mistakes, and do everything we can to play our best football this weekend.”
It's not just the 0-3 start that has signaled panic in Jacksonville. The Jaguars have been 1-8 since Week 13, 2023, the worst record in the NFL over that span. Sunday gets no easier for Pederson's squad, which heads on the road to face the Houston Texans. Houston's defense has allowed 163.0 pass yards per game and is one of four clubs that have not allowed 200-plus yards in any game in 2024. So, if the Jaguars want to get back on track, it must be against a formidable foe.
What's been going wrong for the Jaguars?
What's wrong with Jacksonville is at quarterback, where Lawrence has struggled. Through three games, the highly-paid quarterback averages 186.7 pass yards per game with two touchdown tosses and one interception for a 75.1 passer rating. It marks the fewest passing yards per game and touchdowns in his career's first three games of a season. The only qualified quarterbacks with fewer pass touchdowns than Lawrence in 2024 are Bryce Young (0), Bo Nix (0), and Jacoby Brissett (1).
“We have to take a hard look at ourselves, first internally as far as coaching goes,” Pederson said, “And then making sure we present the plans with great communication. Look: It's a two-way street, too. Coaches coach and players play.
“We have to make sure our players are playing fast and not making the mistakes that are showing up.”
Right now, Jacksonville is playing sloppy and uninspired football. That's on Pederson and not just Lawrence. The roster has much more talent, and there are several proven leaders. Yet, they rank near the cellar in the NFL in points scored and surrendered. That's a reflection of Pederson's performance. How can the Jaguars and Pederson fix this? It's hard to say. But unless they find the answers quickly, they'll remain stuck in the hole they dug themselves into.
