JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For a second, it regarded just like the Jacksonville Jaguars had been on their option to a 17-point fourth quarter lead in opposition to the Miami Dolphins to open the 2024 season.
A street victory in opposition to the Dolphins could be an effective way to start out, given the late-season collapse that value the Jaguars a playoff bid and an AFC South title in 2023. Miami was additionally the primary of 4 straight playoff groups the Jaguars would face to start the season.
However three yards from the objective line, with the Jaguars up 17-7, Dolphins security Jevon Holland hit operating again Travis Etienne Jr. from the left and knocked the soccer unfastened. Nickel again Kader Kohou recovered it at the back of the tip zone and the Dolphins took over on their very own 20-yard line with 2:19 to play within the third quarter.
Eleven seconds later, Dolphins vast receiver Tyreek Hill scored an 80-yard landing on a move from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, reducing the Jaguars result in 17-14.
The Jaguars did not cross midfield once more whereas the Dolphins tied the sport. Then, as time expired, the Dolphins kicked a game-winning discipline objective.
“When you grasp onto that soccer, you are a 24-7 lead going into the fourth quarter, and who is aware of?” then-head coach Doug Pederson stated. “Go to the following sport [against the Cleveland Browns]. If we do not have an unlawful shift within the crimson zone, we rating a landing, kick a discipline objective, it is a completely different ball sport.
“It is simply, ‘What if?'”
The opening loss was the primary indication the problems that derailed the 2023 season had not been resolved. The Jaguars went on to blow seven second-half leads, together with six within the fourth quarter, and went 3-10 in one-score video games in 2024.
Among the many points, the group lacked a robust identification, robust vocal management within the locker room, on-field self-discipline and a number of other key gamers attributable to damage, together with franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. These struggles had been compounded by a disappointing free agent class and one of many worst defenses in franchise historical past.
The “greatest group assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars,” as proprietor Shad Khan known as it in coaching camp, ended the season 4-13 and final within the AFC South.
Khan fired Pederson someday after the season ended — but retained normal supervisor Trent Baalke — and turned his consideration to hiring his sixth head coach since changing into proprietor in 2011.
“As a lot as Doug and I each want his expertise right here in Jacksonville would have ended higher,” Khan stated, “I’ve an obligation firstly to serve the most effective pursuits of our group and particularly our followers, who faithfully help our group and are overdue to be rewarded. In that spirit, the time to summon new management is now.”
AFTER THE 2023 season, Baalke was vital of the Jaguars in his end-of-season information convention.
“You have to develop that identification within the offseason and right through coaching camp, the preseason and into the season,” Baalke stated on Jan. 25, 2024. “We have to get greater. We have to get stronger and get extra bodily within the trenches.”
Although the entrance workplace tried to construct the group via an lively free company and draft, that identification was by no means established.
As an alternative, Khan famous the 2024 Jaguars had been “probably the most predictable group on either side of the ball” at his end-of-season information convention.
Khan stated he left his assembly with Pederson the week earlier than the season finale not liking the coach’s plan transferring ahead — which, based on a group supply, included no main adjustments. That is when Khan made his determination.
“What we had been doing was not working and a change in course was wanted,” he stated.
Khan’s evaluation on the Jaguars’ predictability was shared by Baalke, based on a group supply.
Think about this, courtesy of ESPN Analysis:
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The Jaguars used movement on the snap on 11.3% of their snaps (fewest within the NFL) and ranked thirty first in performs with pre-snap movement (44.1%).
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As well as, 77.3% of the Jaguars’ rush makes an attempt had been between the tackles (third-highest price within the league).
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The Jaguars ran designed move performs 69% of the time on second downs, which ranked behind solely the Cincinnati Bengals (73%).
Lawrence agreed the offense was predictable at occasions, primarily as a result of operating the ball was a problem. The Jaguars averaged 2.13 yards per rush earlier than first contact, worse than all however the Carolina Panthers, and ranked twenty sixth in speeding offense (101.0 yards per sport).
“We weren’t in a position to run the ball constantly, successfully, the previous few years and I believe that basically gave us hassle,” Lawrence stated. “It is arduous to get all the things else going when that is struggling, so I believe that is the place you possibly can see the predictability.
“Clearly, this 12 months it turns into even more durable with a bunch of accidents … then it’s difficult to be unpredictable and environment friendly and explosive.”
9 starters or key gamers missed a complete of 39 video games, led by Lawrence (eight), receivers Christian Kirk (9) and Gabe Davis (seven) and tight finish Evan Engram (eight).
