The Jacksonville Jaguars are likely another loss or two away from wholesale changes.
The offense has been bad, the defense has been worse, and the coaching has been poor across the board during a miserable 1-5 start to 2024.
If head coach Doug Pederson is able to hold onto his job for another month or two, he’s going to need a scapegoat. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox sees offensive coordinator Press Taylor falling on that sword.
“Taylor, who shared play-calling duties with head coach Doug Peterson in 2022, took over full-time last season,” Knox wrote. “After ranking 10th in both points and yards in 2022, Jacksonville ranked 13th in both categories last season. Jacksonville has tumbled further this year, and offensive efficiency remains a serious problem.
“The Jaguars have converted just 25.9 percent of their third-down attempts, the third-worst conversion rate in the NFL. They also have the seventh-worst red-zone touchdown rate (tied) in the NFL this season.”
Jacksonville’s offense has been a mess this season. Taylor was tasked with integrating two new wide receivers in rookie first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. and veteran Gabe Davis. While Thomas has flashed the potential to be a No. 1 receiver in the league, he hasn’t been featured that way, sitting 27th among NFL wide receivers in total targets through six games. Davis hauled in a pair of garbage-time touchdowns against the Chicago Bears, but he's been a major disappointment since arriving in Duval County.
The Jaguars rank among the bottom of the league in average time of possession (30th), third-down conversions (29th) and total plays (29th). They can’t sustain drives, which is why they’re averaging just 18.8 points per game. They’ve averaged 15.2 points in their five losses.
In the short-term, Pederson should strip play-calling duties from Taylor and call his own game against the New England Patriots in Week 7. Because if heads do roll in Jacksonville, Pederson should definitely be among those packing his bags.
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