The Jacksonville Jaguars seemed like they were poised to build off their 2022 AFC South championship and playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
They were 8-3 after 11 games and held the AFC’s No. 1 seed until Trevor Lawrence suffered a myriad of injuries. Jacksonville finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs in a massive late-season collapse. And while their defense, specifically their secondary, was quite bad down the stretch, CBS NFL analyst Jared Dubin says Jacksonville’s biggest question is at offensive coordinator.
“The Jags keep trying to make Press Taylor happen,: Dubin wrote. “Doug Pederson keeps trying to make Press Taylor happen. Why this is the case, nobody really knows. We haven't yet seen that the OC is able to put his players in position to succeed, let alone thrive.”
The Jaguars were 19th in EPA per play last season, and ranked 23rd from Weeks 14-18. They seem to be finding a new offensive identity in 2024, though. Jacksonville added deep threat Gabe Davis via free agency and drafted Brian Thomas Jr, who is very explosive downfield. They also upgraded their offensive line by adding Mitch Morse at center, so hopefully that means they have more success running the ball. All of it, though, will come down to how good the play caller is.
