Jaguars' Pederson not involved about job standing

HOUSTON — Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson gave a easy response when requested if he was involved about his job standing after a last-second, 24-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday dropped his crew to 0-4.

“My standing? No.”

Then he added: “That is type of a bizarre query, however OK.”

Jaguars proprietor Shad Khan and common supervisor Trent Baalke have given no indication Pederson’s job is in jeopardy, however Khan did inform the crew the night time earlier than coaching camp that that is one of the best Jaguars crew ever assembled and that “profitable now could be the expectation.” Meaning making the playoffs, which at this level is near unattainable for the Jaguars.

Just one crew has made the playoffs after an 0-4 begin: the 1992 San Diego Chargers, who received 11 of their subsequent 12 video games to assert the AFC West title and beat the Kansas City Chiefs in a wild-card recreation earlier than shedding to the Miami Dolphins within the divisional spherical.

Asking the Jaguars to tug off one thing comparable with video games remaining in opposition to Inexperienced Bay, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Detroit and the New York Jets — particularly with a protracted checklist of accidents and the best way quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the offense are underperforming — is unrealistic.

Pederson is 18-20 in his three-plus seasons with the Jaguars, however that features a 1-9 document within the crew’s previous 10 video games relationship to the beginning of December, with the one victory coming in opposition to the Carolina Panthers on New Yr’s Eve. However the Jaguars received the AFC South in 2022 (profitable 5 in a row to shut the season) with a 9-8 document and duplicated the mark in 2023, which was the primary time the Jaguars posted back-to-back profitable seasons since 2004-05.

However the Jaguars additionally had been 8-3 and in rivalry for the No. 1 seed within the AFC final season earlier than ending 1-5, a stretch that coincided with accidents to receiver Christian Kirk (stomach/groin) and Lawrence (ankle, concussion and shoulder).

Now they’re 0-4 for the second time in 4 seasons (they began 0-5 in 2021 beneath City Meyer earlier than beating Miami in London) and there may be hypothesis Pederson’s job is perhaps in jeopardy if issues do not flip round.

One of many greatest criticisms this season is the struggling offense, which has scored a complete of 60 factors.

Lawrence is finishing solely 53.3% of his passes and his completion share over expectation is minus-12.8%. There was some uncertainty over whether or not it is Pederson or offensive coordinator Press Taylor calling the offensive performs — they shared the responsibility in 2022 however Taylor took over because the full-time playcaller final season — however that cleared up Sunday when Pederson was requested if he’d contemplate calling performs full time.

“For what? I believed he known as a fantastic recreation,” mentioned Pederson, confirming it was Taylor calling performs. “As coaches, we will not go on the market and make the performs. It is a two-way avenue. So that you guys can sit right here and level the finger all you need and it is superb. Level it proper at me, I can take it. OK. I can take it so no matter you need. Ask me, say no matter, write, go forward.”

Pederson was clearly annoyed after the loss however maintained the Jaguars weren’t removed from getting their first victory.

“We’re that near flipping the swap, making extra performs through the video games,” he mentioned. “We’re not making them proper now and that is what’s holding us again.”