Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson is taking full accountability for his team’s dismal 2-9 start to the season, calling for a reassessment of strategies during the bye week after a historic loss to the Detroit Lions.
Speaking on Monday, a day after the Jaguars suffered a franchise-worst 52-6 defeat at Ford Field, Pederson emphasized that the blame starts with him. “I think you’ve got to be really, really careful when you start pointing fingers at certain people. It’s a dangerous thing, and I’m not going to do that,” Pederson said, via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “As a head coach in this league that’s going through what we’re going through, you’re pointing a finger and if it’s got to be pointed, it needs to be pointed at me. Start with me.”
The Jaguars’ performance against the Lions was disastrous. Detroit amassed 645 yards — the second-most ever allowed by Jacksonville in a single game — while the Jaguars managed only 170 yards, including a mere 41 rushing yards. Over their last three games, Jacksonville has surrendered nearly 1,500 yards of offense while producing just 528, both franchise-worst marks for a three-game stretch.
The loss marked Jacksonville’s fourth straight and ensured yet another losing season — their 11th in the past 14 years. During that span, the team has reached the playoffs only twice. Many speculated that Pederson, in his third season with the Jaguars, might be on the chopping block. Despite a 20-25 record with the team, Pederson is responsible for two of Jacksonville’s three winning seasons over the last 14 years, including leading them to the playoffs.
Pederson dismissed concerns over his job security, stating he had no meetings scheduled with team owner Shad Khan and planned to proceed with his team into the bye week. Acknowledging the toll of the season, Pederson emphasized the need to recalibrate.
“Where we are and still six games to go, I think it’s time to just hit the reset button and just sort of rewind, kind of get fresh again, coaches and players,” Pederson said. He tasked his staff with reevaluating their approach, including schematics, player roles, and personnel decisions. “If we come out of this bye and we just kind of keep doing the same things and trying to expect different results, it’s probably not going to happen, right? So, we’ve got to do some little things, some minor things.”
With six games left, Pederson’s efforts to revitalize the Jaguars will determine whether they can salvage some positives from an otherwise disappointing season.