Pederson was adamant coordinator Press Taylor’s playcalling wasn’t the rationale the offense struggled.
Pederson confronted exterior criticism about Taylor in 2023, who took over full-time playcalling duties that season. Earlier than that, Pederson and Taylor cut up halves in a profitable 2022 season.
Final February, Pederson stated he would reevaluate playcalling. Khan stated in June that he had a desire on who he needed to name performs however would go away the choice as much as Pederson. A group supply stated Baalke needed Pederson to name performs in 2024, however didn’t push the problem.
Pederson ultimately confirmed Taylor was nonetheless the playcaller after a Sept. 29 loss to the Houston Texans.
Nonetheless, it continued to be a degree of rivalry.
For instance, in Week 10 with Kirk and Davis out for the season, Brian Thomas Jr. — who led rookie receivers in targets, receiving yards and touchdowns this season — was anticipated to be a much bigger a part of the offense as WR1. But Thomas did not get his first goal from quarterback Mac Jones in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings till 1:02 remained within the third quarter. Thomas ended up with two catches for 12 yards on a season-low three targets.
In Week 14 in opposition to the Tennessee Titans, Jones focused Thomas twice within the first half, however after a sideline dialog between Pederson and Taylor, the Jaguars determined to force-feed Thomas. He had eight catches for 86 yards on 10 targets within the second half, together with a 31-yarder that arrange the go-ahead landing within the Jaguars’ 10-6 victory.
“You need to execute your sport plan. You need to get issues going, get all people concerned when you possibly can,” Pederson stated postgame. “However then sooner or later, you recognize what? We received to get BT the ball. … We made a aware effort to [really] concentrate on that. And it was profitable for us.
“And all people’s gonna go, ‘Nicely, why do not you try this in the beginning of the sport?’ Nicely, I imply, OK, yeah. We in all probability ought to. Perhaps they’re smarter than we’re.”
THE OFFENSE WASN’T the one drawback.
Pederson made an offseason change on protection, firing Mike Caldwell and hiring former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. However the unit did not enhance beneath Nielsen — it received worse.
By the tip of the season, the Jaguars ranked final in move protection, thirty first in whole protection, twenty fifth in run protection, twenty seventh in scoring protection and twenty fifth on third downs. They compelled a league-low 9 turnovers and had been the one group in single digits.
The Jaguars’ 389.9 yards per sport allowed was the second-worst common in franchise historical past (417.7 in 2020) and their 257.4 passing yards per sport allowed was the third-worst mark in franchise historical past.
And to Khan’s earlier level, they had been predictable.
Defensively, the Jaguars lined up with two excessive safeties a league-high 60.9% of the time whereas enjoying Cowl 3 a league-low 8.3% of the time. They performed man protection 56% of the time, barely behind the Detroit Lions (56.4%) and Denver Broncos (56.3%).
In line with a number of group sources, gamers had been upset with the rotation system Nielsen put in when he arrived.
Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker had been the highest edge rushers, but there have been occasions when each had been off the sector on the similar time, typically leaving veteran Arik Armstead — who had success as a move rusher in his earlier 9 seasons speeding from the inside — and seventh-round rookie Myles Cole on the sector in key conditions.
Equally, one of many Jaguars greatest tacklers, Foyesade Oluokun, had performed all however 18 of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps the previous two seasons and led the NFL in solo tackles every season. However in 2024, he performed 88% of the defensive snaps in 13 video games (he missed 4 on IR with a foot damage).
Blown coverages, missed assignments and the shortcoming to make performs in essential moments on the finish of video games (giving up a protracted move to arrange a game-winning discipline objective in opposition to Inexperienced Bay Packers backup QB Malik Willis, for instance) had been points all season.
“Fundamentals,” Hines-Allen stated. “All the way down to the basics, right down to the attention development, right down to putting the block, right down to realizing who to dam … it is all right down to these issues that proper now.
“It’s arduous to speak about. It is arduous to be part of it. Onerous to clarify it, to be like, ‘Oh, that is the rationale why.'”
A number of sources contained in the group known as the Jaguars undisciplined and never mentally robust.
Pederson known as the group’s self-inflicted errors on either side of the ball the “most irritating factor that I’ve seen or been part of, and it is one thing that is been holding us again all 12 months. And sooner or later you’d assume that sufficient could be sufficient.”
AMID A SEASON of on-field turmoil, the locker room appeared to stay collectively however confidence began to erode.
Two days after the Jaguars’ 24-20 loss in Houston dropped their report to 0-4, a report surfaced that Pederson had misplaced the locker room.
