Head coach Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars addressed a number of recent coaching changes on Tuesday, stating that while making broad personnel selections was challenging, “changes were necessary” to advance the Jaguars.
On that side of the ball, Pederson fired seven coaches, including defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, on Monday night. The Jaguars fired running backs coach Bernie Parmalee on Tuesday and decided not to extend assistant offensive line coach Todd Washington’s contract.
“I have made the tough choice to relieve a number of coaching staff members—from both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball—of their responsibilities since the conclusion of our season. In a statement, Pederson said, “I want to thank all of these coaches for their diligent efforts these last two seasons. “In the end, I believed that in order for our football team to accomplish the things we are capable of, change was required.”
The sudden wave of adjustments follows Jacksonville’s questionable conclusion. With an 8-3 record at the beginning of December, it was competing for the AFC’s top seed. They finished with a 1-5 slump, missing the playoffs after losing 28-20 to a 5-11 Tennessee squad.
Derrick Henry (19 carries, 153 yards, 1 touchdown) racked up a season-high amount of rushing yards against the Jaguars in that contest. During its 1-5 slump, Jacksonville allowed 24.3 points per game, which was the 26th-highest in the league. During that period, the single victory was a 26-0 thumping of the miserable Panthers.
To the dismay of supporters, the attacking staff has stayed largely unchanged, with Parmalee being the exception.Press Taylor, the offensive coordinator, was mostly held accountable by supporters for the breakdown, according to a News4JAX survey conducted on Monday. Out of almost 5,700 supporters, Taylor received 29% of the vote.
Trevor Lawrence, a quarterback, came in second at 21%. Lawrence needs to improve, particularly with regard to turnover. Lawrence has responsible for 60 turnovers (39 interceptions, 21 fumbles) and 69 touchdowns (59 throwing, 11 rushing) in his first three seasons. Those totals (74 total touchdowns, 63 total turnovers) are comparable to those of former Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles during his first three seasons in the city. That’s hardly exactly a thunderous endorsement of Lawrence as the quarterback of the next generation.
In 2023, Pederson and the offensive braintrust must delve deeply into the cause of Lawrence’s decline. Was it a result of a subpar offensive line that let Lawrence get sacked 35 times in 16 games, or was there a structural issue?
It is unlikely that the attacking system will alter with Taylor gone from it, for those who were hoping for such.
Pederson, who coached alongside Taylor in Philadelphia, has a great deal of faith in the man. Pederson’s employment with the Eagles was ultimately lost as a result of that relationship. Taylor’s promotion from quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator was Pederson’s intention.Reportedly, Philadelphia owner Jeffrey Lurie desired an offensive coordinator with more expertise to help turn around one of the worst teams in the league. Jan. 11, 2021, Pederson was let go by him.