A number of gamers disputed the report, together with Engram, who stated he hadn’t seen indicators of anybody quitting and was proud the group hadn’t fractured.
“It is arduous to stay your chest out and say that as a result of clearly the outcomes are what issues on this league, however I believe it is only a nice testomony to the blokes within the locker room and the blokes that make the selection each morning to come back in right here and work and decide to the making the ship and to proceed to struggle for the precise end result for the end result we wish,” he stated.
Because the season went on, regardless of separate four- and five-game shedding streaks — which included a 46-point loss to the Lions, the worst in franchise historical past — gamers stated they by no means totally checked out.
“The stop isn’t in our mindset or in our vocabulary,” cornerback Tyson Campbell stated.
Whereas they performed to win each week, operating again Tank Bigsby observed one thing completely different over the ultimate month of the season in group morale.
“Generally guys, they’re defeated earlier than they even step on the sector,” he stated.
One other participant stated there was a problem lurking within the locker room: Not sufficient aggressive, vocal management from fellow gamers to get the group on observe.
Throughout Pederson’s tenure because the Philadelphia Eagles head coach, he had leaders equivalent to Brandon Graham, Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox. If there was one thing that wanted to be stated, they had been those who stated it.
Gamers stated the group’s leaders — Engram, Kirk, Lawrence, Hines-Allen and Oluokun — had a lead-by-example, quieter fashion.
However the Jaguars wanted somebody extra vocal, one participant stated, particularly because the season began to spiral uncontrolled.
“No person’s offended,” the participant stated through the center of the season. “[I] want there was a few of that.”
Etienne echoed that assertion heading into Week 18.
“We do not take issues private sufficient,” he stated. “… Everybody likes to play us as a result of they assume they are going to have an amazing sport. We now have to alter the narrative about our group, simply the best way we work, what we placed on movie.
“So be pissed off … cease being a stepping stone for others and simply begin stepping on others.”
At season’s finish, Lawrence stated they wanted to search out the identical confidence the group had within the second half of 2022, after they received six of their final seven video games to win the AFC South and rallied from a 27-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in a wild-card playoff sport.
“It looks like we have misplaced that previously year-and-a-half or so for no matter purpose, and we have to get that again,” Lawrence stated. “That is one thing that us as leaders on the group actually have to have a look at and we have to take our half too. This is not simply, we fired Coach Pederson, so now that is all on him. It is on us as gamers too.”
THERE IS BELIEF contained in the group the Jaguars can return to rivalry within the AFC South in 2025.
The quarterback is in place, Thomas is among the many league’s elite receivers, and Walker and Hines-Allen are a stable pass-rush duo (46 mixed sacks the previous two seasons).
The Jaguars have 10 draft picks (together with No. 5 total), no gamers in line for an instantaneous contract extension (the group has fifth-year choice selections on Walker and LB Devin Lloyd), and roughly $36 million in wage cap area, per OverTheCap.com.
“If you have a look at the place we had been main into the ’22 season, and going from the place we had been in ’21 to ’22, I do not assume there’s any purpose why we will not repeat that,” Baalke stated. “… I do assume this factor might be flipped and be flipped fast.”
The Jaguars requested interviews with 10 candidates: Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo, former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC Liam Coen, Vikings DC Brian Flores, Buffalo Payments OC Joe Brady, Eagles OC Kellen Moore, and Baltimore Ravens OC Todd Monken.
Spagnuolo (11-41 in three-plus seasons with the St. Louis Rams and New York Giants), Saleh (20-36 in three-plus seasons with the Jets) and Flores (24-25 in three seasons with the Dolphins) are the one candidates with earlier NFL head teaching expertise. All three have defensive backgrounds, however all these info are irrelevant so far as Lawrence is worried.
“Whether or not it is an offensive coach or a defensive coach, simply [hire] the man that is going to instill that tradition,” Lawrence stated, “that toughness into our group and simply that confidence that it would not matter who we’re enjoying, once we’re enjoying, simply spot the ball and we will beat anyone.”
Lawrence stated the underside line is the gamers did not play at a excessive degree.
“We won’t simply assume simply because some adjustments are made, workers and all the things round us, that it is all going to [be fixed],” he stated. “We now have to be those to actually change our trajectory, to be trustworthy.
“However I do have faith in the kind of folks we’ve got, the gamers we’ve got, however it is a massive offseason, and we’ve got to actually dial in and like I stated, construct that tradition and grow to be only a robust, hard-nosed, gritty group.”
